Technology Status of Hydrogen Road Vehicles

8.4 The cost of liquefying hydrogen
The cost of liquefaction depends on the cost of delivered electricity ($14.65-16.41 per mmBtu in near term,
3.50-5 for transmission plus 18-45 for solar power in middle term), the efficiency of liquefaction (26-33%),
and the non-energy cost of liquefaction ($2-4 per mmBtu).
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(Some doubt for the present writer surrounds these summary figures, and DeLuchi does not quote explicitly
in his text the resulting cost of liquefaction; a Table however gives the liquefaction cost as $9.42(high)-
5.81(low) per mmBtu in near-term, and $20.50(high)-7.59(low) in middle-term.)
8.5 Refueling station cost and fuel taxes
A hydride refueling station is assumed to serve 200 vehicles per day over 18 hours, and each vehicle (210 km
range) withdraws 82% of its full 0.426 mmBtu capacity. Pipeline hydrogen would probably have to be
purified at the station before delivery to vehicles (hydrides require >99.995% purity). Allowing for the costs
of compression to 200 bar and of personnel, the total hydride station mark-up would be $3-4 per mmBtu.
LH 2 refueling station costs are the sum of delivery and retailing costs. Truck delivery of LH 2 to most
metropolitan areas is taken as $0.50-1.50 per mmBtu, and boiloff reduces the amount transferred at each step
to 87-92%.....Taking known costs of LNG refueling stations with appropriate corrections, an LH 2 station cost
of $4-5 per mmBtu is reached.
Regarding state and federal taxes, it is assumed that the tax-per-km would be 100% of the gasoline one in the
near term, and anywhere from 50 to 100% of the gasoline one in the medium term.
8.6 The effect of thermal efficiency, vehicle weight and pollution control equipment on vehicle life-cycle cost
These three items directly affect the km per mmBtu of both hydrogen and gasoline vehicles. ....It is assumed
that most H 2 vehicles would be run fairly lean, with 20-45% more thermal efficiency for LH 2, and 20-42% for
hydride vehicles.....A typical, full, advanced LH 2 tank would weigh about 10 kg more than the full gasoline
tank it would replace, in 420-km range vehicles, and would be compensated by the pollution control
equipment not needed. The extra weight of the hydride vehicle would be 200-260 kg compared to the gasoline
vehicle. Pollution control equipment on the gasoline vehicle can be ignored, as far as weight effects are
concerned, as various factors balance out.
8.7 The price of the vehicle
Concerning engine equipment it can be assumed that both hydride and LH 2 engines would be about $50-200
more expensive than a comparable gasoline engine, allowing for fuel induction, injection and backfire control
in the former.
Concerning engine size, advanced LH 2 engines will be at least as powerful as gasoline engines of similar
size....And since LH 2 vehicles will not be heavier, it is assumed that there is no cost difference due to engine
size between an optimized LH 2 engine and a gasoline engine providing the same performance.
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Rather than attempt to estimate the additional cost of bringing the performance of the hydride vehicle up to
the level of the gasoline vehicle, assume no cost difference, and note that performance would not be
comparable.
Concerning pollution control equipment , hydrogen vehicles would not require a 3-way catalytic converter,
start-up catalyst, oxidation catalyst, oxygen sensor, evaporative emission control, air injection, exhaust gas
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