Full Steam Ahead Towards A Nationwide Hydrogen Filling Station Network

Working together with partners, Bosch Rexroth is developing compressor drives to ensure the efficient operation of hydrogen filling stations

By Andreas Guender, Director, Hydrogen Center of Competence, Bosch Rexroth Corp.

Hydrogen produced from renewable energies plays a key role in achieving global climate targets. It is a CO2-free alternative to fossil fuels, especially for commercial vehicles. However, experience from the switch to electromobility shows how important a comprehensive charging infrastructure is if the new technology is to succeed. At Hannover Messe 2024, Bosch Rexroth presented drive systems for compressors and cryopumps developed together with manufacturers and operators from Europe and the USA for the economical operation of hydrogen filling stations with short refueling times.

According to a decision by the European Union, hydrogen filling stations for cars and heavy commercial vehicles must be installed in all urban nodes and every 200 km along the trans-European transport network by 2030. The USA has set itself ambitious targets too. The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Association predicts that around 4,300 hydrogen filling stations will be needed in the USA in 2030.

Refueling with hydrogen is much more technically complex than with petrol and diesel filling stations or electric charging stations. The challenge: Hydrogen is stored on site either in liquid form at -253 °C or as a gas in tanks with various pressure levels. In order to refuel vehicles, the hydrogen must be compressed in a controlled manner to between 700 and 900 bar. Robust drives for the compressors are needed here.

100 kg of hydrogen in less than 10 minutes

Based on its decades of experience in hydraulics, Bosch Rexroth is developing customized solutions for an economical hydrogen infrastructure, working together with partners. The aim is to refuel Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) with 100 kg of hydrogen in less than 10 minutes. With a tank full of fuel, HGVs can travel around 1,000 km.

Working with the market leader for the commercial operation of hydrogen filling stations in the USA, FirstElement Fuel in California, Bosch Rexroth has developed a cryopump that can compress up to 600 kg of liquid hydrogen per hour. The cryopump, which was presented for the first time at Hannover Messe 2024, combines proven servohydraulic pump drives, software and a newly developed compression cylinder. The first filling stations will be equipped with the new technology starting in 2025.

More than 100 refueling operations each day

The cryopump is just one example of the various compressor drives in the product portfolio. Bosch Rexroth also offers other drive solutions for compressing both gaseous and liquid hydrogen. Rexroth products in different performance classes cover a wide range of applications: From in-house filling stations for forklift trucks in logistics centers to car filling stations and filling stations for heavy HGVs. The solutions from Bosch Rexroth are based on series components and use hydrostatic transmission systems that are particularly robust and compact. The drive systems for compressors can be installed in small spaces. Compared to previous electromechanical pump drives, they offer a significantly higher flow rate and are much more efficient. Designed for continuous operation, they can be used for several hundred refueling operations a day operating in start-stop mode.

As one of the world’s leading suppliers of drive and control technologies, Bosch Rexroth ensures efficient, powerful and safe movement in machines and systems of any size. The company bundles global application experience in the market segments of Mobile and Industrial Applications as well as Factory Automation. With its intelligent components, customized system solutions, engineering and services, Bosch Rexroth is creating the necessary environment for fully connected applications.

To learn more, please visit www.boschrexroth-us.com.