LNK Energies, an MIT startup, says it can convert existing heavy-duty diesel trucks to run on hydrogen without building new fueling stations. The key is a compact reactor that releases hydrogen from a liquid organic hydrogen carrier, or LOHC, onboard the vehicle. The company says the reactor is about the size of a mini fridge, compared with shipping-container-sized units used elsewhere.
Because the hydrogen is carried as a liquid and released as needed, the system avoids the energy-intensive step of compressing hydrogen to about 800 times normal air pressure. The released hydrogen can be burned in a modified internal combustion engine, or used in fuel cells to power electric motors. Waste heat from the engine helps run the reactor, and the LOHC can be dispensed through standard diesel pumps.
The company claims the total cost of ownership for a Class 8 truck is 13% lower than diesel, and that it can undercut diesel at $6.50 per gallon once 50 to 100 trucks are built. Those projections exclude government subsidies. LNK has a lab-scale reactor powering a lawnmower engine and plans to install a larger version in a commercial truck within 18 months. The source notes that hydrogen has been explored for long-haul trucking because refueling is faster than battery charging, but LNK's approach aims to remove the infrastructure barrier entirely.