Hydrogen-powered vehicles promise to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Use of such vehicles will require a means for fueling them. Linde North America, Murray Hill, N.J., a member of The Linde Group, a gases and engineering company, is introducing to North America its Ionic Compressor technology, which is said to provide a safe, fast and efficient way to fuel hydrogen vehicles. It initially is being aimed at fork lift trucks.
The Ionic Compressor system already is being used extensively in Europe for cars and buses. The technology uses an ionic liquid in direct contact with hydrogen instead of a piston in the pressurizing process. Linde has equipped over 70 hydrogen fueling stations in 15 countries.
“The Ionic Compressor is a step change in the area of hydrogen fueling,” according to Michael McGowan, head of hydrogen solutions for Linde North America. “It is a high-efficiency, high-throughput, low-maintenance and low-noise compression solution.”
Coupled with Linde’s proprietary fueling protocol and advanced station design, the Ionic Compressor is part of a complete and compact compression storage and indoor dispensing solution for the hydrogen- fuel-cell fork lift truck market.
“Linde is focused on finding ways to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. Expanding our vehicle fueling capabilities in North America gives customers greater access to our strong hydrogen network and world-class engineering,” said McGowan, who serves as chairman of the National Hydrogen Association.
In addition to the environment, Linde is also focused on safety, health and security.
As a member of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), it aims to comply with ACC’s Responsible Care program. Responsible Care is a globally recognized management system aimed at helping companies improve performance in safety, health, environment and security. This involves audits by an independent, accredited auditor to verify that they have a structure and system in place that manages and measures performance.
In mid-March, Linde's Delta, Ohio, air separation plant received its certification.
Other Linde plants that have earned ACC’s Responsible Care certification include Midland, N.C.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Cartersville, Ga.; South Bend, Ind.; Kittery, Maine; Nashville, Tenn.; Toledo, Ohio; and Vancouver, Wash.
To view the CP 50 list, visit: http://www.chemicalprocessing.com/cp50.
