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Cummins Becoming Big Player in
Hydrogen Transition
Cummins, a name
synonymous with diesel engines, is making a name for itself in the
hydrogen economy.
Feb
02, 2023
By
David Kiley
Cummins, a name virtually synonymous with diesel engines, is joining the
hydrogen train. And for good reason: There is mounting demand for hydrogen
powertrains for heavy trucks and heavy-duty pickups, as well as growing
hostility from regulators toward diesel.
Cummins is producing a hydrogen version of its popular B6.7 engine. That
engine is the base for the 6.7L Cummins inline 6-cyl. turbodiesel used
today in the Ram pickup from Stellantis. The engine is found in the
2500/3500/4500/5500 Heavy Duty lineup of pickups.
When Stellantis introduced the all-new Ram at CES 2023 last month, the
company said a future heavy-duty derivative would have a hydrogen
powertrain.
The whole diesel industry is bracing for a phase-out over the next 15-plus
years, but in some cases sooner. The
California Air Resources Board (CARB) in 2008 stated that any diesel
vehicles weighing over 14,000 lbs. (6,350 kg) and built before 2010 would
be banned from operating on California roads as of Jan. 1, 2023. And
those trucks are coming off the road now.
CARB also has mandated that all new trucks operating around busy railways
and ports be zero-emission vehicles by 2024; phasing out all diesel trucks
from those areas by 2035; and eventually taking every diesel truck and bus
fleet off California roads by 2045, where feasible.
Cummins has demonstrated how the new B6.7H for its medium-duty and
heavy-duty engine offerings can replace diesel. In a video, for example,
Cummins demonstrates how a medium-duty delivery truck can operate on
zero-carbon-emissions hydrogen fuel in an internal-combustion engine
without giving up any performance or cargo-carrying attributes.
Cummins’ H2-ICE engine features a 700-bar (10,000-psi) pressure
high-capacity hydrogen storage system, which gives the vehicle a range of
about 300 miles (483 km). The B6-7H 6.7L hydrogen motor produces 290 hp
and 886 lb.-ft. (1,201 Nm) of torque in the medium-duty truck package.
“There is an undeniable desire to make more of hydrogen in the energy
economy,” says Sumanth Addageria, vice president of Albuquerque,
NM-based BayoTech,
which supplies hydrogen trailers to distribution points such as TrueZero
hydrogen stations in California.
BayoTech’s position is backed up by a
recent report by consulting firm Deloitte that projects hydrogen “to be
the next energy (sector) to scale.”
Cummins also has just shown its new fuel-agnostic
15.0L engine platform with hydrogen, biogas and advanced diesel engines at
Con Expo. This engine offers OEMs the opportunity to accelerate the
decarbonization of heavy-duty off-highway vehicles.
The new platform is designed for the next level of emission reduction
standards, and has a significant increase in power density with a more
compact installation envelope. This lets OEMs increase machine capability
and productivity with no impact on running costs.
The 15.0L hydrogen engine will be available with ratings from 400- 530 hp.
“In every past hydrogen hype cycle, what was really meant by ‘hydrogen
economy’ was personal cars with a fuel cell,” says Jim Nebergall, general
manager of Cummins’ hydrogen engine business. “On the contrary, today
commercial transportation is one of the key opportunities for the hydrogen
economy to prosper.”
As ever with hydrogen powertrains, the
issue is refueling. But the hydrogen infrastructure is getting a big boost
courtesy of the U.S. government. The Inflation Reduction Act signed into
law in August allocated $8 billion to build out six to 10 hydrogen hubs.
Multiple states have prepared
Request-for-Proposal submissions for hubs that would be built to generate
hydrogen on a large scale in geographic regions where they would likely
get the most use and traffic and be able to distribute compressed hydrogen
to high-volume users who want to get off diesel fuel and onto
renewable-energy-driven hydrogen.
Cummins also is playing in the hydrogen
production space. The company just announced it is supplying a 35-mW
proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer to Linde for its new hydrogen
production plant near Niagara Falls, NY, Linde’s largest such plant in the
U.S.
“This project is not only a milestone for
Cummins, but also for the energy transition in the U.S.,” says Amy Davis,
vice president and president (vice president and president?) of New Power
at Cummins. “Adding the 35mW of this Linde plant to our electrolyzer
project footprint highlights our commitment to scaling the green hydrogen
economy and our ability to support large-scale renewable hydrogen
production with market-leading innovation."
Note:
Hydrogen Cars with Fuel Cells.….not trucks are only sold in California
with a $3,000 state subsidy for hydrogen fuel. Presently in California
there are 12,500 hydrogen cars, Hyundai, Honda, and Toyota. About 2,500
hydrogen fuel cell cars are sold annually at present. There are 14 million
cars in California. The price for hydrogen fuel is $12 per kilo H2 in
2021, In 2022 and 2023 averages $24 per kilo. Some Northern California
pricing is $30 per kilo. The tanks are about 3.5 to 4.5 Kilos. The tanks
must be maintained at half full and the average mileage is 80 miles per
Kilogram H2. The Hyundai has the largest tank and can go 350 to 400 miles
from full to empty. Half full requires a refueling event. Stations are
limiting and there are refueling problems in California.
Japan, South Korea, USA, UK and EU have announced Hydrogen Engines. 2025
to 2027 are considered delivery dates in volume.
Green Play Ammonia™, Yielder® NFuel Energy.
Spokane, Washington. 99212
www.exactrix.com
509 995 1879 cell, Pacific.
Nathan1@greenplayammonia.com
exactrix@exactrix.com
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