Thermodynamic simulations for high-capacity hydrogen refueling stations for marine vessels

The maritime sector significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the urgent need to transition to fossil-free fuels. Compressed gaseous hydrogen stands out as a promising alternative fuel for maritime applications in several segments; however, large-scale bunkering presents several technical challenges. This study examines the technical challenges of refueling ≈10 tonnes of hydrogen into ships via high-flow refueling systems, operating up to 100 times faster than current vehicle stations. The study uses thermodynamic models to simulate hydrogen transfer into ships from the buffer and cascade refueling configurations. The cascade system provides lower onboard tank temperatures and consumes less energy than the buffer system in the pre-cooling stage. In contrast, the buffer system enables faster refueling but results in higher temperature rise onboard and higher energy demand. In the buffer system, energy consumption increased by over 1579 kWh as the ambient temperature rose from 0 °C to 25 °C . In the cascade system, the corresponding increase was approximately 1197 kWh, highlighting the importance of efficient thermal management in scalable hydrogen refueling systems.