The objective of this project is to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining profitability with a cost-effective drop-in hydrogen fuel cell system.
Team Members
Brian Raneri Hailey Koeppel Abigail Kostic
Instructor: Sean Knecht
Project Poster
Click on any image to enlarge.
Project Summary
Our solution to the carbon emission of 400t mining trucks is replacing the diesel generator with a hydrogen fuel cell system. This system is a drop-in replacement for the currently used diesel generator, which reduces the initial capital cost of the system. This system has a reserve battery to utilize the regenerative braking capability of the motors. This capability reduces fuel requirements and increases profit. The biggest technical challenge associated with this solution is the storage of hydrogen onboard the trucks. Hydrogen is not a very dense molecule, so even though it is very efficient, storing enough hydrogen in the trucks to make repeated mining cycles is difficult. We solved this problem by using High-Pressure COPVs, or Carbon Overwrapped Pressure Vessels. The most significant factor in a mine’s profitability is the cost per ton output of the mine. A faster cycle time results in a lower cost per ton figure. Due to the efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells, we decrease the cycle time from 62 minutes to 38 minutes. This results in a lower production cost compared to the current diesel system. This system increases mine profitability by $6.98 million. The initial cost for the required infrastructure is high (about $20 million), but mining companies will be able to offset this initial cost in less than three years. Our solution to the carbon emission of 400t mining trucks is replacing the diesel generator with a hydrogen fuel cell system. This system is a drop-in replacement for the currently used diesel generator, which reduces the initial capital cost of the system. This system has a reserve battery to utilize the regenerative braking capability of the motors. This capability reduces fuel requirements and increases profit. The biggest technical challenge associated with this solution is the storage of hydrogen onboard the trucks. Hydrogen is not a very dense molecule, so even though it is very efficient, storing enough hydrogen in the trucks to make repeated mining cycles is difficult. We solved this problem by using High-Pressure COPVs, or Carbon Overwrapped Pressure Vessels. The most significant factor in a mine’s profitability is the cost per ton output of the mine. A faster cycle time results in a lower cost per ton figure. Due to the efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells, we decrease the cycle time from 62 minutes to 38 minutes. This results in a lower production cost compared to the current diesel system. This system increases mine profitability by $6.98 million. The initial cost for the required infrastructure is high (about $20 million), but mining companies will be able to offset this initial cost in less than three years.