Changes Needed to Enable Use of Hydrogen as Alternative Fuel in Commercial Motor Vehicles

This paper provides a brief overview the results of a two-year project undertaken to ascertain changes needed for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to enable the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuels in commercial motor vehicles. At present, there are no general guidelines to assist commercial motor vehicle fleet managers who are considering hydrogen as an alternative fuel. Thus, the primary purpose of DOT’s two-year project was to compile general guidelines in lay language on the proper operation, maintenance, and inspection of hydrogen fuel systems in commercial motor vehicles (i.e., trucks and motorcoaches). Several major changes are needed to enable the use of hydrogen in commercial motor vehicles. The first is dissemination of general guidelines in lay language to fleet managers who are considering the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel in commercial motor vehicles. The guidelines are intended to assist commercial motor vehicle fleet managers who supervise drivers on the road as well as operations and maintenance personnel at fleet terminals. The guidelines are not intended as in-depth specifications for use by original equipment manufacturers and other vendors/suppliers in order to actually design and build hydrogen fuel systems. Second, several major regulatory revisions are needed based on the potentially hazardous properties of hydrogen. Needed changes in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) are discussed in this paper. Because changes in the FMCSRs affect the North American Standard (NAS) inspection procedures and NAS Out-Of-Service Criteria, changes in the NAS inspection procedures and Out-Of-Service Criteria are also needed.