Geo-Spatial Analysis and Development of Alternative Energy Refueling Infrastructure

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based method was developed to relate the number of stations to their placement on a regional scale in the state of Connecticut. Firstly, this study considered some unique geographic factors of the region and its refueling behavior to predict the number of stations required. Those factors included population, traffic flows, existing alternative refueling stations, and transit routes. There are approximately 248 stations sited for the Connecticut based on these high density factors. Secondly, the preliminary station arrangement was evaluated based on the average vehicle travel times of refueling. The study has found the weighted average travel time for a user to reach a hydrogen station was 4.91 minutes. Vehicle travel times by county and population regions were also compiled and presented. Lastly, station arrangement optimization was explored by attempting to minimize vehicle travel times for Connecticut. The study results have shown that the method of hydrogen station siting developed in this study decreased the driving time to a station in metropolitan/high traffic flow regions while still preserving similar travel times within rural regions.