Fort Leonard Wood
Hydrogen Powered Shuttles for Commuters to Fort Leonard Wood
With a congressionally funded project to demonstrate hydrogen-powered vehicles within the Department of Defense, the Defense Logistics Agency asked the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center to work with the Missouri University of Science and Technology (S&T) and Fort Leonard Wood to provide commuter buses and a stationary hydrogen refueling station. The commuter buses that serve Fort Leonard Wood are two Ford E-450 models with supercharged 6.8-liter V-10 engines that burn hydrogen gas as its only fuel. They are being leased with a $500,000 in-kind donation from Ford Motor Company.
The hydrogen fuel, initially provided by an Air Products (HF150) Mobile Hydrogen Fueler at Rolla, is being replaced with a semi-permanent refueling station to produce and store hydrogen by means of steam-methane reformation. The semi permanent station will add storage vessels on a skid external to the trailer along with the dispenser and incorporate the use of a photovoltaic panel to power the electrolysis system, which means the fueling station will operate partially on renewable energy.
Ford trained operators, code officials and first responders on how to safely handle the fuels, regulate the production and sale, and respond to a potential accident. The E-450 buses will operate through December 2009 and have already logged 1000 hours and 5244 passengers. Missouri S&T is collecting operating data to assess vehicle performance, station operation and public acceptance.
- Mission Hydrogen-powered Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles represent another step forward in U.S. Army efforts to find alternatives to fossil fuels as well as expose the community to hydrogen-fueled vehicles.
- Community The bus service helps the U.S. Department of Transportation wrestle with the technical, safety and public-perception issues of putting a new fuel infrastructure in place — new stations, new rules for emergency responders, and new public concerns.
- Environment Hydrogen fueled ICEs have many advantages over gasoline engines, including high efficiency, all-weather operation and near zero emissions of regulated pollutants and greenhouse gases.
Fort Leonard Wood commuters have a way to travel within the local community that avoids the unpredictable cost of gas as well as benefits the environment. The commuting cost is less than driving an average privately-owned car or pickup due to a pretax benefit to Defense employees.
ERDC CERL Phone: 217-373-5864
U.S. Department of Energy provides a basic description of using hydrogen as a fuel.
Mobile Alternative Fueling Station Locator