Friday, May 26, 2023

ThinkTech Hawaii Interview: Hydrogen Myths vs Facts



Moving Beyond Hydrogen Fairytales and Zombie Myths


On the topic of hydrogen, there is a great deal of misinformation being circulated. Liquid hydrogen systems in particular are sometimes characterized as being a far-off vision that will require many years to deploy. The truth is there are no true technology gaps preventing the widespread application of hydrogen systems. The answer to many questions about hydrogen can be summed up as "it has already been done".

Unfortunately, inaccuracies have even made their way into key reports from authoritative government and international sources. These publications frequently contain errors and omissions, especially on the topic of liquid hydrogen. It is critically important to resolve this issue since public policy, regulations, funding priorities, and private sector investments are heavily influenced by these types of publications.

In this interview, common myths about hydrogen are dispelled with facts on the topics of safety, readiness level, leaks, materials, green hydrogen, energy storage, and system losses. And the 20-20 Vision for the Countdown to Hydrogen™ mnemonic will help with remembering some key hydrogen facts.


Matt Moran is the Managing Member at Moran Innovation LLC, and previous Managing Partner at Isotherm Energy. He's been developing power and propulsion systems for more than 40 years; and break-through liquid, slush, and gaseous hydrogen systems since the mid-1980s. Matt was also the Sector Manager for Energy & Materials in his last position at NASA where he worked for 31 years. He's been a co-founder in seven technology startups; and provided R&D and engineering support to many organizations. Matt has three patents and more than 50 publications including the Cryogenic Fluid Management series. He also leads the monthly LH2 Era™ Webinar.