Paul Rodden • Season: 2024 • Episode: 322
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Welcome to The Hydrogen Podcast!
Join us on this episode of the Hydrogen Podcast as we delve into the future of hydrogen with Felipe Sperduti Machado, Senior Director of Hydrogen and Cryogenics at OPW Clean Energy Solutions. Felipe shares his extensive knowledge and experience in the hydrogen industry, discussing key accomplishments, challenges, and innovative solutions in hydrogen refueling and distribution. Learn how OPW CES is paving the way for a cleaner energy future, and discover the exciting advancements in liquid hydrogen technology and infrastructure. Don’t miss this insightful conversation that highlights the potential of hydrogen as a mainstream energy source and OPW CES’s role in driving this transformation.
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Paul Rodden
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Transcript:
Paul Rodden (0:00): Hello everyone, this is Paul Rodden and I want to welcome you back to the hydrogen podcast. OPW Clean Energy Solutions is a leading company committed to providing innovative and reliable solutions for the clean energy market with a focus on hydrogen and cryogenics. OPW CES strives to address the challenges of the hydrogen economy ensuring a safe and standardized approach to liquid hydrogen refueling, particularly for heavy-duty trucks. Their dedication is reflected in their brands AC Cryogenics and Rego, which contribute significantly to the clean energy infrastructure. Today we’re honored to have Felipe Sperduti Machado, the Senior Director of Hydrogen and Cryogenics at OPW Clean Energy Solutions. Felipe has a rich background in the hydrogen industry with extensive experience in developing and implementing hydrogen solutions. His expertise and leadership have been pivotal in advancing the safe and efficient distribution of liquid hydrogen. Welcome Felipe, thank you for joining us.
Felipe Sperduti Machado (1:08): Thanks, Paul. I appreciate the invite and it’s a pleasure to be here and thrilled to talk about our hydrogen advancements.
Paul Rodden (1:12): Fantastic. Let’s jump into some questions here. Felipe, can you tell us a little bit about your journey in the hydrogen industry and how you came to be in your current role at OPW Clean Energy Solutions?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (1:20): Absolutely. So my hydrogen-related career started at Cummins after many years of powertrain and R&D development working as a product strategist for power generation and some hybrid models for niche applications. As you can imagine with the decarbonization goals, some of the projects quickly evolved to a full hydrogen package system. So I worked a few years planning future architectures of first movers. Then I joined OPW Clean Energy Solutions, which is the operating company of the Dover Corporation, a publicly traded company, to lead the efforts considering that we have a whole new economy on the rise. So my personal goal since then has been to work on cryogenic solutions for infrastructure, refueling, and mobility applications.
Paul Rodden (2:11): What are some of the key accomplishments and milestones you’ve achieved with OPW Clean Energy Solutions?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (2:14): Yeah, that’s a good question. So first of all, I’m very excited to be in a position where we can participate in almost the entire value chain, so from the molecule production to the end use. This gives us as OPW Clean Energy Solutions and Dover a unique opportunity to balance the efforts and monitor the demand activation. The hydrogen economy is kind of a new term, right? But for us, we have many decades serving the market with infrastructure equipment, cryogenic flow control products, vacuum jacket pipes, fueling systems, and specialty components, so it’s not a new economy per se for us.
Paul Rodden (2:58): Can you provide an overview of OPW CES and its mission in the clean energy sector?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (3:02): OPW Clean Energy Solutions’ mission is to provide a one-stop shop for mission-critical applications that really help to support the industrial gas markets, LNG, and hydrogen markets. So we play a role to also help define the standards that will soon be in effect for refueling on heavy-duty trucks, mostly in Europe and in the US. We also work on different fronts for different applications, but at this time we are focused on heavy-duty trucks.
Paul Rodden (3:33): So how do Acme Cryogenics and Rego fit into OPW CES’s strategy for advancing the hydrogen infrastructure? Would you mind giving us a brief introduction into those companies?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (3:43): So, quick background for the two companies. They were put together a couple of years ago. Rego started as CO2 valve and oxygen regulator back in 1918, so there is where the name comes from, regulator oxygen. And Acme started as a machine shop for compressed gas fittings about 55 years ago, and with time they quickly evolved as, let’s say, reference brands in the market for quality, safety, and reliability for cryogenic equipment. And from a Dover group perspective, we also serve the market with other business units and other industrial equipment for the hydrogen economy considering that we believe that multiple solutions will roll out for different uses and applications. So essentially there’s not one size fits all, so we are trying to understand all the different energy formats and try to work with all of them.
Paul Rodden (4:37): So then you would have a really good understanding of the challenges in hydrogen distribution. What are the main challenges you see in the distribution of liquid hydrogen for heavy-duty trucks?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (4:46): So the first thing is there is no surprise that hydrogen, being the smallest molecule in the universe, brings its own challenges when it comes to storage and transportation. There are essentially three formats you can manage hydrogen, right? One is the gaseous format. There are two typical pressure settings you can work with. One is at 350 bar and another is at 700 bar, which is currently the more mature technology. However, the liquid format in the cryogenic state provides much more energy density which helps to address the vehicle range, and it keeps the overall architecture of the vehicle occupying less space on the chassis and at the back of the cabin. There are these two formats and the last one is a bit of a mix of both, we call it cryo-compressed, which is in a very simplified way is basically putting a mix of both technologies together. But this last one is also technically more challenging to deal with from a thermal dynamics standpoint. So for the liquid hydrogen side, the biggest challenge is to handle the molecule at very low temperature, especially for flammability aspects. So in other words, liquefaction, storage, and final use are the big things that we try to tackle in this complex environment.
Paul Rodden (6:03): How does OPW CES address the safety concerns associated with liquid hydrogen distribution and refueling?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (6:08): Yeah, that’s a good question. Many of the components that are present in the market today were once standardized from our team’s support. So they have been helping to validate the process because we bring experts with over 40 years of experience executing hydrogen and cryogenic projects. So through these technical forums and committees like the Compressed Gas Association, ISO, and others, we have been able to establish a strong position to serve the gas majors, producers along with distributors and end users. And more recently, over the last couple of years, we were invited to join a technical group that is based out of Germany to start drafting the coupling technology for heavy-duty trucks that will carry the liquid hydrogen on board. So this group is composed of OEMs, hydrogen producers, and some of the most experienced companies in the market. In addition to that, we have been serving the LNG truck market for decades now, so we deeply understand all the safety variables that are part of the process, so we’re not starting from zero then.
Paul Rodden (7:20): Can you discuss the importance of standardization in the hydrogen refueling process and how OPW CES specifically contributes to that effort?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (7:26): So a bit of storytelling, just to connect with what I was saying previously. So over the last 20 years or so, the LNG market, which is the closest in terms of operations to hydrogen, has struggled to activate that supposedly new economy because there were just some clusters of companies working together. So it was a bit clunky and disconnected from the main regulatory bodies and the overall market. So at the end of the day, it was difficult to make a comprehensive plan to enable the LNG trucks and refueling at scale with these individual solutions. So imagine if you stop your car to refuel but the nozzle is not compatible, how do you manage this complexity? You know, it really needs a joint effort from the private and the public companies to really put their minds into solving this issue. This process naturally brought challenges to bring costs down and achieve the technology maturity. Now that there is a broader collaboration in terms of more players and more people in general looking at the same problems to be solved, the likelihood of having a much more robust solution with fewer friction points is great. In my view, OPW itself, through our Rego team, has proposed a very strong package in this technical forum that collects decades of learning in the LNG refueling, and we understand a full spectrum of potential issues with the product interacting with the environment and users. So we believe that by covering most of the potential failure modes, we have had a great start, you know, we are ahead of the game, we’re not starting from zero and we are design protecting, you know, with all the solutions that accelerate the liquid hydrogen advancements.
Paul Rodden (9:13): What technological advancements have been crucial in overcoming distribution challenges in the hydrogen economy?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (9:17): That’s a very good question. There were many technical challenges, let’s say, to guarantee a robust design, but the end goal is to maintain a tight and automated connection to reduce the human error risks. So the whole refilling process requires a full scan of requirements that includes the tank manufacturers, the dispensing companies, and the molecule producers. So we make sure all the technical aspects are covered at the intersection, you know, when we are refilling a truck. So our ultimate goal is to replicate a diesel-like experience. We want to minimize the cultural changes, so the hydrogen economy itself brings enough challenges that if the refilling process were to work, it would require more steps and industrial-level equipment. It would make the technology transition very difficult to impossible.
Paul Rodden (10:09): Switching gears a little bit, could you highlight some of the innovative solutions OPW CES has developed for liquid hydrogen refueling?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (10:15): We’re now mainly focused on getting the nozzle and the receptacle to work very robustly and repeatedly with liquid hydrogen. We have a larger spectrum of components we can provide; we work with the entire system, but several of the technical criticalities go into the coupling process. So we are implementing a number of redundancies to the system that are supposed to eliminate all the known variables and external factors that could reduce the system performance. We also focused on, for instance, a low-force engagement nozzle with a gradual sealing process to prevent some of the operator mistakes. So if they’re trying to operate the nozzle and it doesn’t fit in the right position, they keep forcing it. We are trying to get rid of all these potential variables. So after the engagement is done, basically the operator walks away, he or she presses a button to start the fueling process and that’s it. So like I said before, we learned a lot with the LNG refueling process. That alone gave us a ton to prepare for the hydrogen economy. Now the liquid hydrogen system brings another layer of technology that from the outside, the good news is that it looks very simple and intuitive, but there are many safety checks and automation that will reduce the risk on a day-to-day operation. So again, we are trying to reduce friction, keep the same, let’s say, cultural mindset and make sure it works properly with anybody operating that device.
Paul Rodden (11:50): So then how do Acme Cryogenics and Rego enhance OPW CES’s capabilities in the hydrogen sector?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (11:56): Yeah, that’s an excellent question. Our main advantage is to participate in most of the hydrogen value chain, so gradually we can integrate systems and benchmark a variety of different projects so we can exchange a lot of knowledge internally. One example, we cover aerospace projects, and then automotive, and then infrastructure, and so on and so forth. So we accumulate a lot of different experiences with those projects. The other angle we can look at is we work with different liquid gases like oxygen, CO2, and helium. That puts us in a unique position to keep innovating as we go and keep this exchange of information and technical learning across the projects that we work on.
Paul Rodden (12:43): What role does OPW CES play in ensuring the reliability and efficiency of hydrogen refueling infrastructure?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (12:49): It’s a combination of collaboration with main players and stakeholders while making a difference in reducing friction points, like I mentioned, in product design and operations, keeping it as simple as possible while maintaining safety and reliability as table stakes, let’s say. One highlight to that, not to go into more of the boring details, but we also designed our solution to work independently of the final fueling station process, meaning we offer compatibility with either a purging process or a vacuum process to fully isolate the hydrogen from conduction, convection, and radiation. So we can adapt depending on the way the stations will be set up. We also plan to evolve our solutions to protect the main requirements while serving markets like Europe and the US. We hope they will have very similar requirements, but in reality, there are some unique needs that might drive a few tailored approaches.
Paul Rodden (14:00): Can you share any success stories or case studies where OPW CES solutions have made a significant impact?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (14:06): I can lead to at least three different cases. One, like I mentioned, is the LNG refueling solution that I commented on before. We are the leading system for the European markets and more recently we launched a new version of our product called ROMC that is coming online with a big European customer. The second one is the aerospace development for launch pads, so we are facilitating to establish new tailor-made infrastructure projects with vacuum insulated pipes and valves adapted to the newer rockets’ requirements as well as evolving markets for short launch windows. Finally, the third one is our HydroMac, which is our hydrogen refilling solution for heavy-duty trucks. Those are some of the three we can brag about, let’s say. Yeah, very excited about those.
Paul Rodden (15:00): Looking at the future, what do you see as the future trends and opportunities for the hydrogen industry, particularly in heavy-duty transportation?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (15:05): Right, that’s a good question. More from a short-term perspective, Paul, the goal is to activate the economy, and by saying this, I mean to focus on having a stable technology at a fair cost with a growing infrastructure. There’s a frequent discussion between EVs versus hydrogen, and in reality, hydrogen is more difficult to scale with the present production capacity and cost, but it’s definitely the complementary solution to decarbonize the hard-to-abate sectors of the industry. So there is for sure an element of lending the hydrogen hype into real-life solutions. That is the transition we are working on to further enable other applications to achieve the zero-emissions goals.
Paul Rodden (15:54): How then is OPW CES preparing to meet the demands of a growing hydrogen economy?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (15:59): We have been growing substantially over the last few years. As I said, hydrogen is not new for us. We get all the different types of inquiries from companies aspiring to use hydrogen and quickly validate their value proposition. Beyond the decades of relationships with the major gas producers and direct users, we continue to participate in meaningful forums like the Hydrogen Council, Hydrogen Europe, the ISO, and CGA and others. We monitor how fast or not the projects are coming online to invest in our capabilities next, if that makes sense.
Paul Rodden (16:39): Along those lines, what collaborations or partnerships are you most excited about that will drive the industry forward?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (16:44): Selfishly, we definitely value the partnerships that we have with the gas majors, the OEMs, and the end users. They all have a great responsibility in driving the demand for future hydrogen use, and we are one of the enablers of this ecosystem. We also expect public-private partnerships to work as a catalyst to reduce the risks in hydrogen investment. When we take into consideration the 45V incentives, the hydrogen hubs, and so all of that is playing together to activate the demand and have the first pilot projects successful, then we can scale from there.
Paul Rodden (17:27): In your view, what are the key factors that will determine the success of hydrogen as a mainstream energy source?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (17:33): We believe there are three elements that are imperative for this to work. One is the technology material, two is the cost, and three is the infrastructure. If any of these variables are off, it will be very difficult to scale beyond other alternative energy sources. They really have to work hand in hand to bring the hydrogen economy to life.
Paul Rodden (18:05): One last question. Looking ahead, what are your predictions for the hydrogen industry over the next decade and what role will OPW CES play in that future?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (18:10): That’s an excellent question. I think there’s a long way to go, no doubt. However, the last few years the industry has made a ton of progress understanding the problems and defining the targets to achieve, which all of those are big steps towards focusing on the right applications at the right timing. Now, the industry needs time to mature a few developments and hit a few important milestones coming towards the end of the decade. For instance, if we land a stable market for heavy-duty trucks, aviation, rail, or mining, then one will become the benchmark to the other. For us, like I said, we’ll keep monitoring all these different applications, we will continue to work on meaningful problems to serve the markets and the people we care about.
Paul Rodden (19:00): That’s fantastic. I appreciate it, Felipe. You really are a wealth of knowledge in this sector and thank you for sharing those insights and your expertise with us today. Your contributions to the hydrogen industry really are inspiring and we look forward to seeing how OPW Clean Energy Solutions continues to lead the way in advancing that hydrogen infrastructure. For more information about OPW CES and your innovative solutions, where can everyone go?
Felipe Sperduti Machado (19:52): I would recommend visiting opwces.com which will allow a lot of information about the products, applications, industries that we play on, as well as our global footprint and all the different study cases that we worked on before. If anything, they can also reach out to me.
Paul Rodden (19:56): I appreciate it. Thank you so much.
Felipe Sperduti Machado (20:00): My pleasure, Paul. It was a real good time here. Thank you.
Paul Rodden (20:04): Hey, this is Paul. I hope you liked this podcast. If you did and want to hear more, I’d appreciate it if you would either subscribe to this channel on YouTube or connect with your favorite platform through my website at www.thehydrogenpodcast.com. Thanks for listening, very much appreciate it. Have a great day.
