Global engineering firm CB&I and a consortium including Shell, GenH2, and the University of Houston have developed a large-scale, non-vacuum liquid hydrogen storage tank concept for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).
The first-of-its-kind 100,000 cubic metre tank will expand MSFC’s liquid hydrogen storage capacity. It will also support research on material behaviour in cryogenic conditions, simulating typical fill and empty cycles and testing insulation systems that don’t require a vacuum.
The concept is first undergoing a six-month evaluation using a small-scale demonstration tank to assess feasibility and potential improvements.
James Fesmir, Chief Architect at hydrogen infrastructure firm GenH2, said the initiative has helped build testing capabilities for thermal insulation and is generating critical data for advancing global hydrogen use.
The project now taking full shape first started in 2021 and is being supported by the US Department of Energy with $6m. Shell and CB&I have each contributed an additional $3m.
Hydrogen must be stored at minus 253°C in liquid form and requires high-performance insulation to reduce boil-off and maintain stable pressure.
Traditionally this has been achieved with vacuum-insulated cryogenic tanks, often equipped with redundant pressure relief systems for safety.
Dr Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Vice President of Energy and Innovation at the University of Houston, called the ability to store liquid hydrogen at scale using a non-vacuum design a “pivotal advancement.”
“Innovative solutions like this will be key to advancing our energy economy,” he added.
CB&I built NASA’s first liquid hydrogen sphere in the 1960s, with a capacity of 170 cubic metres. It scaled up to 5,000 cubic metres with a tank completed in 2022 at Kennedy Space Center for the Artemis programme.
