Toyota has presented an innovative system concept that will increase the efficiency of cars powered by liquid hydrogen. The system allows the reuse of evaporated hydrogen thanks to a self-priming pump, while also significantly reducing fuel loss.

The Japanese automaker continues to actively develop hydrogen technologies. In 2023, Toyota presented the GR Corolla H2 concept with a liquid hydrogen storage system at -253 degrees Celsius. However, despite using very low temperatures to prevent the liquid from boiling, some of the hydrogen still evaporates, increasing fuel loss.

To solve the problem, Toyota introduced a new self-priming fuel pump technology in the 2024 Super Taikyu Series race. This system uses the pressure of evaporated hydrogen to compress it 2-4 times and convert it into a fuel that can be reused without any additional energy cost. But that’s not all. In the future, it is planned to use the remaining evaporated hydrogen to power the fuel cell that will enable the hydrogen pump to operate, further increasing the efficiency of the system.

Working with liquid hydrogen is associated with a number of technical difficulties related to both storage and the configuration of the entire system. Washington State University professor Dr. Jacob Leachman (Jacob Leachman) emphasizes that hydrogen pumps are the most vulnerable components in all hydrogen systems, both cryogenic and gaseous, and believes that Toyota has made a breakthrough by developing a pump using cryogenic hydrogen. “This is the advance everyone developing liquid hydrogen cars needs ” said Leachman.

The professor also notes that one of the main problems remains the sealing of containers with liquid hydrogen. If hydrogen boils in a closed container, the pressure can rise to 140 megapascals (MPa), creating additional difficulties for developers of such systems.