Tobias Massier
Publications

Toward Flexible Hydrogen Supply: Dynamic Simulation and Control of Mixed-Refrigerant-Precooled Liquefaction Plants

Publication Information

Publication data

Type:
Journal article  Open access
Authors:
Benjamin Kanz, Alessio Tafone, Laura Stops, Jun Onn Khor, Tobias Massier, Ovi Lian Ding and Harald Klein
Published in:
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, vol. 235
Electronic ISSN: 1879-3487, Print ISSN: 0360-3199
Impact factor: 8.1 (2025)
Publisher:
Elsevier, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
Publication date:
May 2026
Article no.:
155036
Pages:
1–17
Abstract:
This study investigates the dynamic behavior of large-scale hydrogen liquefaction plants using mixed-refrigerant (MR) precooling to enhance operational flexibility for renewable energy integration. Hydrogen liquefaction is essential for hydrogen transport but remains energy-intensive. MR-precooled plants can significantly reduce energy consumption; yet, their dynamic performance and control strategies are underexplored. Dynamic simulation is crucial for capturing time-dependent responses to disturbances and designing robust control systems. This work develops the first dynamic simulation and control structure for an MR-precooled hydrogen liquefaction plant producing 100 tpd of liquid hydrogen (LH2). The model is validated against steady-state results and evaluated under variations in feed temperature, pressure, mass flow, and MR compressor power. Results show that the control strategy maintains the LH2 temperature at 22.5 K, restoring stability within 22 min to 96 min. These findings confirm the feasibility of dynamic control for MR-precooled liquefiers and provide a foundation for future validation with operational data.
Keywords:
Hydrogen liquefaction, Dynamic simulation, Control design, Ortho-para conversion, Equation of state, Mixed refrigerant precooling cycle
DOI:
10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.155036

Further information

Part of project:
Singapore’s Pathway to Carbon Neutrality: Analysis of New Technologies

Resources

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Format: 
@article{Kanz_FlexibleHydrogenSupply_2026,
  author    = {Kanz, Benjamin and Tafone, Alessio and Stops, Laura and Khor, Jun Onn and Massier, Tobias and Ding, Ovi Lian and Klein, Harald},
  title     = {Toward Flexible Hydrogen Supply: {Dynamic} Simulation and Control of Mixed-Refrigerant-Precooled Liquefaction Plants},
  year      = {2026},
  month     = may,
  journal   = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy},
  issn      = {1879-3487},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Amsterdam, The Netherlands},
  volume    = {235},
  pages     = {1--17},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.155036},
  keywords  = {Hydrogen liquefaction, Dynamic simulation, Control design, Ortho-para conversion, Equation of state, Mixed refrigerant precooling cycle},
}
@article{Kanz_FlexibleHydrogenSupply_2026,
  author       = {Kanz, Benjamin and Tafone, Alessio and Stops, Laura and Khor, Jun Onn and Massier, Tobias and Ding, Ovi Lian and Klein, Harald},
  title        = {Toward Flexible Hydrogen Supply: {Dynamic} Simulation and Control of Mixed-Refrigerant-Precooled Liquefaction Plants},
  date         = {2026-05},
  journaltitle = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy},
  issn         = {1879-3487},
  publisher    = {Elsevier},
  location     = {Amsterdam, The Netherlands},
  eid          = {155036},
  volume       = {235},
  pages        = {1--17},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.155036},
  keywords     = {Hydrogen liquefaction, Dynamic simulation, Control design, Ortho-para conversion, Equation of state, Mixed refrigerant precooling cycle},
}
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