Benchmarking of Novel Insulation Concepts for Liquid Hydrogen Storage Tanks

Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier for achieving carbon-neutral solutions across multiple sectors. Liquid hydrogen (LH₂) offers a high volumetric energy density for storage and transport; however, the scalability of current large-scale LH₂ tanks is limited by complex fabrication processes and demanding operational requirements. To address these challenges, the European NICOLHy project investigates novel insulation architectures based on Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs) to enable the scale-up of state of the art LH₂ storage systems for large-scale applications. This work presents a comparative benchmarking methodology based on a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to address safety, performance and sustainability aspects supporting the early-stage assessment of innovative LH₂ storage insulation concepts. The approach builds upon a multi-criteria screening framework originally developed by NASA for LH₂-fueled aircraft, which is adapted to the project objectives and boundary conditions. The applicability of the methodology is demonstrated through a preliminary, safety-oriented qualitative benchmarking of selected insulation concepts, including a state of the art configuration and novel VIPs-based solutions. Although limited by the current availability of quantitative data, the results illustrate the ability of the proposed framework to highlight strengths, limitations and safety implications of early-stage design concepts. The methodology is conceived as an iterative decision-support tool, contributing to the development of safe and scalable LH₂ storage systems for future hydrogen supply chains.

Keywords: Liquid hydrogen, hydrogen safety, cryogenic storage tank, vacuum insulation panel, benchmarking, key performance indicator.