Liquid Hydrogen: The Infinity Fuel for a Sustainable Future™
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Monday, January 26, 2026
AI-Aided Hydrogen Systems Development (H2 Sage™ Newsletter 2026.01)
This newsletter shares global highlights of liquid hydrogen (LH2) systems news, developments, best practices, training, tools, technologies, and other LH2 related content.
Above: Image from a ChatGPT response about hydrogen codes and standards (2026-Jan-14)
AI-Aided Hydrogen Systems Development
I'm currently wrapping up support on a two-year hydrogen microgrid development project that included onsite liquefaction capability for fueling offtake. One of the many goals for the project was to assess the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in support of the system design and safety aspects.
The initial plan was to develop, train, and test a small language model (SLM). But a change in the scope of the project - and the release of much more capable large language models (LLM) in 2023 - resulted in a pivot to using commercially available LLM-based AI chatbots. Two of them, OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, were assessed at the midpoint of the project and then reassessed recently using the same prompts.
The first assessment was done in October of 2024 and included a discussion on the limitations and constraints of these tools (e.g., prompts, context, data sources, accuracy, copyright issues, etc.). Performance was summarized as being a reasonable starting point for individuals without much hydrogen systems experience. It was noted that the pace of AI tools evolution was rapid and that any assessment was only valid within a limited timeframe.
Fast forward 18 months and the final assessment has changed. All the limitations and constraints mentioned in the prior assessment still apply to varying degrees. However, the responses from ChatGPT and Gemini are much more comprehensive with greater detail and vastly improved overall quality. They now represent a valuable augmentation and productivity multiplier, even for subject matter experts.
There are far too many implications to cover here, but let me leave you with a few questions to ponder:
Are you using these AI tools? If not, how is it impacting your competitive position? If so, how are you ensuring the accuracy of the results and their appropriate integration into your workflow and systems?
Do you have intellectual property (IP) in digital form? Is it publicly available on the internet? If not, can it be uploaded into one of these AI tools by someone or otherwise accessed based on usage permissions granted? How are you preventing your IP from being part of the training data for these tools and potentially disclosed to their users?
H2 Sage™ Updates
The online dewar sizing app currently supports inner vessel sizing, insulation selection, and heat leak estimation. A new capability for estimating mass was delayed due to the holidays and other project deadlines, but is close to being finished.
Given that it's only been online for a few months, was surprised to find it was the top result in a recent google search for "dewar sizing app". In fact, Gemini now provides a fairly detailed description of it when prompted (albeit with some errors). That's how fast these AI tools are scraping the internet and training on the latest data they find.
Some of the briefing slides on the H2 Sage™ site have also been updated with new and reorganized data. Hydrogen topics currently covered include: introduction, safety, fundamentals, tankage, storage, transfer, sensors, modeling, systems, strategy, anthropocene, wrap-up resources, slosh analysis, LH2 survey, workforce training, grids and microgrids, and aviation.
"At the start of 2025 I put together a simple priorities mind map for the coming year. Looking back, reasonably good progress was made in most of these areas, although lots of room for improvement and continued focus.
Below are highlights that are hopefully of some interest to others involved with hydrogen systems. Related briefing slides, resources, and tools can be found on the H2 Sage™ site. Other resource links can be found in the News & Updates section and the Training page on the Moran Innovation website..."
The Fundamentals of Hydrogen: Understanding the critical differences between compressed and liquid hydrogen (LH2) and why storage complexity is a major hurdle.
The Hydrogen Economy: Matt's vision for a future fueled by hydrogen, including the best use-cases and preferred production methods.
Entrepreneurship & Education: Exploring the Adaptive Systems Approach for Breakthrough Innovations (ASABI) and career opportunities in the hydrogen field.
Whether you are an engineer, an entrepreneur, or simply curious about the next frontier of clean energy, Matt's insights offer a masterclass in innovation..."
Some LH2 news from around the world that has generated interest:
Kawasaki signs deal to build world's largest liquefied hydrogen carrier...
Lloyd's Register Explores Hydrogen's Potential for Decarbonization...
Japan Engine Corporation to begin two-stroke hydrogen engine trials in 2026...
GenH2 to Deliver Mixed Refrigerant Cryogenic Refrigeration System...
A superconducting magnet for hydrogen liquefaction is demonstrated...
Crashworthiness design of hydrogen-powered regional aircraft...
Why The World's 1st Hydrogen-Powered Hypersonic Jet Could Fly...
The current and previous newsletter issues are available online at the LH2 Era™ blog. They are also posted to the LinkedIn Global Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) Systems group and emailed to interested individuals. If you would like to receive the email version, click here.
