Final Report for a Back-of-Cab Hydrogen Tank Storage Rack

As the negative impacts of climate change become increasingly evident, it is paramount to develop
green alternatives to existing fuel sources. Hydrogen is a promising replacement to diesel fuel,
and our partner company, Verne Inc., aims to use hydrogen as a fuel source for freight trucks.
With funding support from Stanford’s Precourt Institute, our team was tasked with designing a
rack that holds Verne’s fuel tanks. The rack will be mounted behind the truck in the ’back-of-cab’
area. Our chosen solution is a rack that holds a maximum of five tanks, utilizing a stacked and
staggered design to optimize the available space. Additionally, a built-in clamping mechanism
ensures that the tanks stay secure during various road conditions. These conditions are defined
as non-crash scenarios, such as vibration from rough surfaces or a sudden shock when hitting
potholes and curbs. Through a series of engineering calculations, shaker table experiments, stress
simulations, and down-scaled prototypes, we verified our rack’s structural integrity and ease of
assembly. Ultimately, the design meets our customer’s requirements while also having significant
weight and size advantages over other options.