There are several key factors to consider when designing a system for storing liquid hydrogen.

One important factor is the material of the storage tank. The tank must be able to withstand the extremely low temperatures of the liquid hydrogen (-253°C) and the pressure that is generated inside the tank as the hydrogen gas expands and contracts. Stainless steel and aluminum are commonly used materials for hydrogen storage tanks, but they must be specially treated to make them resistant to corrosion and cracking at low temperatures. The tank must also be designed to prevent heat from entering the tank, as this can cause the hydrogen to vaporize and increase the pressure inside the tank. This is typically achieved through the use of insulation, such as foam or vacuum-insulated panels.

Another important factor is the size of the storage tank. The tank must be large enough to hold a sufficient amount of hydrogen to meet the needs of the application, but it must also be small enough to be practical for the intended use. For example, a tank that is too large may be too heavy or take up too much space, while a tank that is too small may not be able to hold enough hydrogen to be practical.

Finally, it is important to consider the safety of the storage system. Liquid hydrogen is a flammable gas, so it is important to ensure that the storage system is designed to prevent leaks or spills, and that it is equipped with safety features such as pressure relief valves and emergency shutdown systems.

For storage are used multilayer vessels with very good insulation properties with maximal overpressure 5 bar. These vessels have to be equipped with pressure relief mechanism which regulates maximal safe overpressure. During hydrogen storage in cryogenic tanks there is some gradual evaporation caused by heat transfer from its surroundings and the pressure grows inside the vessel. To prevent a destruction of the tank the excessive pressure has to be controlled by releasing the evaporated hydrogen. For commonly used tanks the losses can reach up to 3% of the content per day (depending on the quality of the tank). In some applications the waste hydrogen is held and pressured into additional pressure cylinders. Liquefaction is a technologically and energetically demanding process (Krátky, 2012, s. 38).

The minimum theoretical energy to liquefy hydrogen from ambient (300 K, 1.01 bar) conditions is 3.3 kWh/kg LH2 or 3.9 kWh/kg LH2 with conversion to para-LH2 (which is standard practice). Actual liquefaction energy requirements are substantially higher, typically 10-13 kWh/kg LH2, depending on the size of the liquefaction operation. Novel liquefaction methods such as an active magnetic regenerative liquefier may require as little as 7 kWh/kg LH2. For comparison, the lower heating value (LHV) of hydrogen is 33.3 kWh/kg H2. Compression energy requirements from on-site production range from approximately 5 - 20% of LHV. Liquefaction (including conversion to paraLH2) with today’s processes requires 30 - 40% of LHV, while theoretical energy requirements for 700 bar and LH2 storage span a range of only 4-10% of LHV respectively (DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Record, 2009, s. 1)