【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】1759–2024: China’s First High-Flow Liquid-Driven Compressor for Hydrogen Stations

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Happy May Day 2024! Safety first. Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment. **********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】A continuously updated summary post is available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Engineering Forum) ***************** In April 2024, the high-flow liquid-driven compressor with a capacity of 1,000 cubic meters per hour, designed for use in hydrogen stations, was developed and assembled jointly by Sichuan Dachuan Compressor Co., Ltd. and Xi’an Jiaotong University, and it is ready for deployment. This liquid-driven compressor is the first high-flow liquid-driven compressor of its kind to be used in hydrogen refueling stations in China. Compared with diaphragm compressors, it offers advantages in terms of environmental friendliness, service life, operating costs, and efficiency. 　　As the core power equipment in hydrogen refueling stations, hydrogen compressors are known as the “heart” of such stations. Currently, the compressors used in hydrogen refueling stations in China are mainly of diaphragm type and liquid-driven piston type. Li Zuoliang, general manager of Sichuan Dachuan Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., said, “The biggest advantage of liquid-driven compressors is that they do not contaminate the gas, and replacing damaged parts is also more time- and labor-efficient.” As a compressor for hydrogen refueling stations, it needs to start and stop at any time, and our liquid-driven compressor can start and stop under pressure at any moment. ” 　　Currently, hydrogen energy is gradually becoming one of the key drivers in the global energy transition. In recent years, Sichuan Dachuan Compressor Co., Ltd. has focused on the fields of hydrogen energy and fuel cell vehicles. It established Sichuan Dachuan Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and collaborated with Xi’an Jiaotong University to set up a research center, where key technologies and product development are carried out in areas such as hydrogen compressors for hydrogen refueling stations, health management for hydrogen refueling stations, air compressors for fuel cell vehicles, and hydrogen circulation systems. 　　“The technical barriers associated with liquid-driven compressors are very high. In 2021, we selected 18 different materials and developed 8 various structures; we spent a whole year working on the high-pressure seals to overcome these technical challenges. Currently, we have developed liquid-driven compressors of 90 MPa and 45 MPa, and we have established a product line ranging from 200 kilograms, 500 kilograms to 1000 kilograms. ”Li Zuoliang said. 　　It is understood that the company currently holds a number of **invention patents** related to hydrogen energy technologies, including \"a double-layer shielded permanent magnet motor rotor structure\", \"an oil cylinder side buffering structure for liquid-driven piston compressors as well as liquid-driven piston compressors themselves\", and \"a piston temperature measurement system for liquid-driven piston compressors\". The company, in collaboration with Xi’an Jiaotong University, drafted China’s first technical specifications for the safe use of liquid-driven piston compressors. It also succeeded in developing China’s first integrated system of its own intellectual property – a \"90 MPa liquid-driven piston compressor and mobile hydrogen refueling station intelligent integration system.\" This system fills multiple gaps in China’s industry – including in the field of liquid-driven piston compressors for hydrogen refueling stations, in the design and system integration of pressurization processes, in system energy optimization and thermal management, as well as in the safety monitoring of hydrogen refueling stations and equipment maintenance. It was successfully applied in the management of hydrogen refueling stations during the 2021 Beijing Winter Olympics.