【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Engineering Technology】022-2023 Development of Liquid Hydrogen Storage and Hydrogenation Demonstration Systems and Their Key Equipment
Thread Content
Recently, the project \"Development of a Liquid Hydrogen Storage and Refueling Demonstration System and Its Key Equipment\", an independent R&D project undertaken by the Beijing Aerospace Test Technology Institute for the group company, passed the acceptance inspection by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Technological breakthroughs in hydrogen refueling stations, the improvement of related facilities, and their rapid deployment are prerequisite conditions for the widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and the accelerated development of the hydrogen energy industry. To address issues such as high construction and operation costs, long development timelines, and reliance on imported key equipment for hydrogen refueling stations in China, the Beijing Aerospace Test Technology Institute took the lead in developing liquid hydrogen storage hydrogen refueling stations based on liquid hydrogen storage and filling technology. The institute researched the processes, controls, and safety procedures related to such stations for fuel cell vehicles, overcame technical challenges such as liquid hydrogen pressurization and vaporization, and improved energy efficiency.
This project was initiated to address issues such as high construction and operation costs, long timelines, and reliance on imported equipment for key components in domestic hydrogen refueling stations; as a result, the Beijing Aerospace Test Technology Institute carried out independent research and development in the area of liquid hydrogen storage hydrogen refueling stations. By shifting to a different technical approach, namely the development of liquid hydrogen refueling stations that use liquid hydrogen storage and refilling, it is possible to improve energy efficiency and overcome technical challenges such as the vaporization of liquid hydrogen under pressure. This serves as a prerequisite for the widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and the rapid development of the hydrogen energy industry. .
Through nearly three years of research, the Beijing Aerospace Test Technology Institute has overcome the challenges related to the overall design of liquid hydrogen storage hydrogen refueling stations, developing an integrated technical solution that involves liquid hydrogen storage, pressurized vaporization, and high-pressure hydrogen filling. This approach has resolved the issues concerning the process implementation and operational strategies for using liquid hydrogen in hydrogen refueling stations. By overcoming the phase transition suppression technology in liquid hydrogen flow chambers, a 45 MPa-class high-pressure liquid hydrogen pump was developed, filling a technical gap in China and creating conditions for domestic substitution. By breaking through the technologies for pressurized liquid hydrogen vaporization and comprehensive utilization of cooling energy, a prototype based on the vaporization-cooling principle featuring an advanced process design, high degree of automation, and safe operation, along with its testing platform, was developed. A prototype of a liquid hydrogen pump vaporization unit with a liquid hydrogen pressurization pressure of 50.6 MPa and a liquid hydrogen pressurization flow rate of 822 L/h was delivered; it passed the liquid hydrogen testing, thereby establishing China’s first development and verification platform for key equipment in liquid hydrogen storage and hydrogen refueling stations. The liquid hydrogen pump vaporization testing platform developed by the Beijing Aerospace Test Technology Institute can provide valuable testing conditions using real fluids for the development of other low-temperature, high-pressure liquid hydrogen equipment, thereby accelerating the process of domestic production of such equipment. The results of the complete station process package developed based on the overall technology for liquid hydrogen storage and hydrogen refueling were successfully applied in the construction of Zhejiang Petroleum Hongguang (Sakura), China’s first integrated liquid hydrogen, oil, and electricity energy supply station. Going forward, I will make full use of the findings from this research project to enhance the technical maturity of related products in the field of liquid hydrogen storage and hydrogen refueling, and to establish corresponding standards. This will provide important support for advancing the construction of infrastructure in the hydrogen energy industry and fostering its development on a large scale from the outset.
The Beijing Aerospace Test Technology Institute has conducted three years of research on liquid hydrogen storage hydrogen refueling stations, successfully overcoming the technical challenges related to the overall design of such stations, and developing a comprehensive technical solution for liquid hydrogen storage, pressurized vaporization, and high-pressure hydrogen filling. In addition, they overcame the technology for suppressing phase transition in the liquid hydrogen flow chamber and developed a high-pressure liquid hydrogen pump rated at 45 MPa, filling a technical gap in China and creating conditions for domestic substitution. The prototype based on the vaporization cooling principle, along with the testing platform developed, can enhance automation and operational safety. A prototype of a liquid hydrogen pump vaporization device capable of achieving a pressure of 506 MPa and a flow rate of 822 L/h for liquid hydrogen has been successfully delivered; this device has passed relevant tests, and it marks the establishment of China’s first development and verification platform for key equipment used in liquid hydrogen storage and refueling stations. The liquid hydrogen pump vaporization testing platform they have developed can also provide realistic testing conditions using actual medium for the development of other low-temperature, high-pressure liquid hydrogen equipment, thereby accelerating the process of local production of such equipment. By leveraging the results of their research, they were able to apply these findings in the construction of Zhejiang Petroleum Hongguang (Sakura), China’s first integrated liquid hydrogen, oil, and electricity-powered energy supply station. They will further improve the technical maturity of related products and establish corresponding standards, thereby providing important support for the development of infrastructure in the hydrogen energy industry and facilitating its growth on a large scale from the outset. .
The overall design technology for hydrogen refueling stations using liquid hydrogen storage was overcome, resulting in an overall technical solution that involves liquid hydrogen storage, pressurized vaporization, and high-pressure hydrogen filling; this approach resolved the issues related to the process implementation and operational strategies for using liquid hydrogen in such refueling stations
If you don’t look closely, it might seem like methylcyclohexane is being used for hydrogen storage; only upon inspection does one realize that it’s liquid hydrogen. However, the CAPEX for this is extremely high. It’s not suitable for small-scale applications, I guess.