Skip to main content
Global
Enter keyword
Inquiry
Global

The Hydrogen Business Project "hydrogen-fired absorption chiller/heater" and "liquid hydrogen pressure booster pump

EBARA’s all-out effort to become the world’s first in hydrogen energy - Hydrogen Business Project -

The Future Challenge of Spreading Hydrogen

"HYDROGEN". It is one of the first next-generation energy sources that does not emit CO₂. The world is taking on the challenge of "creating, transporting, and using" hydrogen, aiming for a future in which hydrogen will replace existing fuels (LNG, kerosene, gasoline, and city gas) and become widely available everywhere.
In August 2021, we launched the "Hydrogen Related Business Project" under the direct control of the President. This is a cross-company challenge in which EBARA's companies, which have experience in the development and operation of products that handle all kinds of liquids and gases, bring together their technologies and collaborate with each other. World-first hydrogen-related products and technologies are being created one after another from development sites. Here are some of them.

Succeeded in developing the world's first centrifugal pumps for liquid hydrogen

One is a "liquid hydrogen boosting pump. In Japan, plans are underway to liquefy hydrogen to 1/800th the volume of hydrogen produced overseas, transport it to Japan, and use it.
When transporting liquefied hydrogen, it is necessary to give energy to the liquid and send it out. This is why a pump is needed. However, centrifugal pumps capable of pumping large volumes of liquid hydrogen at cryogenic temperatures of -253°C did not exist because there had been no need for them.

This is where we took up the challenge of applying our LNG (liquefied natural gas, liquefied at -162°C) pressure booster pump technology.

This is where we took on the challenge, applying the technology of pressure booster pumps for LNG (liquefied natural gas, liquefied at -162°C). Liquid hydrogen is an extremely sensitive liquid that not only has a lower temperature than LNG, but also has a smaller density, making it easier to vaporize. Therefore, by changing to a design specifically for liquid hydrogen, we have succeeded in developing the world's first centrifugal pump for liquid hydrogen.
Currently, we are working with customers and partners around the world to prepare for implementation in the hydrogen society. By connecting the hydrogen supply chain in Japan and around the world with this pump, we aim to play an important role in the realization of a hydrogen society.

Completed the world's first absorption chiller-heaters for hydrogen

Another "world first" is a device that "uses" hydrogen, which still seems a bit far off in the future. It is an "absorption chiller/heater" fueled by hydrogen.
"Absorption chiller/heater" is a heat source device for heating and cooling that is mainly fueled by city gas, etc., and provides comfortable heating and cooling spaces for large-scale facilities such as buildings, factories, and airports. It is a very familiar device, but changing its fuel from city gas to hydrogen is not an easy task. Compared to city gas, hydrogen burns faster, has a higher flame temperature, and has a wider combustion range, all of which make it more prone to accidents in the event of a leak. Therefore, in addition to the safety devices for city gas, we have designed a "hydrogen-specific" safety system that includes a backfire prevention device for the piping and inert gas injected into the hydrogen piping during shutdown to prevent unforeseen accidents, resulting in the world's first absorption chiller/heater for hydrogen.

Contributing to a future society that "uses" hydrogen

Now, this new "absorption chiller/heater" awaits the era when the hydrogen supply chain will be established and hydrogen will become an essential part of our lives. While attempts to "make" and "transport" hydrogen are still the mainstream, what is the best way to "use" hydrogen in our daily lives? This is also the development to explore this.

These "world firsts" are the result of our "all-out" project to explore the unknown energy "hydrogen". This is a great challenge for EBARA, whose starting point is pumps and other rotating machinery, to contribute to the society of the future.