TypeⅡ Accumulator with carbon fiber wrapped on steel liner was adopted in Iwatani’s H2 Station now under construction in Sendai City. The adoption of TypeⅡ Accumulator is the first case in Japan.

The accumulator is made by Faber Industries headquartered in Italy. Taira Gas and System Engineering (President: Tadaaki Taira, headquartered in Kawasaki City) which represents Faber in Japan for distribution has obtained a special authorization of the Government for equipment to import and is fabricating the accumulator for use.

An accumulator in H2 station is a facility to store H2 preliminarily raised to 84MPa in order to make a differential pressure filling into FCV at a high-pressure of 70MPa. In the domestic H2 stations, TypeⅠmade of steel and TypeⅢ of composite cylinder of aluminum liner and carbon fiber have been actually used.

TypeⅡ adopted this time has a structure of chromium molybdenum steel liner wrapped with carbon fiber and is recommended for the development projects (subsidized by NEDO) for the reason that the material of liner is cheaper than aluminum and it can save times of winding carbon fiber which contributes to the cost reduction of H2 station.

Faber’s TypeⅡ is used with a set of 18 to 20 composite cylinders whose inside volume is 52 ℓ each, sized 1800mm long with the diameter of 270mm weighing 255kg per cylinder. In case it is used as an accumulator, it presents an advantage to enhance flexibility of installation in the station because of its design of round shape like curdle.

According to Mr. Taira, in the European countries and U.S. an accumulator of 100MPa specification has already been used in H2 stations in a scale of about 1000 pcs or 50 units, with the certification to comply with the U.S. ASME standard.

Aiming to introduce Faber’s accumulator into Japan, Taira has been working on to apply for special authorization for domestic use since about two years ago. After completing the procedure for special authorization, the adoption has been decided in Iwatani’s H2 station of Sendai City which is now under construction.

Mr. Taira said, “Faber is a global company supplying seamless cylinders to all over the world, capable to provide high-quality products from the latest line through its active investment for production lines. The product line of cylinder is so much diversified that it is the only manufacturer who can produce TypeⅠ,TypeⅡ,TypeⅢ and TypeⅣ. We would like to diffuse TypeⅡ in Japan which may possibly contribute to the cost reduction of H2 stations.”