Hamai Industries of high-pressure valve manufacturer has developed a safety plug for the hydrogen fuel cylinder which is loaded on compressed hydrogen (H2) vehicles (FC Motorcycle) and started to sell it commercially in January of this year.

The safety plug attached to a cylinder valve plays a role to drive out through the plug hydrogen gas inside the cylinder when it detects heat like a fire. The safety plug for FC motorcycle developed this time is characteristic in its properties to enable a stable activation under a wide range of set pressures from low to high without any influence of internal pressure because it introduced a pressure-balanced structure which causes no fatigue or deformation to any fusible alloy.

The plug has a material lineup of stainless steel and aluminum. Hamai has sold PRDs for FCV fuel containers since 2016 and has then taken a step ahead toward the technological development of a safety plug for FC motorcycles foreseeing the coming acceleration of the development.

The product was UNR146 certified on the compressed H2 motorcycle. The domestic regulations regarding the cylinder and parts for H2 compressed motorcycles are based upon the provisions on the cylinder safety regulations under the High Pressure Gas Safety Act. However, with effect from January last year the UNR146 Certification became an international mutual recognition, which is applicable to the domestic laws now. Hamai obtained the UNR146 Certification anticipating the global development.

In the future the company is aiming to increase the lineup of the functional parts around a fuel cylinder of FC mobility to expand sales in the country and abroad.