New Japanese facility to test hydrogen fuel storage tanks

August 28, 2013 0 By Bret Williams

Hydrogen fuel continues to make progress in Japan

A new test facility is being constructed in the Japanese prefecture of Fukuoka and its purpose is to examine the performance of a variety of hydrogen storage technologies and materials. Hydrogen fuel has long held a modest place in Japanese society, but the country is beginning to show more attention to this form of renewable energy as it works to distance itself from fossil-fuels. Hydrogen fuel has managed to attract much of this attention due to its uses in transportation.

Facility will focus on examining performance of storage tanks

The new test facility will be responsible for examining the performance of hydrogen storage tanks. These tanks will be built with transportation in mind and will provide further insight on efficient storage methods and technologies that can be used to make hydrogen-based transportation more viable. The facility will be located in Itoshima City, home to several international research and development projects concerning hydrogen fuel cells.

Hydrogen fuel for vehiclesNeed for efficient storage solutions becoming too great to ignore

Hydrogen fuel storage has been a tricky issue for some time. Conventional storage methods and technologies are widely considered to be expensive and inefficient. For vehicles, storage is quite an important issue. Without on-board fuel, hydrogen-powered vehicles would not be able to perform on par with conventional vehicles, or those that use lithium-ion batteries. Outside of transportation, storage can often determine whether hydrogen fuel is a worthy energy source or not.

Facility to develop carbon fiber storage tanks

The test facility will measure some 2,700 square meters and will be responsible for examining the capabilities of innovative hydrogen fuel storage technologies. The majority of the storage tanks that will be examined will be designed to store hydrogen at high pressures. These tanks will also be responsible for storing water. The facility will also develop its own hydrogen fuel storage tanks that will be comprised of carbon fiber, which will make them significantly more durable than conventional storage units.

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