Hiroaki Kobayashi

<p>A loading system plays a role of loading and unloading liquid hydrogen between a carrier ship and a ground storage facility in hydrogen supply chain in which hydrogen in the form of liquid phase is transported by the carrier ship from a resource-rich country to a consuming country. An emergency release system (ERS), which is one of components of the loading system, is installed in the middle of transfer pipe of the loading system, and has function of separating and plugging the pipe at an abnormality during loading so as to prevent a large amount of cryogenic fluid from scattering. We have conducted R & D study of the ERS for liquid hydrogen based on an existing one for liquid natural gas (LNG). Whole system function of the ERS including separation behavior was verified conducting a field experiment with the ERS test model and liquid hydrogen. Through several tests, the separation mechanism and behavior were verified, and also, soundness of the seal mechanism was evaluated. While, auto-ignition phenomena were observed on the separation surface of the ERS after the separation, of which causes have not been identified yet. Characteristics of dispersion behavior of hydrogen that was released at the separation could be investigated measuring distribution of temperature and hydrogen concentration around the ERS test model.</p>

<p>To improve safety regulations for fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen infrastructure, experiments of cryo-compressed hydrogen leakage diffusion were conducted. The experimental apparatus can supply 90 MPa hydrogen of various temperature conditions. Measurement items were hydrogen concentration distribution, blast pressure, flame length, and radiant heat. In addition, high speed camera observation was carried out to investigate the near-field of cryogenic hydrogen jet at supercritical pressure. The experimental apparatus can supply 90 MPa hydrogen at various temperature conditions (50 K–300 K) at a maximum flow rate of 100 kg/h. The hydrogen leakage flow rate was measured using pinhole nozzles with different outlet diameters (0.2 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.7 mm, and 1 mm). It was confirmed that the hydrogen leakage flow rate increases as the supply temperature decreases. The hydrogen concentration distribution was measured by injecting high-pressure hydrogen from the 0.2-mm pinhole for 10 min under a constant pressure/temperature condition. As the hydrogen injection temperature decreased, it was found that the hydrogen concentration increased, and an empirical formula of the 1% concentration distance for the cryogenic hydrogen system was newly presented.</p>

<p>JAXA has constructed an experimental facility to pressurize and supply liquid hydrogen at a maximum pressure of 90 MPa to conduct experimental research on the injection of high pressure liquid hydrogen into the atmosphere. Liquid hydrogen has a property that its density greatly changes depending on pressure despite being a liquid phase. In addition, the high pressure hydrogen gas is in a supercritical state and has an intermediate property between a gas and a liquid. Therefore, it is a difficult question whether to treat the injection of high pressure liquid hydrogen as a gas phase phenomena or as a liquid phase phenomena. As a result of the experiment, it was found good to apply the liquid orifice equation to predict the discharge flow rate of high pressure liquid hydrogen.</p>