FILL HER UP FAST The dispenser built in the Maximator hydrogen filling station design enables cars and trucks to be refuelled in the shortest possible time
Pressure equipment specialist Superior Pressure Solutions (Spress) has introduced hydrogen technology from German high-pressure systems supplier Maximator to the African market, offering local service and maintenance support by its technicians.
Maximator is one of the world leaders in hydrogen filling stations, supplying the entire range from the compression station to the dispenser.
“We believe that hydrogen as an alternative energy source could change the landscape of the African market, which will lead to cost savings for our clients and contribute to making our continent greener,” says Spress MD Dawie Strauss.
With the support of Maximator, Spress wants to introduce the hydrogen filling stations into this market and provide its customers with the necessary local after-sales support.
Maximator has recently successfully completed two major hydrogen filling station projects in Wuppertal, Germany, as well as in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
A hydrogen refuelling system consists of the supply unit, a high-pressure compressor, high-pressure storage, a refrigeration system and the gas pump. High-pressure compressors and accumulators are housed in a container. The other parts of the system are designed as standalone units. The hydrogen can be delivered in gaseous form and stored on site or produced directly at the gas station using electrolysis.
The supply storage is controlled by the MAX-Flowtech connection cabinet, while MAX-Compression and the associated MAX-Power (hydro) drive take over the pressure increase.
MAX-Compression is a patented two-stage, fluidically driven high-pressure piston compressor that compresses hydrogen from 24 bar to 1 000 bar. It is equipped with the automatic seal exchange function, which ensures an automatic seal change of the hydrogen high-pressure seal.
The seal change takes about three minutes for each pressure converter. The system is dry-running, so there is no possibility of contaminating the hydrogen or the environment in the event of leakages.
The MAX-Power drive, equipped with a 55 KW electric motor including power control, is a semiclosed circuit that, combined with the power weighing process, achieves an overall efficiency of almost 90%.
After compression, the gas is filled in high-pressure storage. Before the vehicle is refuelled, the gas is cooled to the required starting temperature by the MAX-Chill refrigeration system. The vehicles are refuelled according to their type on the side of the petrol pump intended for this purpose.
Maximator offers high-pressure technology up to 25 000 bar. The standard air-powered Maximator Boosters have been used in hydrogen applications for over 20 years.
As demand for hydrogen refuelling facilities increases, Maximator plans to expand production to various locations.
Spress is a local distributor and service partner of German engineered brands Maximator, Bauer, Mehrer and Denair.