On November 28th, Plastic Omniun developed a four-type 70 MPa, 80 liter hydrogen storage vessel that has passed all R134 certification tests. This is the first 70 MPa pressure vessel in Europe to obtain R134 safety certification. This means that the design technology of the container meets the official safety requirements set by the United Nations Working Group (UNECE), and the safety can be guaranteed for 15 years.
It is understood that in order to obtain this certification, the container has undergone about seventeen different tests, such as pressure cycle test in extreme temperature (-40 to +80°C), fire test, etc.
Plastic Omnium`s CEO and President Damien DEGOS and R&D Director Eric DEPARIS said: “Since 2016, we are grateful to the team that has been committed to this technology from the design concept stage. So far, this has been an exciting time. Exciting journey, with this certification, we can be sure that the product design we are developing is reliable!"
After passing the test, Plastic Omnium will obtain an official certificate certified by TüV SAARLAND. This certificate is necessary for selling products in Europe and Asia.
According to the data, Plastic Omnium, founded in 1947, is a French listed company and is majority-owned by the founder's family. In the past nearly 70 years, the company has only three chairman, which enables the company to maintain a continuous vision and stability. Plastic Omnium has become a global leader in automotive smart exterior systems, clean energy systems and front-end modules.
In the past 10 years, despite the difficulties in the global economy, the company has achieved sustained growth and tripled in size. Plastic Omnium currently has 32,000 employees, 124 factories, and 24 R&D centers in 26 countries around the world.
In July of this year, the Plastic Omnium Group announced that a total investment of 100 million euros will open R&D centers in China and Belgium. Two new R&D centers focused on emission control and fuel systems as well as new energy sources, including high-pressure hydrogen tanks and fuel cells.
It is understood that the current hydrogen storage cylinders can be divided into the following four types: all-metal gas cylinders (type Ⅰ), metal-lined fiber hoop-wound gas cylinders (type Ⅱ), metal-lined fiber-wrapped gas cylinders (type Ⅲ), Non-metallic liner fiber fully wound gas cylinder (Type IV). Type Ⅰ and Type Ⅱ gas cylinders have relatively large weights, which are difficult to meet the requirements of hydrogen storage density per unit mass, and they are not ideal for use in vehicle-mounted hydrogen supply systems. Most domestic vehicle-mounted hydrogen storage cylinders are type III, and type IV is still in the research and development stage, while most foreign vehicle-mounted hydrogen storage cylinders are type IV.
Plastic Omnium chose to develop a Type IV hydrogen storage bottle, which is clearly aimed at the hydrogen fuel cell passenger car market, and its targets are Europe and China.