Hydrogen is becoming one of the most promising solutions for a sustainable energy future. Refueling hydrogen vehicles requires precise temperature management to ensure safety and efficiency. PCHE heat exchangers offer an innovative and reliable solution to these needs.

Hydrogen refueling is challenging for a number of reasons: hydrogen must be compressed to extremely high pressures (up to 700 bar) to be stored in vehicle tanks. During this process, a lot of heat is generated; if it is not managed, refueling becomes slower and less efficient. This is where PCHE heat exchangers technology can be applied.

Several characteristics make PCHE exchangers so special, ideal to solve the challenges posed by hydrogen technologies. What are PCHEs? Imagine a compact and robust device capable of rapidly cooling fluids. Their usefulness in hydrogen applications has several aspects:

• They easily handle high pressures.
• They are small, so they take up less space at refueling stations.
• They cool the hydrogen quickly and precisely, speeding up the refueling process.

In the specific case of hydrogen refueling stations, the operation of PCHEs therefore adds value to a series of crucial steps to ensure the system’s efficiency and operational safety:

• During refueling, the hydrogen is compressed and then cooled by the PCHEs before entering the vehicle’s tanks.
• This process prevents the gas from overheating, making the process safer and faster.
• Simply put, PCHEs help refueling stations operate more efficiently, allowing drivers to refuel in just a few minutes.

To give a practical example, a refueling station equipped with PCHEs can refuel more vehicles in less time. This brings a series of key advantages:

• Time savings: less waiting time at the refueling station.
• Improved reliability: the system does not overheat and always operates at its best.
• Reduced operating costs, thanks to their energy efficiency.

Looking to the future of green mobility, the rise of hydrogen vehicles requires increasingly efficient refueling stations. PCHEs will be a key enabler of this growth, as their unique technology offers the ideal solution to overcome the challenges of hydrogen refueling. Thanks to their efficiency and reliability, they represent an investment in a greener and more sustainable future.

Find out how Tempco can support the growth of the hydrogen industry with dedicated innovative solutions. Contact us for a consultation or visit our dedicated website https://pche.it/en/.

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Critical advantages of PCHEs:
1. High thermal efficiency:
◦ Microstructured channels that maximize heat transfer.
◦ Reduction of energy losses.
2. Compactness:
◦ Extremely compact design, ideal for systems with limited space.
3. Resistance to extreme conditions:
◦ Designed to handle high pressures and temperatures, making them perfect for applications with hydrogen and other technical gases.
4. Versatility:
◦ Possibility of integrating multiple heat flows in a single device, reducing the number of equipment required.

Microchannels pattern in the plates of PCHE heat exchangers

Disadvantages:
• High initial cost:
◦ PCHEs require a higher initial investment compared to traditional solutions.
• Clean or filtered fluids:
◦ Cleaning of microstructured channels may require specific techniques, so it is preferable to have filtered or otherwise clean fluids

Why then choose PCHEs? Despite the disadvantages, PCHE exchangers represent a strategic choice for critical applications where efficiency, compactness and resistance are essential. In particular, in the hydrogen sector, PCHEs offer a competitive advantage in terms of performance and sustainability, becoming a key technology for the energy transition.

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Electrolysers, fuel cells and hydrogen refueling stations impose very challenging requirements, new and special for the industrial sector, which depending on the operating principle of the different technologies may involve resistance to very high pressures, high temperatures and compatibility of the materials used with corrosive fluids.

The hydrogen molecule in particular is very small, posing an unprecedented challenge to the sealing technologies and components of systems. Several companies have developed specific technologies for hydrogen technologies in their range of solutions. For example, Parker Hannifin has developed a range of sealing solutions designed to meet the special requirements of hydrogen electrolysers and fuel cells, in particular for the reliable sealing of bipolar plates, essential components of the units responsible for the chemical reaction. Here the bipolar plates act as connecting elements between the individual cells, not only to distribute and cool the unit, but also to seal it and protect it from the external environment.

Henkel, a well-known manufacturer of industrial adhesives, has also recently launched a new range of sealing fittings, specifically designed and optimized for the sealing of threaded fittings for hydrogen, able to guarantee the safety requirements and outstanding performance in critical environments such as hydrogen systems.

A range of innovative technologies and solutions that promote the development and expansion of the hydrogen economy, ensuring efficiency, operational reliability of systems throughout the supply chain, including production, distribution, storage and use of hydrogen. The latest innovations for the hydrogen industry will therefore be the focus of to the May appointment with Hydrogen Expo in Piacenza, an event in which Microchannel Devices, Tempco’s partner for PCHE heat exchangers technology, will also participate, showing the advantages of these exhangers for hydrogen applications at the company’s stand on Pad 1, B118.

Tempco offers various specific plate heat exchangers solutions for hydrogen applications, both in the process area, with special brazed plate exchangers that can withstand operating pressures of up to 140 bar – also used for CO2 -; and in the distribution of hydrogen with the innovative PCHE exchangers, obtained by diffusion bonding technology and photoetching of the plates.

These special production techniques employed for printed circuit heat exchangers allow, in particular, to obtain a monolithic heat transfer pack with very high mechanical resistance and to realize customizable layouts of the thermal transfer microcircuits. This allows for the creation of PCHE even in multistream mode, ideal for cooling different gas streams in multi-stage compressors typically used at hydrogen fuelling stations.

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What are multi-stage compressors used for? These compressors are used in a wide variety of industrial sectors, such as:
• Power generation: for hydrogen and gas turbine applications.
• Chemical industry: for the transport and processing of technical gases.
• Automotive: in hydrogen refueling stations for fuel-cell vehicles.
• Oil & Gas: for the compression of natural or process gases.

Why is inter-stage cooling necessary?
During each compression stage, the gas heats up significantly. An inter-stage cooling system is therefore essential to:

• Reduce the work-duty required in the next stage.
• Protect components from high temperature.
• Maintain operational safety and efficiency.

Closely linked to multi-stage compressors is therefore the fundamental role of inter-stage cooling of the treated technical gases, which is achieved thanks to the use of multi-stream solutions, an ideal application for PCHE exchangers. Topics that we might discuss more in detail in a series of upcoming articles.

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During mcTER we had many interesting leads, and in particular regarding the application of PCHE exchangers, which as I have often explained is definitely important. A peculiar application is related to the cooling of the gas in multistream exchangers.

For the compression and distribution of hydrogen, multi-phase compressors are employed in order to increase hydrogen pressure level. Hydrogen, between each phase, must then be cooled because otherwise it reaches levels that exceed the tolerances of the mechanical components of the compressors, thus meaning pistons, cylinders and the compressor itself.

Therefore so called inter-stage exchangers are employed, heat exchangers aimed at cooling the gas between the different phases. Clearly, hydrogen during the compression phase reaches high temperatures but also very high pressure levels, way much higher than other industrial gases usually employed. And so it is necessary to employ appropriate heat exchangers, and properly sized for this kind of application.

Shell and tube exchangers are normally employed, because they are able to withstand high pressure levels. Plate heat exchangers, even brazed ones, don’t indeed reach those pressure levels required because, for example, brazed plate exchangers for CO2 applications can reach a maximum working pressure of 140 bar. For sure a quite high pressure level, but not enough for the levels required in hydrogen compressors.

The solution is to employ PCHE exchangers, which are very compact and ensure the proper mechanical characteristics for this kind of application. In addition, PCHE exchangers can be also realized in multi-stream execution. So we can realize the exchangers as multi-stream, and therefore inter-stage in a unique exchanger, having a unique exchanger that works as a multi-phase exchanger for all of the compression phases.

The application is very interesting, very particular, and in Tempco we have already deployed it.

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In this context, a highly innovative technology involves the use of CO2 as a refrigerant, replacing traditional refrigerant fluids, also helping to comply with new regulations for refrigeration applications aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the sector. CO2 is in fact a natural resource, available in the atmosphere but also as a waste product in numerous industrial processes. In this regard, rapidly growing are the technologies that ensure the capture, storage and use of CO2, called CCS or CCUS (Carbon Capture and Storage and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage).

The properties of CO2 in fact make this gas a renewable resource that offers a high rate of heat transfer efficiency, which also increases the safety of applications in the event of leaks within the plants and at the same time guarantees a high potential for emission reduction, with a value of Global Warming Potential equal to 1.

However, in the compression, condensation and evaporation cycles of CO2 it is necessary to work with very high operating pressures, which reach up to 140 bar. A field that opens up new application perspectives for Tempco special brazed exchangers, which thanks to the particular brazing cycle are able to withstand very high working pressures.

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We have often talked about cooling of compressors in industrial environments in the past, and specifically about heat recovery from lubricating oil in compressors, that can achieve high and interesting temperatures for energy recovery applications.

In this case, this plate heat exchanger is employed for compressed air cooling, and Tempco has already a series of references of this kind of application. In compressed air cooling, heat exchangers offer indeed an excellent thermal efficiency of plates, allowing to achieve the perfect efficiency for pushed cooling applications involved in this field.
In this kind of application is very important to rely on a proper rate of pressure drop, otherwise the sizing will be affected by the limits of hydraulic passages between plates. But performances are very remarkable in terms of thermal transfer.

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These are cooling systems employed in case of industrial production processes requiring cooled water at temperatures above 30-35° C. With such temperature levels it is possible to avoid the employ of refrigerating groups, and thus eliminating the energy consumption related to compressors and the complicated refrigeration circuit, the use of freon and so on.

Using free coolers, or dry coolers, and cooling towers, every saving can be therefore implemented fans equipped with EC motors, with electronic control and inverters. A sensing probe measures indeed the temperature of the water, and based on a predefined set-point it provides the adjustment of the power required to dissipate the right amount of energy to achieve the cooling task.

In the past, the costs of EC motors and inverters were too high to justify the investment cost. Alternative energy saving solutions were thus employed, such as using multi-fans installments with stepped functioning, partializing the number of functioning fans and limiting the power consumption based on the real demand.

Nowadays, the costs of EC motors allow a very interesting ROI. The solution is indeed more and more often required by our customers, and gladly embraced because it allows the obtain not only significant and effective energy savings, but also a reduction in maintenance costs. It’s clear indeed that the wear of a fan working for six or even nine months per year at a lower speed will be much less than the wear of a fan working at 100% of its capacity.

EC motors and inverter technologies are very much consolidated in the market today, and can thus be widely employed in industrial applications but also in conditioning, plants that have to work 365 days per year. Clearly, if a system works only during the summer, the ROI will probably be longer. But the opportunity is worth to be evaluated anyway, because during the night hours the temperature decreases, leading the an increased efficiency of the exchanger and requiring a less amount of air. So that energy saving can be achieved too.

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But there are several halfway situations too, where cooling water required has slightly higher temperature levels, such as 20-25 or 30° C. Which still is cold water, but it can be obtained leveraging other kind of cooling systems. Each one offering its benefits and disadvantages, clearly.

The refrigerating group is the one that is less affected by climatic conditions, if properly designed. There are also chillers tropicalized, able to operate also at high ambient temperatures, and with to special equipments enabling operations as well during the winter season. We’re talking here about EC fans, that provide the adaptation of the condensation speed.

When cooling water is required at temperatures of 25-30° C, that’s when the doubts start, if it’s better choosing a chiller, an evaporative tower or a dry cooler. It all depends on the climatic conditions. An evaporative tower employed at latitudes typical of North or Central Italy, and Europe, allows to obtain cold water at a temperature of approximately 29-30 or 31° C. Here, a dry cooler struggles, just because it’s cooling work depend strictly upon the ambient temperature. So that during the summer season, when temperatures reach 30-35° C, it will be possibile to obtain cooled water at temperatures 5° C higher, and so that means water at 35-40° C. Furthermore, it’s true that during the winter season, or the mid-season, a dry cooler allows to have cold water at the required temperature.

In the comparison between a cooling tower and a dry cooler, the first one has the advantage to have an open circuit of the water, while dry coolers employ a closed circuit, with impacts on the performances. On the other side, having a closed circuit of the water means that there are no side effects caused by dust present in the external air, nor evaporation or water consumption, avoiding the need of refilling treated water.

However, with water in a closed circuit there is the risk of freezing during the winter, that could cause breaks on pipes, and thus requiring the employ of glicol.

It’s overall a complex theme, and the right solution has to be carefully evaluated case by case. A trend ongoing lately is to combine chillers with dry coolers, that during the winter season can easily replace the operations of the chiller, allowing to switch-off the compressors. With significant gains in terms of energy savings. The same dry cooling systems can be achieved using an evaporative tower, but taking care of interposing a heat exchanger, because the open circuit of the tower exposes water to contamination, and therefore cooled water should be treated prior to feed the industrial production process.

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The exchanger TCB3000A combines a series of patents and is made with stainless steel chevron plates and high purity copper foil. It allows to reach high compactness, with a size reduction by 50% compared to other similar equipments. The solution offers high transfer efficiency and high corrosion resistance.

The patented design of the TCB3000A exchanger integrates an air pre-cooler, a water separator and an evaporator in a unique thermal machine, ensuring low pressure drop and low dew point.

In its working circuit, air compressor compresses hot and moist air to the pre-cooler of the A Series exchanger, where hot and moist air exchanges heat with treated cold air. The chilled moist air then enters the evaporator, lower down its temperature and condensate water out by evaporation. On the next step, the air moves to the separator where condensate water gets separated from air thanks to centrifugal force and gravity. The exclusive no-mesh design of the separator avoid problems of ice and oil-clogging, without the use of filters and ensuring long working life. Finally, the cool and dry air goes back to the pre-heater to be heated to the required working temperature.

The unique 3-in-1 design allows to use directly outlet air, achieving a significant energy saving. The solution is also clogging free and easy to maintain, and is equipped with special patented leakage testing connectors.

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