Japan's Toyota Motor Corporation's newly-developed water electrolysis hydrogen production plant was made available to the media on March 14, after demonstration tests at the Denso plant in Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture. Through the use of hydrogen, it aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the plant and realize a decarbonized society. Toyota intends to revitalize local industries, including manufacturing, and also contribute to support for reconstruction.
The plant is located at the Denso Fukushima plant, which produces automotive air conditioners and other products, and tests will be conducted sequentially from this month onward, with completion scheduled for fiscal 2025.
The device, which is about 5.8 meters wide and 2.8 meters high, can produce about 8 kilograms of hydrogen per hour by electrolyzing water. About 90% of the device utilizes fuel cell parts that are used in Toyota's fuel cell vehicle "MIRAI," achieving low cost and miniaturization.
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The electricity used for electrolysis comes mainly from renewable energy sources such as solar energy and wind power, which are manufactured at the plant. Five kilograms of hydrogen per hour will be used as heat for the plant's exhaust gas harmless treatment furnace. The rest of the hydrogen is planned to be used for logistics trucks, etc.
Toshiya Kawashima, president of Denso Fukushima, said in his speech at the ceremony on the 14th, "I am pleased to have the opportunity to take on a new challenge. We will realize a carbon-neutral plant using hydrogen here and bring vitality to Fukushima."
2. Water electrolysis hydrogen plant
Hydrogen, as a clean energy source, is characterized by low density, high combustion temperature, non-toxicity, and a wide range of flammability.
Hydrogen production by water electrolysis is a more convenient method. In an electrolyzer filled with potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, direct current is passed through, and water molecules react electrochemically on the electrodes, decomposing into hydrogen and oxygen.
Water electrolysis hydrogen equipment, as the core process equipment for green electricity-green hydrogen conversion, will attract much attention in 2022, and many central enterprises and listed companies will actively lay out the manufacturing of water electrolysis hydrogen equipment and release water electrolysis hydrogen equipment products. Our preliminary estimate, by 2025 China's new renewable energy green hydrogen supply will reach about 500,000 tons.
It is also widely used in the automotive industry, especially in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Since hydrogen is colorless and odorless and cannot be detected by the human body, it is necessary to monitor the concentration of hydrogen in the air using hydrogen sensors during use. Moreover, it is also necessary to require the hydrogen sensor to have the advantages of fast response speed and high accuracy.
3. Hydrogen detector recommended
Germany UST Hydrogen Detector
- Display range: 1ppm - 999ppm.
- Detection from ppm level to lower explosive limit (LEL).
- Microprocessor control device with high sensitivity, wide detection range, strong anti-interference ability and so on.
- Automatic probe detection with error recognition (can be turned off).
- Designated for use in new energy vehicles at the Beijing Olympics and Shanghai World Expo as well as hydrogen refueling stations.
- Widely used in the production, use, transportation, storage and other processes of hydrogen leakage detection and alarm.