By Cherish Edwards
As the hydrogen fuels market continues to grow in marine and industrial verticals, in much the same way as solar continues to grow in resource-constrained geographies, we’re seeing a new type of pressure vessel emerge as a response to those weight conscious applications. Pressure vessels have come a long way since the industrial revolution in which high tensile steel wire was wound around the vessels to prevent sidewall rupture.
The big idea here is that traditional, steel vessels have a place in industrial applications, especially where ballast or traditional fuel sources such as diesel are preferred. But in applications such as marine transportation, ferries, and ships that may have to contend with low sulphur requirements as well as emissions and local regulations, composite pressure vessels provide a high tensile, comparatively lightweight alternative. In fact, LNG is not as effective as battery power for marine transport vehicles, and as such the focus is now on battery and lightweight hydrogen vessel configurations.
Recently, we had a chance to visit with Steelhead Composites in Golden, Colorado. The founder, Andrew Coors who started the business five years ago, manufactures liners, bottles and vessels through a spin form method using composite materials such as carbon fiber.Andrew took us on a tour of their facility and plant, explaining how the vessels are designed, tested, assembled, and QA’d for their growing list of marine, automotive and aerospace clients. More importantly, Andrew shared with us the multiple certifications held by Steelhead Composites for each of their tanks with #ISO 9001 and #AS9100 Quality Management Systems. ISO 14001 Environmental SystemWe see a great opportunity for growth in composite pressurized vessels especially in hydrogen storage, the natural gas market, thermal accumulators and cryogenic systems.
More information about Steelhead Composites can be found at www.steelheadcomposites.com.
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#marine #hydrogen #cryogenic #vessels #composites