Chongqing- Chinese carmakers are moving forward to new energy vehicles, including hydrogen energy vehicles. One of the Chongqing-based enterprises located in Southwest China has independently developed hydrogen circulation pumps, reckoned as the core component of hydrogen energy vehicles, to break the foreign monopoly and seize opportunities in the natural gas power systems.
This is the Chongqing Kairui Power Technology Co., Ltd. (Kairui Power), which primarily engages in natural gas and hydrogen energy vehicles. It has ranked the top one in the natural gas vehicle power with the 40% of the country's natural gas taxi market share last year.
Kairui Power technical workers are stepping up production. (iChongqing file photo)
Tackle technical challenges
So far, Kairui Power has generally completed the research and development (R&D) and trial production of the circulation pump.
Once the production details are perfected, they can be manufactured on a large scale and launched officially into the market, said Guo Wenjun, the guy in charge of the company.
Like a car engine, this hydrogen circulation pump less than 50 cm in length enjoys access to recirculate unreacted hydrogen from the fuel cell stack outlet to the inlet, improving hydrogen utilization and hydrogen safety.
For its research and development, the company took four years working on it, putting efforts to overcome the sealing problem of the hydrogen circulation pump to avoid mixing the hydrogen gas with the lubricating oil, which will affect the use of hydrogen energy vehicles.
The hydrogen circulation pump developed by Kairui Power is equivalent to 10,000 hours of continuous operation if converted into the average driving speed range of a car, while the service life of similar imported products is only more than 1,000 hours in the early days.
In terms of price, the products produced by Kairui Power are also 1/3 lower than imported ones.
GENLYON H6 is the first series of hydrogen-powered heavy trucks of Chongqing. (iChongiqng file photo)
Whole industry chain pattern
"The research and development experience of natural gas power system tells us that we must seize the first-mover advantage in the core area," said Guo.
Kairui Power always makes overall planning ahead of the industry. It began to study natural gas power systems long before the beneficial policies provided by the country in 2007.
The same is valid for hydrogen energy vehicles. At present, the company has made remarkable achievements in its scientific research.
For instance, the hydrogen pressure regulator developed by the company has broken the monopoly of foreign technology, and the price is even lower than half of the similar imported products, like the hydrogen circulation pump.
This product has been applied to many manufacturers such as Foton Motor, Changan Automobile, etc.
Guo indicated that the company aims to establish a whole industry chain pattern by deeply cultivating the core components R&D of hydrogen energy vehicles, effectively helping domestic enterprises to improve quality and reduce costs.
Up to now, Kairui Power has occupied the leading role in the country and established cooperation with a host of car companies, with more than 100 natural gas vehicles and gas engines developed.