Liquid Hydrogen Pumps: A Chinese Unit Reports a 90 MPa Electric-Drive Test at −253 °C
An electric-drive high-pressure liquid hydrogen pump held a 90 MPa outlet at more than 100 kg/h for four continuous hours at −253 °C, in a test witnessed by two third-party institutes.
Lead
An electric-drive high-pressure liquid hydrogen pump developed by Hangyang Group (杭氧集团) held an outlet pressure of 90 MPa at a liquid hydrogen flow above 100 kg/h for four continuous hours, according to an account published by China Chemical Industry News (中国化工报) in May 2026.
The test was witnessed by specialists from the Beijing Institute of Aerospace Testing Technology (北京航天试验技术研究所) and Zhejiang Machinery and Electrical Testing Institute Co. (浙江省机电检测所有限公司).
Facts
The programme. The equipment is an output of a national 14th Five-Year Plan key research and development programme on the development and safety study of key equipment for liquid hydrogen refuelling stations. (Sources: China Chemical Industry News via its own site (中化新网), 2026-05-13; the Gas Separation Equipment Branch of the China General Machinery Industry Association (中国通用机械工业协会气体分离设备分会), 2026-05-07.)
The stated test result. Four continuous hours of liquid-hydrogen operation at −253 °C, with an outlet pressure of 90 MPa and a flow above 100 kg/h. The company describes the result as filling a domestic gap in electric-drive high-pressure liquid hydrogen pumps. (Source: the Gas Separation Equipment Branch of the China General Machinery Industry Association, 2026-05-07.)
The valve in the same test loop. The test system also incorporated a high-differential-pressure liquid hydrogen regulating valve developed by the same company. It is stated to regulate a wide flow range across a pressure differential from 90 MPa down to 0.1 MPa, and is described as the first Chinese valve to pass a liquid hydrogen test at a 90 MPa differential. (Source: China Chemical Industry News via its own site, 2026-05-13.)
The stated technical bottlenecks. The development team lists hydrogen-facing materials research, precision heat management, spool-valve dynamic control, low-temperature high-pressure sealing and motor-drive matching. (Source: China Chemical Industry News via its own site, 2026-05-13.)
The company's hydrogen position. Hangyang states that it has completed process-package design for 0.5–10 tonne/day hydrogen liquefaction units, and that it holds a 1,200 L/h helium-refrigeration-cycle liquefaction technology reserve, with liquid hydrogen purity above 99.999% and para-hydrogen content above 95%. (Source: Hangyang Group's own site.)
Where this connects on this site
- Why a low-temperature duty is read against a material's low-temperature limit rather than against its ambient rating: Chemical Compatibility Chart for Pumps: What the Grade and the Temperature Actually Mean
- The full problem behind the figure — heat leak, cavitation, sealing and hydrogen-facing materials at −253 °C: Liquid Hydrogen Pumps: What the −253 °C Duty Demands
- The selector: chempumpselect.com
Sources
| # | Fact | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 90 MPa outlet, >100 kg/h, four continuous hours at −253 °C; witnesses 北京航天试验技术研究所 and 浙江省机电检测所有限公司; national 14th Five-Year Plan key R&D programme 液氢加氢站关键装备研制与安全性研究; domestic gap filled | 中国通用机械工业协会 气体分离设备分会 — https://ga.cgmia.org.cn/News/Detail/25349 |
| 2 | Same test result; the integrated high-differential-pressure liquid hydrogen regulating valve, 90 MPa→0.1 MPa wide-range regulation, described as the first Chinese valve to pass a 90 MPa differential liquid hydrogen test; the five listed technical bottlenecks | 中国化工报, via 中化新网 — https://ccin.com.cn/detail/55ab01d1ea6cb338490b139124a2c61c |
| 3 | 0.5–10 t/day hydrogen liquefaction process packages; 1,200 L/h helium-cycle liquefaction technology reserve; liquid hydrogen purity >99.999%; para-hydrogen >95% | 杭氧集团股份有限公司（公司网站） — https://www.hangyang.com/ |
Note on sourcing. Items 1 and 2 report a company test result and a programme milestone. We record only the verifiable layer — what was tested, at what pressure and flow, for how long, at what temperature, and who witnessed it. We do not repeat performance claims beyond the figures stated, and we do not rank or recommend suppliers.
What the source does not state
The accounts do not state the number of units built, the running hours accumulated after the test, any start-stop cycle count, the pump's efficiency or power draw, the maintenance interval, or whether the machine is in commercial service.
Update note
This item is a dated record of a publicly reported test. We append corrections rather than rewrite history; corrections are marked Correction with the date.