2025.08.28
Research on catalysts for the safety of liquefied hydrogen by Professor Hirohisa Tanaka, School of Engineering is Published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Professor Hirohisa Tanaka of School of Engineering has published a research paper on catalysts contributing to the safety of liquefied hydrogen in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (Volume 141) on June 25, 2025. This research paper is the result of the "STACY Project," a collaborative research project supported by the Strategic International Collaborative Research Program (SICORP) of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), conducted in collaboration with Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (FZJ) in Germany, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France, and the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) in France, as well as the Hirohisa Tanaka Laboratory.
Efforts toward decarbonization of the energy sector are currently underway worldwide. Due to its high storage density, liquefied hydrogen is suitable for large-scale storage and transportation, and is expected to play an important role in the future hydrogen economy. The STACY Project has conducted safety research to overcome potential safety risks associated with liquid hydrogen.
At the same time, research into a passive autocatalytic recombiner (PAR) using cutting-edge catalyst technology has been developed, in cooperation with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. In the unlikely event that liquid hydrogen leaks and forms an explosive gas mixture with the surrounding air at an extremely low temperature (-100°C), this technology can prevent explosions by returning the hydrogen to safe water.
For this purpose, the crystal structure of the catalyst was designed at the atomic level, and actual catalyst prototypes were manufactured and repeatedly tested in laboratory and large reaction vessels. The results of this research have now been published in a paper in the leading journal, the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
Efforts toward decarbonization of the energy sector are currently underway worldwide. Due to its high storage density, liquefied hydrogen is suitable for large-scale storage and transportation, and is expected to play an important role in the future hydrogen economy. The STACY Project has conducted safety research to overcome potential safety risks associated with liquid hydrogen.
At the same time, research into a passive autocatalytic recombiner (PAR) using cutting-edge catalyst technology has been developed, in cooperation with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. In the unlikely event that liquid hydrogen leaks and forms an explosive gas mixture with the surrounding air at an extremely low temperature (-100°C), this technology can prevent explosions by returning the hydrogen to safe water.
For this purpose, the crystal structure of the catalyst was designed at the atomic level, and actual catalyst prototypes were manufactured and repeatedly tested in laboratory and large reaction vessels. The results of this research have now been published in a paper in the leading journal, the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
Journal name: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Volume 141(June 25, 2025)
Article title: Experimental verification to developing safety technology for liquefied hydrogen in the project "STACY"
Author(s): Hirohisa Tanaka, Ernst Arndt Reinecke, Nabiha Chaumeix, Ahmed Bentaib,
Masashi Taniguchi, Daiju Matsumura, Shannon Kren, Itsuki Jinjo, Tomohito Nakayama, Shinya Uegaki, Takuro Aotani, Tomoaki Kita
Masashi Taniguchi, Daiju Matsumura, Shannon Kren, Itsuki Jinjo, Tomohito Nakayama, Shinya Uegaki, Takuro Aotani, Tomoaki Kita
