The hydrogen line from the storage tank feeds into a Manifold, outside the fuel cell building. This manifold came with ReliOn’s indoor installation kit, and includes three check valves feeding into a pressure regulator and a pressure relief valve. It is designed to accept three K-cylinders (see diagram below).
The manifold is housed in a “wing”, or enclosure, which comes with the indoor installation kit (for our diatribe on this subject, see Fuel Cell). Our wing was custom made; ReliOn’s is similar.
The wing serves as a secure storage for valves, hydrogen gas, etc, and as a fireproof barrier between the K-cylinders and the building wall.
mailto:SachsG@usmma.eduWe currently switch from storage tank to commercial K-cylinder manually. Gregory Sachs of the Merchant Marine Institute, who has a hydrogen installation very similar to ours, uses a clever passive switching mechanism: His K-cylinder of hydrogen has a pressure regulator set to 40 psi, and the cylinder is always open. When his storage tank empties to the point that its pressure goes below 40 psi, the K-cylinder line has the higher pressure, and starts supplying fuel.
Although the manifold does not require additional pressure regulators for hydrogen K-cylinders, we have regulators for both nitrogen and hydrogen, for testing and purging (Thermadyne SR450E-580 and SR452E-580).
