‭‬‭14th March 2024‬‭Torishima and Kyoto University Make Hydrogen History‬‭with World’s First High-Flow, High-Efficiency Liquid Hydrogen Pump‬‭In‬ ‭a‬ ‭pioneering‬ ‭leap‬ ‭forward‬ ‭for‬ ‭hydrogen‬ ‭technology,‬ ‭Torishima‬ ‭Pump‬ ‭Mfg.‬ ‭Co.,‬ ‭Ltd.‬ ‭(Torishima)‬ ‭and‬‭Program-specific‬ ‭Professor‬ ‭Taketsune‬ ‭Nakamura‬ ‭from‬‭the‬‭Graduate‬‭School‬‭of‬‭Engineering‬‭at‬‭Kyoto‬‭University‬‭have‬‭jointly‬‭developed‬‭the‬‭world’s‬‭first‬‭liquid‬‭hydrogen‬‭pump‬‭that‬‭marries‬‭high-flow‬‭capacity‬‭with‬‭unparalleled‬‭efficiency.‬ ‭This‬ ‭innovation,‬ ‭powered‬ ‭by‬ ‭a‬ ‭superconducting‬ ‭motor,‬ ‭marks‬ ‭a‬ ‭crucial‬ ‭advance‬ ‭towards‬ ‭a‬‭sustainable hydrogen economy.‬‭1.‬ ‭The Drive for Carbon Neutrality‬‭At‬‭the‬‭heart‬‭of‬‭global‬‭efforts‬‭to‬‭achieve‬‭carbon‬‭neutrality‬‭lies‬‭the‬‭imperative‬‭to‬‭harness‬‭clean‬‭energy‬‭sources‬‭like‬ ‭hydrogen.‬ ‭However,‬ ‭the‬ ‭widespread‬ ‭adoption‬ ‭of‬ ‭hydrogen‬ ‭as‬ ‭a‬ ‭fuel‬ ‭has‬ ‭been‬ ‭constrained‬ ‭by‬ ‭the‬ ‭cost‬‭challenges‬ ‭associated‬ ‭with‬ ‭its‬ ‭production‬ ‭and‬ ‭transport.‬ ‭Torishima,‬ ‭a‬ ‭firm‬ ‭with‬ ‭a‬ ‭mission‬‭to‬‭“Save‬‭the‬‭world‬‭with‬ ‭pumps,”‬‭embarked‬‭on‬‭this‬‭groundbreaking‬‭project‬‭alongside‬‭Kyoto‬‭University‬‭in‬‭2021.‬‭The‬‭project‬‭gained‬‭momentum‬ ‭in‬ ‭2023‬ ‭with‬ ‭support‬ ‭from‬ ‭a‬ ‭Japanese‬ ‭governmental‬ ‭agency,‬ ‭NEDO‬‭*1‬ ‭grant‬ ‭"Development‬ ‭of‬‭Technologies for Building Competitive Hydrogen Supply Chain".‬‭2.‬ ‭Innovative Features of the Development‬‭The collaboration has yielded several key innovations:‬‭1)‬ ‭High-Speed Rotation Technology:‬‭Building‬ ‭on‬ ‭Torishima’s‬ ‭expertise‬ ‭in‬ ‭developing‬ ‭high-temperature,‬ ‭high-pressure‬ ‭multistage‬ ‭pumps,‬ ‭the‬‭team‬‭achieved‬‭a‬‭breakthrough‬‭with‬‭a‬‭pump‬‭that‬‭operates‬‭at‬‭a‬‭high-speed‬‭rotation‬‭of‬‭5,000‬‭min-1,‬‭essential‬‭for pressurizing and transporting low-density liquid hydrogen.‬‭2)‬ ‭Superconducting Motor:‬‭By‬ ‭employing‬ ‭a‬ ‭superconducting‬ ‭motor,‬ ‭developed‬ ‭under‬ ‭the‬ ‭guidance‬ ‭of‬ ‭Program-specific‬ ‭Professor‬‭Taketsune‬‭Nakamura,‬‭the‬‭pump‬‭set‬‭drastically‬‭reduces‬‭heat‬‭generation.‬‭Superconducting‬‭motor‬‭operates‬‭at‬‭very‬ ‭high‬ ‭efficiency‬ ‭without‬ ‭heat‬ ‭generation.‬ ‭This‬ ‭innovative‬ ‭approach‬ ‭prevents‬ ‭the‬‭gasification‬‭of‬‭liquid‬‭hydrogen, ensuring efficient transport.‬‭3)‬ ‭A Fusion of Expertise:‬‭The‬‭project‬‭represents‬‭a‬‭milestone‬‭in‬‭technological‬‭collaboration,‬‭combining‬‭Torishima’s‬‭deep‬‭knowledge‬‭in‬‭pump‬‭technology‬‭with‬‭Kyoto‬‭University’s‬‭pioneering‬‭research‬‭in‬‭superconducting‬‭motors,‬‭to‬‭create‬‭a‬‭pump‬‭that can efficiently transfer large volumes of liquid hydrogen.‬‭3.‬ ‭Operational Test Success‬‭Operational‬‭tests‬‭conducted‬‭on‬‭March‬‭6th‬‭and‬‭7th‬‭at‬‭JAXA’s‬‭*2‬ ‭Noshiro‬‭Rocket‬‭Testing‬‭Center‬‭in‬‭Akita‬‭Prefecture‬‭confirmed‬‭the‬‭pump’s‬‭performance,‬‭achieving‬‭the‬‭world's‬‭highest‬‭flow‬‭rate‬‭and‬‭pressure‬‭for‬‭a‬‭liquid‬‭hydrogen‬‭centrifugal‬ ‭pump.‬ ‭These‬ ‭results‬ ‭are‬ ‭a‬ ‭testament‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭pump’s‬ ‭innovative‬ ‭design,‬ ‭marking‬ ‭a‬ ‭significant‬‭breakthrough in technological and cost challenges. The main achieved specifications are as follows;‬‭Flow rate‬ ‭: 30.5 m‬‭3‬‭/hr‬‭Pressure‬‭: 1.6 MPa‬

‭Speed‬‭:‬‭5,000 min‬‭-1‬‭4.‬ ‭Looking to the Future‬‭The‬‭successful‬‭development‬‭of‬‭this‬‭high-flow,‬‭high-efficiency‬‭liquid‬‭hydrogen‬‭pump,‬‭supported‬‭by‬‭NEDO,‬‭sets‬‭the‬‭stage‬‭for‬‭the‬‭commercial‬‭viability‬‭of‬‭hydrogen‬‭supply‬‭chains‬‭beyond‬‭2030.‬‭The‬‭pump‬‭is‬‭expected‬‭to‬‭play‬‭a‬‭critical‬ ‭role‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭hydrogen‬ ‭economy‬ ‭and‬ ‭will‬ ‭make‬ ‭a‬ ‭significant‬ ‭contribution‬ ‭to‬ ‭achieving‬ ‭the‬ ‭Japanese‬‭Government hydrogen supply cost target of 20 yen/Nm‬‭3‬‭.‬‭Further‬ ‭details‬‭about‬‭this‬‭revolutionary‬‭development‬‭will‬‭be‬‭unveiled‬‭in‬‭an‬‭upcoming‬‭press‬‭conference,‬‭with‬‭more information to be shared with members of the press.‬‭*1 NEDO‬ ‭: New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization‬‭*2 JAXA‬‭: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency‬‭【Torishima Pump Mfg. Co., Ltd.】‬‭Founded‬ ‭in‬ ‭1919,‬ ‭Torishima‬ ‭Pump‬ ‭Mfg.‬ ‭Co.,‬ ‭Ltd.‬ ‭has‬ ‭established‬ ‭itself‬ ‭as‬ ‭a‬ ‭leader‬‭in‬‭the‬‭pump‬‭manufacturing‬‭industry,‬ ‭specializing‬ ‭in‬ ‭large-scale,‬ ‭high-pressure‬ ‭pumps‬ ‭for‬ ‭water‬ ‭treatment,‬ ‭power‬ ‭generation,‬ ‭and‬‭desalination‬‭plants,‬‭and‬‭serving‬‭customers‬‭in‬‭over‬‭100‬‭countries.‬‭The‬‭company‬‭is‬‭committed‬‭to‬‭contributing‬‭to‬‭a safe and energy-efficient society and strives to be an indispensable part of the global community.‬‭Headquarters‬‭: 1-1-8 Miyada, Takatsuki-city, Osaka, Japan‬‭Stock listed markets‬ ‭: Prime market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange‬‭Website‬‭:‬‭https://www.torishima.co.jp/en/‬‭【Program-specific Professor Taketsune Nakamura, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University】‬‭2005 - 2017 ‬‭ h.D.‬ ‭degree‬ ‭from‬ ‭the‬ ‭Department‬ ‭of‬ ‭Electrical‬ ‭and‬ ‭Electronic‬ ‭Systems‬ ‭Engineering,‬
P‭Graduate School of Systems Information Science, Kyushu University, Japan.‬‭Assistant‬ ‭Professor‬ ‭with‬ ‭the‬ ‭Department‬ ‭of‬ ‭Electrical‬ ‭Engineering,‬ ‭Graduate‬ ‭School‬ ‭of‬‭Engineering, Kyoto University, Japan‬‭Associate Professor with the same affiliation‬‭2017 - present‬‭Program-specific Professor with the same affiliation‬‭2019 - present ‬‭Visiting Researcher with the Research Institute of Applied Sciences, Japan‬‭2020 -present ‬‭ art-time‬ ‭Visiting‬ ‭Professor‬ ‭with‬ ‭the‬ ‭Department‬ ‭of‬ ‭Mechanical‬ ‭and‬ ‭Electrical‬ ‭Systems‬
P‭Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, Japan‬‭1998‬‭1998 - 2005‬‭His‬ ‭research‬ ‭interests‬ ‭include‬ ‭first-principle‬ ‭research‬ ‭on‬ ‭electrical-mechanical‬ ‭energy‬ ‭conversion,‬ ‭basic‬‭research‬ ‭on‬ ‭normal‬ ‭conducting‬ ‭and‬ ‭superconducting‬ ‭rotating‬ ‭machines,‬ ‭and‬ ‭research‬ ‭and‬ ‭development‬ ‭on‬‭applications for in-vehicle and other systems.‬‭Member‬‭of‬‭the‬‭Institute‬‭of‬‭Electrical‬‭Engineers‬‭of‬‭Japan,‬‭the‬‭IEEE,‬‭the‬‭Cryogenics‬‭and‬‭Superconductivity‬‭Society‬‭of Japan, the Japan Society of Applied Physics, and the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan.‬