Building Pioneer, NanoSUN’s mobile hydrogen cascade refueller, was a joint effort. We set out to build something never seen before: a mobile hydrogen refueller with large storage capacity, at a fraction of the cost of a fixed station, with minimal power consumption and maintenance requirements. This took the ingenuity and expertise of not only our team, but also of our trusted partners. You need high quality components to build high quality systems.

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This is the third of a series of articles where we thank our partners for their support, showcasing their unique contribution to the creation of Pioneer. To do this we would like to almost literally take the lid off Pioneer and give you a peek on what’s inside. The focus of this episode is Reliability. Each Pioneer unit houses 9 Type IV high pressure cylinders, explored in the first article, storing hydrogen gas up to 425 bar, and in the second article we then talked about how hydrogen gas is no more dangerous than any other fuel, but it’s important to handle it correctly and have the appropriate safety mechanisms in place.

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However, there is no innovation or safety in place, without reliability. The gas stored in the 9 cylinders goes through a complex system of pipework before reaching the refuelling nozzle. Well designed and fit for purpose connection points between pipes are critical to minimising leaks, and, as much as Pioneer units have means in place to detect leaks early, a well designed system should prevent leaks from happening in the first place. High performance fluid system components are very much the foundation of any gas-flow system and that is why we have selected Swagelok® products, for all our stainless steel valves, tube fittings and tubing, as they are renowned across many industries for their quality, service and technical capabilities. We partnered with our local authorised Swagelok Sales and Service Centre, Swagelok Manchester, to support us with the build of the Pioneer mobile refuelling station. Their role involved delivering Swagelok products, as well as providing technical expertise and guidance.

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Each Pioneer unit has over 500 Swagelok fittings, a true testament to how much we trust their quality, reliability, and their support.

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Christian Scott, Deputy Operations Director, NanoSUN: “It is key when manufacturing our systems that NanoSUN ensures a high level of quality and reliability throughout the gas system. Swagelok components provide that reliability alongside the support they provided on training, installation guidance and development of best practises for Hydrogen.”

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Mitchell Brunt, Project Sales Manager, Gas Networks & Hydrogen, Swagelok Manchester: “Swagelok Manchester, an authorised exclusive distributor, are delighted to have supported NanoSUN on their journey with the Pioneer mobile hydrogen cascade refueller. Their innovative technology is at the forefront of the clean energy journey that will change the way we think about energy storage and help us to decarbonise the transportation sector in the coming years.”