Types and Classifications of Hydrogen Cylinders
24 February 2026
Types and Classifications of Hydrogen Cylinders:
As a key link in the development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, on-board hydrogen storage technology is directly related to the range, cost and safety of fuel cell vehicles. Before introducing the manufacturing process of type IV gas cylinders, let's first learn a basic knowledge: the classification of hydrogen cylinders.
Type I cylinders are all-metal cylinders with a pressure resistance of no more than 20 MPa.
Type II and Type III cylinders feature a metal liner wrapped with composite materials, and their pressure resistance can be increased to 70 MPa.
Type IV cylinders adopt a polymer material liner, with the entire cylinder body wrapped in fiber-reinforced resin composite materials; only the cylinder neck is made of metal. They are much lighter than Type III cylinders while achieving comparable hydrogen storage pressure.
Main manufacturing process of hydrogen cylinders:
Liner forming, liner inspection, fiber winding, labeling, curing, surface polishing, hydrostatic pressure testing.
The raw materials mostly adopt mainstream plastics such as PA6, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and PET polyester. The forming technologies include injection molding, rotational molding and blow molding.
Fiber winding is generally divided into two layers:
The inner layer is a carbon fiber winding layer, usually composed of carbon fiber and epoxy resin.
The outer layer is a glass fiber protective layer, usually composed of glass fiber and epoxy resin.
Finally, the epoxy resin is heated and cured to ensure the strength of the cylinder.
As a key link in the development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, on-board hydrogen storage technology is directly related to the range, cost and safety of fuel cell vehicles. Before introducing the manufacturing process of type IV gas cylinders, let's first learn a basic knowledge: the classification of hydrogen cylinders.
Type I cylinders are all-metal cylinders with a pressure resistance of no more than 20 MPa.
Type II and Type III cylinders feature a metal liner wrapped with composite materials, and their pressure resistance can be increased to 70 MPa.
Type IV cylinders adopt a polymer material liner, with the entire cylinder body wrapped in fiber-reinforced resin composite materials; only the cylinder neck is made of metal. They are much lighter than Type III cylinders while achieving comparable hydrogen storage pressure.
Main manufacturing process of hydrogen cylinders:
Liner forming, liner inspection, fiber winding, labeling, curing, surface polishing, hydrostatic pressure testing.
The raw materials mostly adopt mainstream plastics such as PA6, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and PET polyester. The forming technologies include injection molding, rotational molding and blow molding.
Fiber winding is generally divided into two layers:
The inner layer is a carbon fiber winding layer, usually composed of carbon fiber and epoxy resin.
The outer layer is a glass fiber protective layer, usually composed of glass fiber and epoxy resin.
Finally, the epoxy resin is heated and cured to ensure the strength of the cylinder.
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