Pfeiffer and Resato integrate hydrogen tank leak detection into high-pressure testing

Pfeiffer Vacuum+Fab Solutions and Resato High Pressure Technology developed an integrated leak detection setup for hydrogen tank validation in Asslar, Germany. The solution combines feasibility testing, automation and calibrated measurement to support safer, more reliable approval testing for hydrogen storage vessels and components.

Why it matters: - Hydrogen tank validation depends on leak testing that stays accurate under high pressure, long measurement periods and safety-critical conditions. - The project shows how application testing can reduce technical risk before equipment is installed in a production test system. - The approach is relevant for hydrogen tanks, hoses and components used in transport, storage and automotive applications.

What happened: - Resato High Pressure Technology worked with Pfeiffer Vacuum+Fab Solutions on a leak detection solution for a hydrogen gas test system used to validate hydrogen storage vessels. - The collaboration started with a feasibility study in Pfeiffer’s Application Laboratory in Asslar, Germany. - Resato selected two ASM 340 tracer gas leak detectors after the evaluation. - The leak detectors were integrated into Resato’s high-pressure test system for hydrogen applications.

The details: - Resato is headquartered in Assen, the Netherlands, and employs 65 people. - Resato develops high-pressure systems for multiple markets, including hydrogen testing for tanks, components and hoses. - The feasibility study used Resato’s own test and calibration setup to evaluate system behavior under realistic operating conditions. - The teams assessed long-term stability, background signal behavior, temperature influences and integration into the test setup. - The hydrogen tanks are conditioned, pressurized and then subjected to permeation and leak testing. - The test range runs from 350 to 875 bar, or 35 to 87.5 MPa. - The ASM 340 leak detectors were installed outside the ATEX zone in a separate protected area. - The detectors connect to the Resato HMI for automated control and operate through an RS-232 interface. - Measurement data goes directly into the final customer test report. - The ASM leak detectors are calibrated with an external calibrated hydrogen leak. - The setup supports testing for automotive hydrogen tanks and for components used in the transport and storage of pure hydrogen. - The regulatory framework includes R134 and UN GTR No. 13-2. - Resato provides the high-pressure system, test chambers and safety technology, while Pfeiffer provides leak detection technology and application-specific measurement support.

Between the lines: - The project is less about a single instrument choice and more about turning leak detection into a repeatable part of a complex hydrogen test workflow. - Early feasibility work helped both companies identify issues that technical specifications alone would not reveal. - The collaboration also reduced uncertainty around investment decisions in a safety-relevant application. - Ongoing support after sale covered measurement questions and the interpretation of test results, including temperature effects on leak-rate measurements. - Stefan Langeland, Mechanical Engineer at Resato, said the combination of measurement technology, application expertise and continuous support was key to integrating leak testing into the test system. - Langeland said the method enabled an unprecedented way of testing and validating objects using pure hydrogen.

What's next: - The ASM 340 detectors will continue supporting leak testing in the Resato system. - The workflow is intended as a transferable concept for future hydrogen test applications where high pressure, permeation and leak testing must be combined. - The companies see the early feasibility-study model as a way to speed decisions and support safer integration in future tank, hose and component testing.

The bottom line: - For hydrogen validation, reliable leak detection has to be designed into the full test process, not added at the end.