As hydrogen production starts to accelerate worldwide, the performance expectations placed on electrolyzer components are rising. Modern electrolyzer systems operate across wider dynamic load profiles, handle hotter and wetter exhaust streams, require precise differential pressures for membrane protection and mitigate cross-contamination, and must be scalable for OEM production.
In response to market demand, Equilibar has launched a completely re-engineered product line with industrial back pressure regulators. The IC Series is a new class of high-flow, dome-loaded backpressure regulators built to meet the realities of the hydrogen sector today and tomorrow. Not just a modified BD Series descendant, but a purpose-built platform for precision, manufacturability, and long-term reliability in hydrogen and alkaline electrolysis.
Electrolyzer OEMs face a specific combination of challenges that go beyond conventional industrial pressure control:
The IC Series was engineered expressly with these conditions in mind; beginning with its materials, extending through its casting architecture, and culminating in a fluid dynamic design tailored for stability under extremes.
Electrolyzer exhaust – whether from PEM or pressurized alkaline systems – can contain a complex mixture of hot water vapor, oxygen and hydrogen. In case of alkaline stacks, traces of KOH may have been carried into the gas path.
Equilibar engineers validated that the IC Series materials are fully aligned with these environments. The regulator body is constructed from CF3M/1.4409 dual certified stainless steel, the cast equivalent of wrought 316/316L. Metallurgically, these materials are the same, offering identical chemical compatibility and corrosion resistance. The orifice plate and cap are machined from standard 316/316L bar stock.
In alkaline systems, the guiding principle is simple: If 316/316L stainless steel is compatible with the customer’s process, then the IC Series is compatible.
For even more aggressive environments, Equilibar can supply machined Hastelloy or Monel variants, to ensure uniform geometry and consistent performance.
The IC Series thus presents a dependable materials foundation, which is crucial for process engineers and system builders – like electrolyzer manufacturers – who are dealing with caustic moisture, fluctuating dewpoints, and mixed phase thermodynamic transitions.
Certain electrolyzer architectures, especially PEM and high purity oxygen production, require oxygen-clean components at ASTM standards or beyond.
Equilibar’s IC Series can be oxygen cleaned to ASTMG93 standards. This ensures that system integrators can rely on the IC Series for oxygen use.
Pressurized alkaline electrolyzers create a uniquely challenging combination:
The IC Series addresses these challenges in several ways.
The dome-loaded multiple orifice design of Equilibar regulators is inherently and superbly capable of handling mixed phase and rapidly changing flow conditions . Even dramatic shifts in gas generation rate can be controlled without overshoot or oscillation, keeping stack differential pressures stable. This is essential for membrane safety and efficiency.
Both body and trim metals of the Equilibar control valve are suited for hot, saturated gases typical of alkaline stacks. The materials ensure that compatibility tracks directly with existing alkaline system standards for 316/316L stainless steel.
The IC12 and IC16 are designed for 20,6 bar, while the IC24 provides robust performance at 15.8 bar, with all pressure ratings validated at elevated temperatures of 100°C and even up to 327°C when equipped with FFKM O–rings. Cv ranges from 6E-2… up to 60 in a single 3” regulator. The 2” and 1.5” variants have a capacity of 30 and 15.
This consistency across sizes is a major advantage for OEMs designing modular systems.
European electrolyzer manufacturers often specify DIN standard flanges across their systems, for optimal compatibility with existing piping, plant design norms, and harmonized procurement. The IC Series can therefore also be machined to DIN standard flange specifications.
Because the casting includes a unified base geometry, machining different flange patterns (ANSI or DIN) does not require redesigning the body or altering pressure classes. This ensures that electrolyzer OEMs can receive components tailored to European standards without compromising regulator performance or internal design consistency.
One of the most transformative aspects of the IC Series is not visible from the outside. The shift to modular CF3M casting unlocks several new advantages:
The IC Series can be manufactured economically at OEM volumes. This is strategically important for electrolyzer companies who target scaling production from 10’s to 100’s of systems per year.
While the mechanical design of the IC Series addresses the structural needs of modern electrolyzers, pairing it with an EQ-DA Electro-Pneumatic Pilot Pressure Controller unlocks a new level of precision.
Why this combination matters for electrolyzers:
Together, the IC Series and EQ-DA Series form a dome-loaded control architecture that matches the speed, precision, and reproducibility electrolyzer OEMs require as systems move toward grid balancing and dynamic operation.
Electrolyzer OEMs are demanding more from their components. We need greater stability, broader dynamic ranges, stronger material compatibility, and supply chains capable of scaling with the hydrogen economy.
The IC Series was designed to answer exactly those needs:
In short, the IC Series is not just an adaptation of existing technology. It is a platform built for the electrolyzer systems of tomorrow.
