Greene Tweed has reported a major advance in hydrogen compression technology with the successful testing of a composite closed impeller that reached a record tip speed of 688 m/s – almost double that of conventional metallic impellers.
The newly engineered impeller is designed for large centrifugal compressors used in hydrogen pipeline transport, storage and utilisation. Traditional metallic closed impellers typically operate at speeds of up to 360 m/s, with open designs reaching around 500 m/s before burst. These limits constrain compression ratios for light gases such as hydrogen, often requiring additional compressor stages that increase system size, cost and maintenance.
Greene Tweed’s solution uses carbon fibre reinforced PEEK (C/PEEK) to achieve significantly higher performance. According to the company, the composite impeller is up to five times lighter than metallic alternatives and offers around three times the strength-to-weight ratio, enabling higher operating speeds and improved compression efficiency.
“Greene Tweed began developing its composite closed impeller in 2020, leveraging the high specific strength and temperature resistance of carbon fiber reinforced PEEK (C/PEEK). Our goal was to create a design that could exceed 600 m/s tip speed for compressing light gases like hydrogen,” said Samuel Stutz, technology manager at Greene Tweed. “After three rigorous development and testing cycles, the impeller achieved a tip speed of 688 m/s, far exceeding the project’s original target and setting a new industry benchmark.”
The development comes as demand for hydrogen infrastructure accelerates, particularly in Europe, where tens of thousands of kilometres of hydrogen pipelines are planned by 2040. Higher-speed, more durable compressor technology is expected to play a key role in reducing overall system costs and improving reliability.
“We aim to revolutionize hydrogen infrastructure by breaking past the limitations of metals,” said Magen Buterbaugh, Greene Tweed president and CEO. “By delivering solutions that cut costs, simplify operations, and drive scalability, Greene Tweed is setting a new standard for the industry. We are now collaborating with centrifugal compressor OEMs to bring this technology to real-world applications.”
