HyFit: Hydrogen embrittlement at different scales: fitness-for-service of gas pipelines for hydrogen transmission by laboratory scale investigations and modelling
Context
The use of the existing natural gas pipeline grid for the transport and storage of hydrogen will play a crucial role in the Belgian energy transition. The fitness-for-service of the pipelines, however, needs to be confirmed before making the shift to hydrogen since pipeline steels and welds can be sensitive to hydrogen embrittlement. The HyFit project will develop a methodology that will allow to screen the current pipeline infrastructure (consisting of different steel grades and weld types) for their hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity. Moreover, fracture toughness tests at different scales will be performed to evaluate scale effects.
Research objectives
The main objective is to develop a fast and economically justifiable screening method to evaluate flaw acceptability of realistic large scale, welded pipelines exposed to gaseous hydrogen, supported by laboratory-scale experimental analysis (microstructural and mechanical in presence of hydrogen), and numerical modelling of hydrogen assisted damage.
O.1: Gain fundamental understanding of microstructural effects of pipeline steels and their welds on hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity.
O.2: Develop a small-scale methodology to screen the link between embrittlement sensitivity under electrochemical and pressurized gaseous hydrogen charging conditions, for pipeline steels and welds.
O.3: Develop a coupled experimental-numerical methodology to translate hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity at laboratory scale to a full scale pipeline (under electrochemical charging conditions).
O.4: Combine the scale effect of embrittlement sensitivity and relation between electrochemical and gaseous hydrogen charging to develop a reliable method for flaw acceptability assessment of pipeline steels and their welds at full scale under pressurized gaseous hydrogen charging.
Project logo and funding logo
In this project, the Sustainable Materials Science group (UGent) collaborated with Soete Laboratory (UGent) and Fluxys. The work is funded by FOD economy Energy Transition Fund (ETF HyFit).
