Page 14 - Gi_March2021
P. 14

on hydrogen



















































                 finding from the study.          know we can join to them.        conditions it has been placed under
                   We looked in particular at our   I think we did a very comprehensive   it has allowed us to extrapolate one
                 electrofusion fittings; we’ve looked at   study. It’s been well-received by the   hundred years into the future. Those
                 the surface temperature that you get   regulator and the networks. We found   are the same methods we use now
                 from the fittings when you use them, to   that with hydrogen it was probably   for water, which acts as a stand-in
                 make sure that they don’t have the   slightly safer going from methane to   for methane gas, which is industry
                 activation energy that might create an   hydrogen, taking the RCP mode as an   accepted. So when we’re doing this for
                 event in your welding. We were hoping   example, and for other modes we didn’t   actual hydrogen, we’re using the same
                 for something interesting, like a little   find anything detrimental, so it was a   kind of practices we already use.
                 blue flash or something. Again, the   good result in that sense.    Interestingly, I can say that of the
                 result – the result we wanted – was                               pipes that are on test now at 20°C,
                 that nothing happened. But from a   SA-D: We had initial batches for just   technically they were predicted to
                 technologist’s perspective it would have   testing out the facility, so that was   last only 5,000 hours. So the fact that
                 been nice if something a little more   done first with nitrogen to see how   they’re looking like they’re heading to
                 exciting had happened! But the great   everything performed and to make   10,000 is actually an overperformance.
                 news for real people installing these   sure everything could be shut down   We were testing pipes up to
                 things is it was a nice, safe, reliable   and controlled as we wanted. Once   destruction – that was the aim; to find
                 way of joining for the future. So, we   the nitrogen testing was done, we   out at which point they burst, so that
                 know we can repair these pipes and we   went onto hydrogen. With hydrogen, it   we know if they burst at this pressure,
                                                  was an unknown; there was no pre-set   reduce it by a safety factor of X amount,
                                                  data we could use to do the testing of   then reduce it further so the working
                 From a safety perspective,       the same values. It was very much a   pressure can actually be, in this way,
                 unlike methane, there’s no       case of “this is the range we believe   down below the limit at which the
                 chance of carbon monoxide        we need, so let’s pick one here, one   burst starts. The pipes are actually
                                                  here, one here.” We built it up that way
                                                                                   doing better than expected. Hydrogen
                 poisoning within your own        in terms of the amount of testing. It   hasn’t made the pipe deteriorate or
                 home, so when you’re             was always the same – the same batch   become so soft that it collapses in on
                 burning hydrogen you won’t       of pipe, same sizes – the only thing   itself. It’s been overperforming.
                                                                                     From a safety perspective, unlike
                                                  that was changed was the pressure
                 have to be concerned that it’s   ranges. The testing will only be carried   methane, there’s no chance of carbon
                 burning properly                 out for a year and a half, but with the   monoxide poisoning within your own



          14



                                                                                                                  11/02/2021   13:35
        RadiusHydrogen.indd   3                                                                                   11/02/2021   13:35
        RadiusHydrogen.indd   3
   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19