Hydrogen storage & Microbiologically influenced corrosion - Improved test system for Stability and Durability of the Materials & Gas
- Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is a strategic step towards implementing the hydrogen economy. Achieving the required infrastructure by 2050 necessitates advancements in hydrogen-dedicated assets and the evaluation of existing infrastructure. The unique conditions in UHS require an experimental set-up to simulate UHS operating conditions, which allows to assess the readiness of current storage and transmission for hydrogen, and develop new technologies for material-resistance, operational-simulations, and risk-assessments. In addition to the physical/chemical conditions in UHS (e.g., salinity, hydrogen concentration, operating temperature/-pressure, water content), biological threats must also be considered. Therefore, we present here a high-pressure-set-up, developed for research/-industrial testing purposes.
Currently, UHS-experiments for microbiologically-influenced-corrosion (MIC) are performed in standard autoclaves with relatively high volumes/pressures; they were primarilyUnderground hydrogen storage (UHS) is a strategic step towards implementing the hydrogen economy. Achieving the required infrastructure by 2050 necessitates advancements in hydrogen-dedicated assets and the evaluation of existing infrastructure. The unique conditions in UHS require an experimental set-up to simulate UHS operating conditions, which allows to assess the readiness of current storage and transmission for hydrogen, and develop new technologies for material-resistance, operational-simulations, and risk-assessments. In addition to the physical/chemical conditions in UHS (e.g., salinity, hydrogen concentration, operating temperature/-pressure, water content), biological threats must also be considered. Therefore, we present here a high-pressure-set-up, developed for research/-industrial testing purposes.
Currently, UHS-experiments for microbiologically-influenced-corrosion (MIC) are performed in standard autoclaves with relatively high volumes/pressures; they were primarily designed for material-specific investigations. While these methods provided some useful information for biological questions, they had significant limitations.
Besides, the rapid depressurization that occurs with standard autoclaves can greatly affect materials, especially amorphous materials like polymers, causing damage that isn't due to the actual hydrogen storage. This presents a challenge, as the test results may not accurately reflect real-world conditions.
To address these issues, specialized autoclaves have been developed to allow for slower depressurization while also enabling continuous monitoring of gases and liquids during the experiment. Such modifications could help obtain more accurate and reliable data.
The novel UHS-simulation-set-up presented here is designed with a controlled independently temperature and pressure. Field samples can be used to mimic geology, water chemistry, construction materials, and microbiological conditions.
Most significant advantages of the set-up are:
1. It allows for liquid addition during the test, enabling the study of biocides or the evaluation of operating setups.
2. It permits liquid/-gas sampling during the test, allowing for more efficient monitoring of testing conditions and a better understanding of the process over time.
Additionally, a low-release function is added, which is particularly important for studying MIC to avoid negative side effects, on the material (e.g. polymers/corrosion product-layer/cells itself) which might occur due to the fast pressure release.…

