Open Access

Die zunehmende Bedeutung von Wasserstoff als emissionsfreier Energieträger der Zukunft lässt die Anforderungen an eine technisch einwandfreie und sichere Wasserstoffspeicherung steigen. Im Mobilitätssektor kommen dabei vorwiegend Kohlefaserverbundbehälter zur Speicherung von gasförmigem Wasserstoff im Hochdruckbereich zum Einsatz, die sich durch ihre Leichtbauweise bei gleichzeitig hoher Speicherkapazität auszeichnen. Materialfehler oder -ermüdung können jedoch zum Ausfall bis hin zum kritischen Versagensfall führen. Ein sicherer Betrieb der Behälter erfordert daher ein innovatives und zuverlässiges Konzept, um deren Integrität zu gewährleisten und folgenschwere Zwischenfälle zu vermeiden. Die Strukturüberwachung mittels geführter Ultraschallwellen ist dafür einer der prominentesten Ansätze, da sich die Wellen über große Entfernungen in der Struktur ausbreiten können und zudem sehr empfindlich auf kleinste Materialdefekte reagieren. In diesem Beitrag wird der Aufbau eines Sensornetzwerks zur Schadenserkennung und -lokalisierung vorgestellt, das auf den Prinzipien der Ausbreitung geführter Ultraschallwellen in Druckbehältern aus Verbundwerkstoffen basiert. Dazu werden in einem ersten Schritt das dispersive und multimodale Ausbreitungsverhalten analysiert und dominante Wellenmoden identifiziert. Basierend auf der Analyse werden Dämpfungsverhalten und Empfindlichkeit gegenüber künstlichen Defekten bestimmt. Unter Verwendung der ermittelten Informationen wird ein Sensornetzwerk bestehend aus piezoelektrischen Flächenwandlern entworfen, welches den zu untersuchenden Bereich vollständig abdecken soll. Das Ergebnis wird anschließend durch Aufbringen künstlicher Defekte experimentell evaluiert und präsentiert.

The applications of composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) in extreme conditions, such as storing hydrogen gases at very high pressure, impose new requirements related to the system's integrity and safety. The development of a structural health monitoring (SHM) system that allows for continuous monitoring of the COPVs provides rich information about the structural integrity of the component. Furthermore, the collected data can be used for different purposes such as increasing the periodic inspection intervals, providing a remaining lifetime prognosis, and also ensuring optimal operating conditions. Ultimately this information can be complementary to the development of the envisioned digital twin of the monitored COPVs. Guided waves (GWs) are preferred to be used in continuous SHM given their ability to travel in complex structures for long distances. However, obtained GW signals are complex and require advanced processing techniques. Machine learning (ML) is increasingly utilized as the main part of the processing pipeline to automatically detect anomalies in the system's integrity. Hence, in this study, we are scrutinizing the potential of using ML to provide continuous monitoring of COPVs based on ultrasonic GW data. Data is collected from a network of sensors consisting of fifteen Piezoelectric (PZT) wafers that were surface mounted on the COPV. Two ML algorithms are used in the automated evaluation procedure (i) a long short-term memory (LSTM) autoencoder for anomaly detection (defects/impact), and (ii) a convolutional neural network (CNN) model for feature extraction and classification of the artificial damage sizes and locations. Additional data augmentation steps are introduced such as modification and addition of random noise to original signals to enhance the model's robustness to uncertainties. Overall, it was shown that the ML algorithms used were able to detect and classify the simulated damage with high accuracy.

The digitalization of quality control processes and the underlying data infrastructures for safety relevant components, such as hydrogen pressure vessels, plays a significant role in the transition towards Industry 4.0. In the current safety regulations for hydrogen pressure vessels, there is no established concept for structural health monitoring. The development of a reliable structural health monitoring methodology for monitoring the structural integrity of pressure vessels enables a fast-forward transition from personnel- and costintensive recurring inspections, a.k.a. periodic maintenance, to predictive maintenance. In the work presented; we investigated the application of ultrasonic guided wave propagation to monitor and assess the condition of Type IV composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV). A sensor network of fifteen piezo-electric wafers is placed on the carbon fibre reinforced composite cylinder. Five different artificial damage configurations are created by gluing two different weight blocks on three different locations. The database containing measured guided wave data sets is enriched by two different boundary conditions. We utilized an open-source software, openBIS labnotebook, to store and analyse experimental datasets. The guided wave ultrasonic signals were investigated and analysed by using commonly used ultrasonic features (e.g., amplitude, frequency, time of flight) as well as non-traditional time-series features (kurtosis, skewness, variance). The features were used to calculate damage index and the detection performance for the results has been evaluated. The results suggest that both traditional and non-traditional features assume significant importance in artificial damage detection. The future works will additionally involve the impacts of operational conditions, such as periodic pressure variations temperature loadings as well as material degradations.

The digitalization of quality control processes and the use of digital data infrastructures is a novel idea that can be applied for ensuring the operational safety and reliability of pressure vessels, particularly in the context of hydrogen storage at high pressure. Despite the critical role these pressure vessels play, current safety regulations lack an established concept for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). This research addresses this gap by presenting a study on the application of ultrasonic guided waves (GWs) for SHM of Type IV Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs). The study focuses on the development of a reliable measurement system to transition from conventional periodic inspections to SHM and predictive maintenance, prolonging the remaining lifetime of the vessels. A sensor network is employed, consisting of fifteen piezoelectric wafers arranged in three rings, which are mounted on the outer surface of the COPV. Deploying GWs, known for their long-distance propagation and ability to cover complex structures, the study explores GW behavior under different environmental and operational conditions, including periodic pressure fluctuations and temperature loadings. Meticulous analysis of GW signals by utilizing various features and damage indices, underscores their suitability for an effective SHM under realistic working conditions. The project aims to localize defects by considering temperature, and internal pressure. Mimicking the continuous monitoring of Type IV COPVs in H2 refueling gas stations under authentic operational conditions, the COPV underwent thousands of pressure load cycles in our special test facility. The implemented methodology facilitates early damage detection, showcasing the efficacy of the designed method in effective safety assurance.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) using ultrasonic-guided waves (UGWs) enables continuous monitoring of components with complex geometries and provides extensive information about their structural integrity and their overall condition. Composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) used for storing hydrogen gases at very high pressures are an example of a critical infrastructure that could benefit significantly from SHM. This can be used to increase the periodic inspection intervals, ensure safe operating conditions by early detection of anomalies, and ultimately estimate the remaining lifetime of COPVs. Therefore, in the digital quality infrastructure initiative (QI-Digital) in Germany, an SHM system is being developed for COPVs used in a hydrogen refueling station. In this study, the results of a lifetime fatigue test on a Type IV COPV subjected to many thousands of load cycles under different temperatures and pressures are presented to demonstrate the strengths and challenges associated with such an SHM system. During the cyclic testing up to the final material failure of the COPV, a sensor network of fifteen surface-mounted piezoelectric (PZT) wafers was used to collect the UGW data. However, the pressure variations, the aging process of the COPV, the environmental parameters, and possible damages simultaneously have an impact on the recorded signals. This issue and the lack of labeled data make signal processing and analysis even more demanding. Thus, in this study, semi-supervised, and unsupervised deep learning approaches are utilized to separate the influence of different variables on the UGW data with the final aim of detecting and localizing the damage before critical failure.