As both global energy demands and desire to decarbonize the environment increase, there will be an inevitable diversification needed in the energy portfolio. Hydrogen has the potential to play a key role. However, there are unique challenges associated with the production, transportation and utilization of hydrogen and how it interacts with materials that need to be addressed. One such opportunity is coatings technologies. Coating evaluation is an essential step in the development of a safe and reliable hydrogen gas pipeline, unfortunately, there is the lack of published test methods to examine the effect of coated steel substrates to hydrogen exposure under laboratory simulated conditions.
Research efforts are currently directed towards developing a standard test method to assess the efficacy of coatings to protect steel exposed to varying environmental conditions, which is important to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the pipelines and other assets. Therefore, in 2022, a group was created by AMPP (AMPP TR21558) to prepare a detailed technical report on the current state-of-the-art technologies to understand the role of coating in mitigating the effects of Hydrogen Embrittlement. The report is being prepared by a cross-functional team from various AMPP committees (SC04, SC08 and SC15) including metallurgists, engineers, chemists, scientists, and operators.
This paper presents the challenges related to implementing coating for hydrogen pipelines, an update on AMPP TR21558 technical report and will discuss the currently proposed test protocol for testing coatings for internal application of hydrogen gas pipelines and its preliminary results which was published by the authors in 2022. It also outlines future research projects planned towards addressing technology gaps in understanding performance of coatings in cyclical process environments during hydrogen service.
The increasing demand for energy has brought a pressing need to reduce our reliance on regular fossil fuels as they are a primary source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The continued use of these fuels has resulted in an anthropogenic based increase in global warming, climate change, and other environmental challenges.1 To tackle these issues, it is essential to shift towards alternative sources of energy that are renewable and sustainable, and that can provide a pathway to stated decarbonization goals.2 Some of these sources of energy include hydrogen, biofuels, solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal, which are not only environmentally friendly but also cost-effective in the long run. Through the adoption of these sources of energy, we can reduce our carbon footprint and achieve a "greener" and more sustainable future.1 In addition to the decarbonization efforts, diversifying the energy portfolio is also a key objective, aimed at avoiding overreliance on a single source. Hydrogen is becoming widely used in several industrial applications such as petroleum refineries, fuel cells and power plants. Hydrogen is emerging as a promising alternative energy carrier that can also serve as a renewable energy storage medium for utility-level applications.3 Hydrogen energy is produced through various methods such as electrolysis and steam methane reforming (SMR). The resulting hydrogen can be used for transportation, heating, and electricity generation. One of the main advantages of hydrogen energy is its environmental friendliness. Hydrogen fuel cells produce only water and heat as by-products, making it a clean source of energy. There are already several applications of hydrogen energy in use today. One example is in the transportation industry, where hydrogen fuel cell cars and buses are being tested and deployed. Hydrogen energy is also being used in stationary power generation, where it can provide backup power for buildings and data centers. The impact of hydrogen energy on world energy economics could be significant. As the world continues to shift towards renewable energy sources, hydrogen could play a major role in reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Hydrogen energy could also create new job opportunities in the production and distribution of hydrogen fuel cells and infrastructure development.
