Yuchen Wang

Hydrogen energy development serves as a critical pathway to achieve "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality" goals and ensure energy security. However, a spatiotemporal mismatch exists between green hydrogen supply and demand in China, where abundant renewable resources in the northwest contrast with concentrated energy consumption in eastern regions. To address this challenge, China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC) has initiated the Long-Distance Hydrogen Transportation Project, establishing hydrogen pipelines exceeding 1,000 kilometers for cross-regional distribution. In the course of hydrogen transportation, key hydrogen facing equipment such as pipelines, storage tanks, compressors, etc. face extreme factors such as high-pressure hydrogen gas, extreme temperature, and cyclic use conditions during service, which can easily lead to equipment failure under coupling effects. Therefore, it is urgent to attach great importance to the material failure risk in the process of green hydrogen transportation. This article studies the failure mechanisms of these three devices, such as the long-term contact between pipes and hydrogen, which can cause hydrogen to invade the interior of hydrogen pipelines, resulting in reduced pipe performance and decreased fracture toughness; Hydrogen storage containers are subjected to continuous pressure fluctuations, which can lead to the accumulation of microscopic damage in stress concentration areas, thereby inducing crack initiation and propagation, ultimately resulting in fracture failure; Diaphragm hydrogen compressors are subjected to high-pressure hydrogen, high environmental temperature, and high-frequency fatigue loads, causing a transformation in the microstructure of the material and resulting in a decrease in mechanical properties. Under frequent collision and deformation between the diaphragm and the diaphragm cavity, they eventually rupture and fail. On the basis of in-depth analysis of the failure mechanism of the above-mentioned equipment in high-pressure hydrogen environment, this article further proposes targeted safety suggestions from multiple aspects such as material modification, structural design, and process optimization, laying a solid safety foundation for the design and operation of long-distance hydrogen transmission pipeline projects and ensuring the safe and high-quality development of the green hydrogen industry.

Co-author/s:

Zhe Yang, President, R&D Engineer State Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety, SINOPEC Research Institute of Safety Engineering Co., Ltd.

Wei Xu, Vice President, R&D Engineer State Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety, SINOPEC Research Institute of Safety Engineering Co., Ltd.

Wenyi Dang, Vice President, R&D Engineer State Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety, SINOPEC Research Institute of Safety Engineering Co., Ltd.

Qian Wu, R&D Engineer State Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety, SINOPEC Research Institute of Safety Engineering Co., Ltd.

Yun Luo, R&D Engineer State Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety, SINOPEC Research Institute of Safety Engineering Co., Ltd.

Anfeng Yu, Expert, R&D Engineer State Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety, SINOPEC Research Institute of Safety Engineering Co., Ltd.

Huan Liu, R&D Engineer State Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety, SINOPEC Research Institute of Safety Engineering Co., Ltd.

Zetian Kang, R&D Engineer State Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety, SINOPEC Research Institute of Safety Engineering Co., Ltd.