The Safe Use of the Existing Natural Gas System for Hydrogen

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• The Safe Use of the Existing Natural Gas System
  for Hydrogen
• (Overview of the NATURALHY-Project)
• by
• Onno Florisson, Gasunie, NL
• Presented by Barbara Lowesmith, Loughborough
  University, UK

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Main Political Drivers towards H2 Economy

• Improved security of energy supply
• Reduced CO2-emissions (Kyoto, gt8 reduction by
  2010)
• Improved air quality

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Transition to H2 Economy

• The transition to the hydrogen-economy will be
  lengthy, costly and will require significant RD
• PRACTICAL STRATEGY

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Natural gas system could support transition by

• Offering smooth transition by initially conveying
  a hydrogen/natural gas mixture
• Advancing use of H2 in shorter time-frame by
  extracting hydrogen from the mixture
• Lowering costs by using the existing system
• Providing opportunity to carry H2 to dispersed
  users through widespread natural gas system

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The NaturalHy Approach
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Impact of Adding H2 to Natural Gas System

• Presence of hydrogen may affect
• Safety of transmission, distribution, and end-use
• Pipeline durability and integrity
• Gas appliance performance
• Hence.The NaturalHy Project

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NaturalHy Project Objective

• Preparing for the hydrogen economy by defining
  the conditions under which the existing natural
  gas system can be used for mixtures of hydrogen
  and natural gas, and where hydrogen can be
  separated from the mixture downstream by membranes

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The NaturalHy Project

• 39 European partners, including 15 from the gas
  business
• Integrated Project within FP6
• Budget of 17.3 million with 11 million grant
  from EC
• Started 1 May 2004 for 5 years

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Project Partners

• Gas companies and gas research institutes
  financed by gas companies

• DBI
• DGC
• DEPA
• GERG
• IFP
• IGDAS
• ISQ
• Naturgas Midt-Mord

• BP
• Gaz de France
• Gasunie
• Shell Hydrogen
• Statoil
• Total
• Transco

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Project Partners (Contd)

• Universities and Institutes
• Technical University Berlin
• National Technical University of Athens
• Leeds University
• Loughborough University
• Högskolan i Borås
• TUBITAK
• University of Warwick
• Ecole Nationale dingenieur de Metz
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology
• NEN
• COGEN
• ECN
• HSE
• TNO
• CEA
• PLANET

• Manufacturers and Consultants
• CSM
• CMI
• TOG
• GE/PII
• CETH
• SAVIKO
• Exergia
• SQS

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Project Structure

• Divided into six technical work packages
• Production of H2 not included
• Hydrogen use not included
• Key focus on
• Socio-economic and life cycle analysis
• Durability and Integrity of pipelines
• Impact on overall safety
• Effect on existing gas appliances
• Membranes to withdraw hydrogen
• Decision tool to aid assessment of system
  suitability

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Major Focus on Safety

• Safety of Appliances
• Flame instability?
• Pipeline System Durability
• Hydrogen induced cracks?
• Will smaller defects lead to failure?
• Are plastic pipes permeable for hydrogen?
• Are meter seals permeable?
• Pipeline Integrity
• Will smaller defects be significant?
• Can defects be detected and repaired?

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Major Focus on Safety

• Safety of the Public
• Increase in leakage due to hydrogen?
• Increased likelihood of accidental release due to
  detrimental effect of hydrogen on materials?
• Increased likelihood of ignition?
• Increased severity of consequences (eg
  explosions) due to reactivity of hydrogen?

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Durability of Pipelines (HYSAFE Paper by Alliat
and Heerings)

• Laboratory tests to assess effect of H2 on
  fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth
• Investigation of the effect of H2 on the
  evolution of defects
• Full scale fatigue and burst tests with defined
  defects
• Numerical modelling of crack propagation
• Laboratory tests on polymer permeability and
  ageing
• Tests to assess effect of hydrogen on meter
  components

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Integrity of Pipelines (HYSAFE Paper by Alliat
and Heerings)

• Assess minimum critical defect size by predicting
  the crack growth behaviour in presence of
  hydrogen
• Assess current inspection techniques for
  detecting minimum defect size and improve the
  techniques
• Assess current repair techniques for use in
  presence of hydrogen and improve as required
• Develop integrity management tool for specifying
  pipeline inspection and maintenance plans

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Assessing Public Safety

• Safety of existing gas infrastructure quantified
  by considering
• RISK Likelihood of untoward Event x
  Consequences
• Individual Risk is the sum of risk of all
  possible events that could affect a given
  individual
• Societal Risk is the sum of risk of all possible
  events over the entire population
• Regulators use established guidelines on the
  acceptable level of Societal Risk

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Objectives of Safety Work Package

• To assess the change in Individual and Societal
  Risk caused by introducing hydrogen into the gas
  infrastructure
• Identify if any risk reduction measures or
  operational changes are required to achieve
  acceptable risk levels
• Identify the maximum safe percentage of
  hydrogen that can be introduced into the existing
  natural gas infrastructure

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Scope of Safety Work Package

• Determine turbulent burning velocity of
  hydrogen/natural gas mixtures
• Assess leakage and the likelihood of failure
• Assess the ignition probability
• Assess the consequences of accidental natural
  gas/hydrogen releases
• Gas accumulation, fires and explosions

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Scope of Safety Work Package

• Modify the Risk Assessment Methodology
• Apply Risk Assessment to sections of gas
  infrastructure assuming a hydrogen/natural gas
  mixture is being conveyed

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Large Scale Experiments

• Required to assess consequences of gas releases.
  Experiments with up to 50 hydrogen to study
• Gas release and explosions in domestic
  environment and industrial enclosures
• Vapour Cloud Explosions in congested regions
• High pressure jet fires
• Pipeline failures

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Summary

• The NaturalHy Project aims to facilitate a
  transition to the hydrogen economy on a shorter
  timeframe by providing a transitional period
  based on using the existing gas infra-structure
  to convey a natural gas/hydrogen mixture

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Summary

• The project will assess the feasibility of using
  the system for NG/H2 mixtures, establish the
  limits of operation and methods for extracting
  hydrogen
• A strong emphasis is placed on the continued
  integrity of the pipeline system and the safety
  of the public

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Want to Know More?

• See our web-site on www.naturalhy.net