TWI Industrial Member Report Summary 997/2011
By Y H Zhang
Background
Hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuel cells are attracting increasing interest in the drive towards a lower carbon economy. To develop hydrogen energy, it is important to understand the effects of hydrogen on mechanical properties in all applications - production, transportation, storage and fuel cells. Although a considerable amount of work has been carried out on hydrogen related embrittlement, there is comparatively less work on the effect of a hydrogen environment on fatigue performance of steels. It is essential to carry out comprehensive and coordinated research to understand how a component is affected when exposed to a hydrogen environment, how to prevent or minimise the failure probability, and finally to gather critical data to develop design guidance and government regulations to ensure safe operation of infrastructure.
Objectives
Carry out a literature review to:
- Review the effect of a gaseous hydrogen environment on fatigue properties of steels.
- Identify the major factors promoting hydrogen effects.
- Provide recommendations for testing and design in hydrogen environment.