In-service and repair welding of pressurized hydrogen pipelines–a review on current challenges and strategies

IF 2.5 4区 材料科学 Q2 METALLURGY & METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING
Kjell Erxleben, Sebastian Kaiser, Michael Rhode, Thomas Kannengiesser, Arne Kromm
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Hydrogen is the energy carrier for a sustainable future without fossil fuels. As this requires a reliable transportation infrastructure, the conversion of existing natural gas (NG) grids is an essential part of the worldwide individual national hydrogen strategies, in addition to newly erected pipelines. In view of the known effect of hydrogen embrittlement, the compatibility of the materials already in use (typically low-alloy steels in a wide range of strengths and thicknesses) must be investigated. Initial comprehensive studies on the hydrogen compatibility of pipeline materials indicate that these materials can be used to a certain extent. Nevertheless, the material compatibility for hydrogen service is currently of great importance. However, pipelines require frequent maintenance and repair work. In some cases, it is necessary to carry out welding work on pipelines while they are under pressure, e.g., the well-known tapping of NG grids. This in-service welding brings additional challenges for hydrogen operations in terms of additional hydrogen absorption during welding and material compatibility. The challenge can be roughly divided into two parts: (1) the possible austenitization of the inner piping material exposed to hydrogen, which can lead to additional hydrogen absorption, and (2) the welding itself causes an increased temperature range. Both lead to a significantly increased hydrogen solubility in the respective materials compared to room temperature. In that connection, the knowledge on hot tapping on hydrogen pipelines is rare so far due to the missing service experiences. Fundamental experimental investigations are required to investigate the possible transferability of the state-of-the-art concepts from NG to hydrogen pipeline grids. This is necessary to ensure that no critical material degradation occurs due to the potentially increased hydrogen uptake. For this reason, the paper introduces the state of the art in pipeline hot tapping, encompassing current research projects and their individual solution strategies for the problems that may arise for future hydrogen service. Methods of material testing, their limitations, and possible solutions will be presented and discussed.

加压氢气管道在役与修焊——当前挑战与对策综述
氢是没有化石燃料的可持续未来的能源载体。由于这需要可靠的运输基础设施,除了新建的管道外,现有天然气(NG)电网的转换是全球各国氢战略的重要组成部分。鉴于已知的氢脆效应,必须研究已经使用的材料(通常是强度和厚度范围很广的低合金钢)的相容性。对管道材料氢相容性的初步综合研究表明,这些材料在一定程度上是可以使用的。然而,材料的相容性是目前非常重要的氢服务。然而,管道需要频繁的维护和维修工作。在某些情况下,需要在管道受压的情况下对管道进行焊接工作,例如众所周知的NG网格的攻丝。这种在役焊接为氢气操作带来了额外的挑战,包括焊接过程中额外的氢气吸收和材料兼容性。挑战大致可以分为两部分:(1)内部管道材料暴露在氢气中可能出现奥氏体化,这可能导致额外的氢气吸收;(2)焊接本身导致温度范围增加。与室温相比,两者都显著增加了氢在各自材料中的溶解度。在这方面,由于缺乏服务经验,迄今为止关于氢气管道热攻的知识很少。需要进行基础实验研究,以研究从天然气到氢气管道电网的最先进概念的可能可转移性。这是必要的,以确保没有关键的材料降解发生,由于潜在的氢吸收增加。因此,本文介绍了管道热攻的最新进展,包括当前的研究项目以及针对未来氢气服务可能出现的问题的个别解决方案策略。材料测试的方法,它们的局限性,和可能的解决方案将被提出和讨论。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Welding in the World
Welding in the World METALLURGY & METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING-
CiteScore
4.20
自引率
14.30%
发文量
181
审稿时长
6-12 weeks
期刊介绍: The journal Welding in the World publishes authoritative papers on every aspect of materials joining, including welding, brazing, soldering, cutting, thermal spraying and allied joining and fabrication techniques.
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