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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number	ENA_10037659
Title	Velocity Design with Hydrogen – Alpha
Status	Completed
Energy Categories	Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas) 10%; Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Hydrogen, Hydrogen transport and distribution) 90%;
Research Types	Applied Research and Development 100%
Science and Technology Fields	ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator	Project Contact No email address given SGN - Southern England
Award Type	Network Innovation Allowance
Funding Source	Ofgem
Start Date	01 August 2022
End Date	01 February 2023
Duration	6 months
Total Grant Value	£513,689
Industrial Sectors	Energy
Region	South East
Programme
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Project Contact , SGN - Southern England (100.000%)
	Industrial Collaborator	Project Contact , Wales and West Utilities (0.000%) Project Contact , Cadent Gas (0.000%)
Web Site	https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/ENA_10037659
Objectives
Abstract	This project supports Innovation Challenge 4: Heat by allowing the GD networks to safely minimize the costs of re-purposing existing transmission and distribution assets to carry hydrogen-natural gas blends and 100% hydrogen.Gas network designers will be challenged to safely repurpose networks to low carbon heating gas with minimum costs while maintaining energy delivery. The energy delivered by hydrogen is one third of that delivered by natural gas per unit so, under many of the likely demand scenarios in the zero-carbon future, the flow rate of gas in re-purposed gas networks will need to increase.Gas network designers need to know the safe design velocity limits so they can reduce to a minimum any need to increase pipe sizes to accommodate zero-carbon heating.The network innovation involved is to design a suitably rigorous test campaign (to be executed in the Beta Phase) that will produce a new safe design velocity limit for hydrogen-natural gas blends and 100% hydrogen in the UK gas networks.The Discovery phase concluded:Hydrogen could enhance erosion rates due to a synergistic hydrogen embrittlement/erosion mechanism. This mechanism could be a credible risk to network integrity.Particle (debris) transportation would be significantly different in hydrogen with a possible increased likelihood of pipe wall erosion.Initial investigation found a range of erosion rates expected, depending on the gas pressure and composition.SGN experiences the presence of debris across all pressure tiers and has a significant impact in medium and low-pressure systems.A cost benefit analysis of any velocity limit(s) is required.Noise and vibration modelling has indicated there are differences in hydrogen and natural gas.The Discovery phase recommendations:The potential for enhanced hydrogen uptake and erosion rates are further investigated to determine the risk to network assets.If synergy between hydrogen embrittlement and erosion is proven, then then current erosion models and velocity limits must be revised.The erosion models require validation in hydrogen and hydrogen blends. Theoretical modelling must be included to ensure a representative full-scale test programme and design of the required facilities.Further investigation is required to understand particle transportation and how this might affect erosion. Validation of existing particle transportation models in hydrogen is required.Initial modelling has suggested differences in hydrogen and natural gas in noise and vibration risk. However, the models have not been specifically validated for hydrogen. The Alpha Phase project should include:Document the GB Gas network experience of network debris.Industry engagement to obtain buy-in and direction towards a new industry design standard.Design and cost the full-scale test facility and campaigns to be delivered in the potential Beta phase.Cost-benefit modelling to balance design gas velocity increases against network reinforcement costs.Addressing the Heat Challenge requires a transition to business as usual where UK gas network operators, professional bodies (IGEM) and designers to accept the new design limits as scientifically valid and are assured that the design limits when applied will maintain safety, reliability and affordability of low carbon heating.Partners:SGN (Lead) is one of the four GD network operators in the UK with 74,000 km of high, medium and low pressure pipes supplying gas to 5.9 million consumers.DNV is a leading provider of material testing services and operates lab and full-scale gas network test facilities as well as hydraulic modelling software and GD domain expertise.All UK GD and transmission network designers will use this innovation; experience and data from all UK gas network operators and obtain industry buy-in of the outcomes is part of the Alpha scope.
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	14/10/22