The Deltah Lab, a New Multidisciplinary European Facility to Support the H2 Distribution & Storage Economy

The target for European decarburization encourages the use of renewable energy sources and H-2 is considered the link in the global energy system transformation. So, research studies are numerous, but only few facilities can test materials and components for H-2 storage. This work offers a brief review of H-2 storage methods and presents the preliminary results obtained in a new facility. Slow strain rate and fatigue life tests were performed in H-2 at 80 MPa on specimens and a tank of AISI 4145, respectively. Besides, the storage capacity at 30 MPa of a solid-state system, they were evaluated on kg scale by adsorption test. The results have shown the H-2 influence on mechanical properties of the steel. The adsorption test showed a gain of 26% at 12 MPa in H-2 storage with respect to the empty condition. All samples have been characterized by complementary techniques in order to connect the H-2 effect with material properties.

Automated summary

The European decarburization target promotes the use of renewable energy sources, with hydrogen being considered a crucial link in the global energy system transformation. This research explores the influence of hydrogen on material properties, particularly in storage conditions, through various tests and techniques. The results demonstrate how hydrogen storage can impact mechanical properties of materials, highlighting the need for further study in this field.