Key Purity Measurements in Hydrogen Storage
Several key purity measurements are essential to ensuring the safety, efficiency, and longevity of hydrogen storage systems.
Oxygen contamination poses a significant safety risk during storage. Even trace amounts of oxygen can lead to combustion or explosion risks, particularly in high-pressure storage systems. Monitoring oxygen levels ensures that the hydrogen remains safe for storage and downstream use.
Moisture can cause corrosion within storage tanks and pipelines, reducing the lifespan of the storage equipment. Additionally, moisture can lead to reduced hydrogen quality, particularly for applications like fuel cells where ultra-dry hydrogen is required for optimal performance. Measuring and controlling moisture levels is critical to ensure the supply of a known quality of hydrogen.
Small amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in stored hydrogen can degrade fuel cell performance and affect other sensitive applications. These contaminants can also react with storage materials, leading to potential degradation.
Monitoring the overall purity of hydrogen ensures that no unwanted contaminants are introduced. High-purity hydrogen is vital for many applications, including fuel cells, where even small impurities can cause significant performance degradation. Continuous purity monitoring ensures the hydrogen stored remains at the required quality level.
Storage Methods and Purposes for Hydrogen
Hydrogen storage systems come in various forms, each serving different purposes depending on the scale and application. Hydrogen is commonly stored in local, dedicated tanks in industrial plants or city-level storage systems, or as part of a larger infrastructure involving cavern storage used in distribution networks.
These storage systems must meet stringent requirements to ensure the hydrogen remains pure and safe for use in energy, industrial, and commercial applications.
Liquified hydrogen (cryogenic storage) and pressurized hydrogen are the two primary methods for storing hydrogen. In either case, maintaining strict quality control both at the point of entry and exit is essential to prevent contamination and ensure hydrogen purity meets the necessary standards.
Tank Storage Requirements
Hydrogen storage tanks, especially in large-scale systems, require careful management of contaminants like moisture and oxygen. These gases can significantly impact the quality of stored hydrogen, especially in compressed and liquefied forms. Because tank storage systems are often large-scale and handle significant throughput, high accuracy and fast response from monitoring equipment are critical to ensure safety and purity.
Contamination Risks in Salt Cavern Storage
Salt cavern storage is another common method for storing hydrogen, especially in large quantities. This type of storage introduces specific contamination risks, such as water (H₂O) from the surrounding environment, which requires the use of dryers to maintain hydrogen quality. In some cases, hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) may also contaminate the hydrogen, necessitating multi-component purity measurement systems to ensure all contaminants are effectively managed.
Hydrogen stored in salt caverns must meet precise quality requirements, and comprehensive monitoring solutions are required to ensure that contaminants are kept at minimal levels, ensuring the safe storage of hydrogen.
What Types of Analyzers Are Used for Hydrogen Purity in Storage?
To ensure the purity of hydrogen in storage systems, a range of advanced analyzers are used to detect contaminants and maintain the integrity of the hydrogen following storage.
