HITAP (Development of a Pipe System for Hydrogen Transport in Gas Phase)

The most cost effective way to deliver hydrogen in high volumes is to transport it by pipelines. Currently, hydrogen pipelines are made of stainless steel. These pipes have many disadvantages such as high investment costs, hydrogen embrittlement (causing a shorter lifetime period), rigidity/inelasticity, high hydrogen permeability and hydrogen leakages at the joints. In case of usage of polymer based pipes instead, high permeability of the plastic pipe material arises as a disadvantage.

In this project, thermoplastic pipe and fittings with a patented structure enabling hydrogen gas transport with low gas loss rate and low investment cost, and a hydrogen permeation testing system for these pipes were developed and manufactured. Permeability tests on this testing system reveals that the hydrogen gas permeability of the pipes developed is below the aimed permeability level.