Enhancing Safety and Efficiency: The Crucial Role of Sensors in Hydrogen Technologies
In recent decades society has put more emphasis on sustainable technologies and their environmental impact. One of the promising approaches to the enhancement of the technologies’ efficiency represents the replacement of fossil fuels with hydrogen. Not only efficiency but also green energy with just water as the harmless result of hydrogen chemical reaction makes it even more interesting.
General Overview
However, hydrogen creates new challenges related to its flammable and highly explosive character, altogether with storage problems and asphyxiation. Therefore, novel materials and methods were developed and are still developing. However, even with the best materials, safety still plays the most significant role in hydrogen handling, which opens the space for sensor applications.
To ensure the avoidance of the risks connected with hydrogen, real-time monitoring of leaks, pressure, temperature, vibrations, and more is necessary. There are many commercial sensors dealing with the monitoring of different physical quantities. However, RVmagnetics provides the original approach, monitoring all the mentioned properties with just one type of magnetic sensor – MicroWire. Thanks to the MicroWire’s unique attributes it is possible to measure real-time data of all key features, to prevent future disasters.
As a minimum benchmark, all sensors, which are used in the hydrogen industries should be spark-less to not create additional danger in the case of a hydrogen leak. Therefore, RVmagnetics’ MicroWire represents a suitable sensor since it works on magnetic principles, it does not need any external powering (only a distant sensing device is powered). Moreover, it can be placed even in contact with the hydrogen and not produce a risk of explosion.
Let’s take a closer look at different types of sensors playing a crucial role in the hydrogen industry.
Temperature sensors
They are employed to monitor different parts of a system containing hydrogen whether it is the main storage vessel, pipelines, or valves. Temperature must be monitored and also controlled if necessary. Extreme temperature fluctuations may lead to overpressure of the system and therefore to dangerous failures. Moreover, controlling the curing process of the product after the filament winding is also necessary, which can lead to defects.
Thanks to the micro-dimensions, the MicroWire can be embedded into different materials or just placed on their surface and measure the temperature using a magnetic field . Such a method allows us to measure temperature in inaccessible places with no need for wiring to the sensor.
Structural Health Monitoring
Proceeding with pressure monitoring of systems’ parts to ensure the stability of the hydrogen. Altogether with pressure, structural health monitoring of composite walls, gaskets, or pipelines is necessary to ensure there are no cracks, which can result in hydrogen leaks. To guarantee the safety of users, monitoring the hydrogen storage parts during the manufacturing process is highly recommended. This can prevent the application of defective parts in the final product, which will prevent the danger of handling, and also save the producer’s expenses.
RVmagnetics technology is able to detect the delamination of fibres from which the vessel is made (or debonding of the composite layers). The MicroWire can be adhesively attached to the mechanically stressed material and provide data about the force changes which may be used as preventive maintenance sensor.
Vibrations are one of the most common origins of material integrity degradation. By their sensing, it is possible to monitor the influence of external conditions on the health of components.
RVmagnetics’ sensors can be employed as vibration sensors as well. With high precision and real-time data processing, MicroWire-based vibration sensors can help prevent disasters caused by excessive vibrations in the hydrogen industry.
Conclusion
Whether it is structural health monitoring via monitoring mechanical strains or vibrations, detection of temperature which is connected with overpressure or other challenges which may arise in hydrogen technologies, RVmagnetics is a suitable partner. A wide palette of MicroWire applications as different types of sensors altogether with its size, sparkless character and ability to provide data from a distance from the MicroWire makes it a perspective type of sensor to enhance safety levels in the hydrogen industry.
