Why is the Design Different for Hydrogen Systems Compared to Oil & Gas?
Containing hydrogen, one of the world's smallest molecules, is inherently challenging. As a result, designing fluid system layouts for hydrogen production and oil and gas facilities can require different constructions, from bore sizes to material choices. In a new four-part Ask Swagelok video series, we detail the differences between these designs. In our first installment, Chuck Hayes, Swagelok’s global technical lead for hydrogen, explains why the design is different for hydrogen fluid systems compared to oil and gas.
Video Transcript
CRAIG GIFFORD:
Welcome to Ask Swagelok. I'm Craig Gifford here today with Chuck Hayes, who is Swagelok’s global technical lead for clean energy. And we're discussing differences in designing fluid systems for hydrogen applications versus oil and gas applications. So tell us, Chuck, right from the beginning, why is the design different for hydrogen fluid systems versus oil and gas fluid systems?
CHUCK HAYES:
So, the most important difference right off the bat, Craig, is the fact that hydrogen is a small molecule gas. So, when we say small molecule, what does small mean? If you were to take an atom of hydrogen and compare it to the size of a golf ball and then compare that golf ball to the size of the Earth, those ratios are pretty much the same. So, it's very, very small; makes your brain hurt when you think about it.
So, why is that important, though? Well, that's important because of how you have to seal against that hydrogen to make sure it doesn't leak out. Hydrogen is your process that you're trying to keep in. And that molecule being so small, so much smaller than, like, an oil molecule, it can get through really small leak paths.
One of those things we talk about is a thing called a continuous pore structure. So, I take two metal surfaces together and I bring them together; there can be all kinds of little hills and valleys, and the areas between those hills and valleys are what we call a continuous pore structure that hydrogen can wiggle its way through and get out to the atmosphere.
One way to deal with that is, like, with the Swagelok tube fitting. We actually do some things within there to help control that hydrogen getting out or that gas being able to leak. But we're going to talk about that in a later session.
CRAIG GIFFORD:
Okay. That's great. Well, thank you, Chuck; really appreciate it. And thank you for joining us at Ask Swagelok.
