PROJECTSMEFHYSTO

MefHySto

MefHySto - Metrology for Advanced Hydrogen Storage Solutions
September 2020 - September 2023

SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES

Large-scale energy storage is required at supply peak times as energy from renewable sources fluctuates. MefHySto will tackle metrological and thermodynamic issues in the large-scale storage of hydrogen in underground gas storages (UGS) and the conversion of existing UGS from natural gas to hydrogen. To address this, traceable measurements and validated techniques will be developed to improve knowledge of the chemical and physical properties of hydrogen. These properties are crucial for UGS due to the wide range of temperatures and pressures it covers and the contaminants that can be originated from the geological reservoirs. In this line, the reference equations of state used for modelling hydrogen injection will be improved and fuel cells sustainability and reliability will be researched, considering that its performance is affected by hydrogen and air impurities.

Objetives

The main objective in MefHySto is to provide solutions for advanced hydrogen storage technologies in order to achieve the new EU energy target for renewable energy by 2030.

Specific objectives of the project:

To assess the quality of hydrogen produced from proton-exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis during rapidly imposed transient used periods with online gas analysers for measuring key impurities (including water vapour and oxygen).

To improve the reference equations of state (EoS) used for modelling hydrogen injection up to 20 % vol. Traceable density measurement with a target uncertainty between 0.03-0.5% will be performed as the basis for determination of calorific values of energy gases.

To provide a validated method for measuring and calculating heat conductivity of hydrogen ad/absorbed in an intermetallic material or porous material as a function of temperature, pressure, absorption rate…

To tackle metrological and thermodynamic issues in the large-scale storage of hydrogen in underground gas storages (UGS) and the conversion of existing UGS from natural gas to hydrogen...

To facilitate the take up of the technology and measurement infrastructure developed in the project by the measurement supply chain, organisation and researchers towards greater standardisation in measurement procedures and infrastructure.

FOUNDATION ROLE

FHA’s role within MefHySto is focused on the development and validation of the measurement of hydrogen thermodynamic parameters for its storage using intermetallic and porous materials. These parameters are crucial to forecast the gas storage capacity, therefore it is aimed to provide a validated method for measuring and calculating them as a function of different variables as temperature, pressure, or absorption rate.

Among the specific tasks, FHA will design a thermal conductivity measuring system for hydrogen assembled to a metal hydride tank from MAHYTEC. Using this system FHA, BAM and MAHYTEC will perform thermal conductivity measurements and will compare the results at different pressures and temperatures. A correction factor on the influence of main pollutants in hydrogen will be calculated to harmonise the measurement of thermal parameters.

Coordinator
Funding entities
EMPIR. Project Number: 19ENG03
Partners