The Materials Processing Institute (MPI) has commissioned a hydrogen test facility capable of operating in a one hundred percent hydrogen environment at temperatures of up to 1,650 °C. The facility was created by converting existing infrastructure. As part of the commissioning process, the institute conducted a Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP) and implemented safety and operational controls.
Material compatibility and hydrogen embrittlement in focus
The facility is designed to cover a broad range of applications. These include investigations into material compatibility and degradation, such as hydrogen embrittlement and oxidation. The validation and qualification of components for hydrogen use as well as research and trials for hydrogen-based processes are also part of its scope. Hichem Hakka, Head of Energy and Process Decarbonisation at MPI, says: "With our ability to test under 100% hydrogen at high temperatures we are addressing one of the key barriers to adoption which is understanding how materials and components behave in real operating conditions."
Funding through the Prism programme
The test facility was realised as part of the Prism programme for research and innovation, funded by Innovate UK. According to Hakka, the facility is intended to provide plant operators, original equipment manufacturers, device manufacturers and materials developers with the evidence needed to underpin the transition to hydrogen-based processes. Testing under real hydrogen conditions is expected to reduce deployment risks and accelerate the development of hydrogen-compatible technologies.
MPI is a British research institute specialising in materials research, process improvement and industrial decarbonisation. It has laboratories, workshops as well as pilot and demonstration facilities.
