Hydrogen Gas Detection Means for Subsea Wind Farm Manifolds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Remote wind farms face challenges in safely transporting hydrogen produced by electrolytic units due to the risk of hydrogen leakage at pipeline connections below sea level, which can lead to explosions and safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A wind farm system that includes gas detection means arranged above the manifold to capture rising hydrogen leaks, featuring a container with a filling fluid of higher density than hydrogen, a level sensor, and buoyancy means to ensure detection and warning of leaks, thereby preventing gas from reaching the surface and mitigating explosion risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If hydrogen is transported through pipelines below sea level, then transportation cost is reduced, but safety risk increases due to potential leakage and explosion hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The gas detection means is installed at the manifold to detect hydrogen leaks before the gas can rise to the surface and reach ignition sources. This preliminary detection allows for early warning and preventive action, addressing the safety risk while maintaining the cost-effective subsea pipeline transportation
Solution Approach 2:
The gas detection means acts as an intermediary safety mechanism between the hydrogen pipeline and the environment. It monitors the hydrogen concentration and provides warning signals, serving as a mediator that enables safe operation of the subsea pipeline system without requiring more expensive alternative transportation methods
2Reliability
If gas detection means is installed at the manifold, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas detection means utilizes the natural buoyancy of hydrogen gas to passively collect and detect leaked hydrogen at the manifold. The system benefits from the inherent properties of hydrogen (lower density than water) to accumulate gas in the detection chamber, reducing the need for active pumping or complex detection mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The gas detection means employs a simple, cost-effective design with a detection chamber and sensor that can be easily replaced if needed. The system uses affordable components such as a level sensor and buoyancy elements rather than expensive sophisticated detection equipment, making the complexity increase acceptable given the low cost of the added safety device
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively detects and mitigates hydrogen leaks, ensuring worker safety and preventing potential explosions by capturing and storing leaked hydrogen, allowing for timely repair and reducing the risk of ignition.
Implementation Method 1
gas detection means (40) for detecting a hydrogen leak at the manifold (10)
Implementation Method 2
a container with a filling fluid of higher density than hydrogen
Implementation Method 3
an electrolytic unit electrically coupled to the generator of said wind turbine for producing hydrogen
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a wind farm (20) comprising a plurality of wind turbines (1), each wind turbine (1) comprising a generator (2), a nacelle (6), and a tower (4) supporting the nacelle (6). Each of at least two of the wind turbines (1) further comprises an electrolytic unit (3) electrically coupled to the generator (2) of said wind turbine (1) for producing hydrogen and a hydrogen output (8) for transporting the produced hydrogen out of the wind turbine (1). Each hydrogen output (8) is connected to a manifold (10) by means of a manifold input (11), wherein the manifold (10) is arranged below sea level (30) and comprises a manifold output (12) configured to be connected to a hydrogen pipeline (21) for transporting the hydrogen produced by the wind farm (20) out of the wind farm (20).