Integrated Hydrogen Supply System with Underground Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
High purity hydrogen storage in underground caverns faces challenges due to hydrogen's small size and flammability, leading to difficulties in containment and operational inefficiencies in hydrogen production systems, especially when managing variable demand and pressure requirements.
Innovation Solution
An integrated hydrogen supply system that includes real-time data collection and adjustment of hydrogen storage caverns and production sources to optimize hydrogen production and storage, allowing for dynamic demand management, minimizing costs, and ensuring efficient operation by injecting or withdrawing hydrogen based on demand fluctuations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If hydrogen is stored in underground salt caverns, then large quantities of hydrogen can be stored, but hydrogen may permeate through the salt formation and escape to the surface
Solution Approach 1:
A sealant material is introduced as an intermediary substance between the hydrogen and the salt formation. The sealant fills fractures and permeable pathways in the salt cavern, creating a barrier that prevents hydrogen from migrating through the salt rock while allowing the cavern to maintain its storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealant material forms a thin film or coating within the salt cavern that acts as a flexible barrier. This film conforms to the cavern geometry and seals micro-fractures and pores in the salt rock, preventing hydrogen escape while accommodating pressure changes during storage operations.
2Productivity
If individual hydrogen plants are optimized by turning down production at low demand, then production costs are reduced, but excessive wear is added to the plants
Solution Approach 1:
Hydrogen is produced in advance during periods of high demand when plants operate at optimal capacity, and the excess hydrogen is stored in underground caverns. This preliminary production action allows plants to maintain steady, high-level operation rather than cycling between high and low production, thereby reducing mechanical wear while still meeting variable demand requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables continuous operation of hydrogen production plants at or near optimal capacity by using underground storage to decouple production from immediate demand. Plants maintain continuous, steady-state operation instead of experiencing frequent start-stop or load-changing cycles, which extends equipment life and reduces wear.
3Ease of operation
If multiple hydrogen plants are linked to an integrated delivery system with underground storage, then operational pressure can be controlled to minimize impact on individual plants, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The underground hydrogen storage cavern acts as an intermediary buffer between multiple production plants and the pipeline distribution system. It decouples the plants from each other and from immediate demand fluctuations, allowing independent operation of each plant while maintaining stable overall system pressure through the storage buffer.
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
This approach enhances operational flexibility and profitability by optimizing hydrogen production and storage, reducing wear on production plants, and ensuring safe and efficient hydrogen delivery while maintaining high purity, thus addressing the challenges of variable demand and pressure management.
Implementation Method 1
a pipeline distribution system capable of compressing and delivering hydrogen
Implementation Method 2
storing large quantities (e.g., greater than 100 million standard cubic feet) of high purity gaseous hydrogen in underground caverns
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates generally to a method for supplying high purity hydrogen through a hydrogen supply system comprising in fluid communication one or more storage caverns, multiple hydrogen production sources, and a pipeline distribution system capable of delivering hydrogen to a plurality of hydrogen demand points which coordinates the operation of the cavern, hydrogen plants, and pipeline distribution system to meet the real time dynamic demand profile.