Structural Integrity Assessment of High-Pressure Vessels for Hydrogen Storage Using Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

Hydrogen is not only present in the structure of most substances but also attracts attention as a clean energy source. The fact that hydrogen only releases water through combustion and possesses high energy potential provides a significant advantage as an alternative energy source. This paper presents a numerical investigation into the stress and deformation behaviour of high-pressure vessels used in hydrogen production systems. In the study conducted with Finite Element Analysis (FEA), deformation analysis is performed with three different materials, stainless steel NL, alumina, and grey cast iron, in the pressure range of 0-75 MPa. A cylindrical tank with a height of 530 mm and a diameter of approximately 70 mm is utilised. No severe deformation is observed up to 35 MPa with the stainless steel NL material at an 8 mm wall thickness. With increasing wall thickness, the amount of deformation decreases by up to 50% for all three materials. It is highlighted that the usage of alumina as a material in hydrogen storage tanks exhibits a low deformation value at high pressures, particularly with a deformation of approximately 0.3 mm at an 8 mm wall thickness. Additionally, it is determined that 8 mm thick stainless steel NL and grey cast iron tanks meet the safety requirement for a pressure of 10 MPa, but for alumina, the safety factor drops to 2 under the same conditions. The tank's volumetric capacity of 0.0257 is found to be at an acceptable level.