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Research Project: Effect of hydrogen on the fatigue behaviour of defected metallic materials used in the UK’s gas pipeline network

Hydrogen (H2) has the potential to become one of the world’s most valuable green energy vectors to abandon the use of fossil fuels in the energy, transport and heating sectors, which together contribute to more than 70% of the UK CO2 emissions. The UK has an extensive network of natural gas pipelines. Hydrogen produced through clean pathways can be injected into natural gas pipelines, and the resulting blends can be used to generate heat and power with lower emissions than using natural gas alone. Blend limits depend on the design and condition of current pipeline materials, of pipeline infrastructure equipment, and of applications that utilise natural gas.

This PhD project will assess the effect of hydrogen on the fatigue behaviour of metallic materials (i.e., steel, cast iron and brass) containing defects of different size and shape. The aim is to deploy high-added-value technological and scientific knowledge that allows Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics, notch mechanics, finite element modelling, and advanced fatigue assessment techniques to be amalgamated together to effectively quantify fatigue damage in defected metallic components exposed to a mix of natural gas and hydrogen.