The use of electrical heat tracing in hydrogen applications ...
... increases the safety of facilities by reducing the risk of explosion.
Hydrogen is a key element in the transformation of the energy sector and will make it possible to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in industry and transport. Along with oxygen, hydrogen is produced whenever water is split. It is therefore an energy source that is easily available and produced from renewable energies.
‘Green’ hydrogen is produced when water is split into hydrogen and oxygen with the help of electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar or wind energy.
Hydrogen is a colourless, odourless gas with a low density. In addition, hydrogen is an extremely flammable gas and, in combination with oxygen (oxyhydrogen gas), highly explosive. These properties make the use of Ex-certified electrical equipment mandatory wherever hydrogen is produced, transported and stored.
The entire Ex-certified heat tracing system is available from a single source thanks to eltherm:
from engineering and consulting to configuration and final installation!
Hydrogen is used in both liquid and gaseous form. In its gaseous state, hydrogen occupies a comparatively large volume at atmospheric pressure. However, in order to be able to transport, store and use hydrogen for various energy applications, it is either compressed, i.e. compressed under high pressure (over 350 bar) or liquefied. While the compression of hydrogen is suitable for small storage quantities (e.g. for use in passenger cars), it is not suitable for large volumes (e.g. storage tanks). Here, liquefaction is the method of choice – for this purpose, hydrogen is cooled to a very low temperature (approx. -253 °C) which makes it extremely cold. As liquid hydrogen is 800 times smaller in volume than gaseous hydrogen, more hydrogen can be stored in the storage tank. To minimise energy loss, large tanks or storage vessels are equipped with (vacuum) insulation.*1
In order to protect the foundations of the storage tanks from frost, an electrical heating system by eltherm is used. The installation of our heating cables ensures that the temperature can be maintained at a constant level of +5 °C. As a result, frost damage and crack formation in the storage tank foundation can be avoided.
*1 (Information sheet on the compression and liquefaction of hydrogen, research services of the German federal parliament)
- Can be used for surface heating and localised spot heating.
- prefabricated or as customised individual solutions
- ATEX and IECEx certified
- Ex-approved and certified electrical heat tracing solution
Used products
FAQ
Since gaseous hydrogen has a high volume due to its low density, it is compressed at high pressure. As a result, a greater amount of hydrogen can be stored in a tank. To ensure that the storage tanks can withstand the high pressure, a constant temperature must be guaranteed to help prevent the pressure from rising. The electrical heat tracing system ensures that the temperature is kept at a constant level.
The volume of liquid hydrogen is 800 times greater than that of gaseous hydrogen, so larger quantities can be stored. Liquid hydrogen is produced by cooling it down to -253°C, which makes it extremely cold. To ensure that such cold temperatures do not damage the storage tank and surrounding foundations, an electrical heat tracing system is used to maintain constant temperatures of approx. 5°C.
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