The goal of this project is to develop and manufacture a pressure-temperature vessel for containing pressurized hydrogen gas as a means of testing various cement samples.
Sponsored by: Dr. Arash Taleghani
Team Members
Andrew Iaia Cody Bogus Michael Rovnak Robert DeLuca Ugochukwu Mbakwe Zachary Stiver
Instructor: Dr. Semih Eser
Project Poster
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Project Video
Project Summary
Overview
The Penn State Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) is a department that leads in engineering, scientific research and education. The team was assigned to a department professor, Dr. Arash Taleghani, who is conducting research on cement samples and their exposure to high-pressure hydrogen along with high temperatures. He tasked the team with designing a pressure-temperature vessel that can be used to store cement samples for up to a year with limited pressure loss and possessing necessary safety features.
Objectives
-Design and produce a pressure-temperature vessel that can withstand 3,000 psig of compressed hydrogen gas for the testing of various cement samples
-Be less than 12 inches tall and 5 inches in diameter to fit in a temperature-regulated system
-Allow for the vessel to store hydrogen for extended time periods of up to 12 months, with less than 5psig pressure loss per month
-Withstand temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius
-Withstand the effects of hydrogen embrittlement
-Actively monitor the pressure and temperature of the vessel’s interior with precision
-Possess a safety mechanism such as a pressure release valve to depressurize the system during emergencies
Approach
-The team determined several materials that could have been used for the exterior of the vessel. The options were researched and ranked based on their resistance to hydrogen embrittlement. Based on the findings, AISI 316 stainless steel was chosen for the vessel material, and all components encountering hydrogen gas.
-In the design stage, three options were generated in the form of CAD drawings. The designs were compared with pre-existent designs that the sponsor had previously used with compressed air. Measurements were taken on the vessel to ensure that the same parameters were kept.
-The design options were ranked based on performance, cost, and many other factors. This ranking system led to the current design, which consisted of a welded pipe made of AISI 316 stainless steel to a solid billet bottom plate. The cap was designed to be created from the remaining portion of the 316 stainless steel billet and fastened into the inner pipe wall by threads. Pressure and temperature gauges were designed to be inserted into the cap to be able to monitor vessel conditions.
-Once the design was finalized, the materials were then located and purchased. Since a $1,000 budget had to be strictly adhered to, extensive research was performed to ensure the lowest cost materials were being acquired. Several vendors were found for each material that we needed to purchase. After making sure we found the cheapest and best materials, we were able to purchase some of them.
Outcomes
-A physical pressure vessel was not produced, but a detailed, accurate, and safe design for a vessel was created.
-Multiple rounds of calculations and research were done to ensure that the design is safe, cost effective, and would meet the sponsor’s needs.
-With the initial budget, the requisite steel stock as well as a couple of pressure fittings for the vessel were acquired
-If the sponsor chooses, a vessel could be easily manufactured and tested for an additional $1000 in addition to the pre-allocated budget of $1000. This additional spending would fund the pressure fittings, welding costs for the vessel, machining the necessary threads and channels in the cap, and chamber of the vessel.