H2scan P&S Catalog 2025 - Flipbook - Page 40
Real-Time
Hydrogen Measurement For
Hydrogen Breakthrough and Safety
Fuel cells and electrolyzers need to continuously monitor for
hydrogen to:
n Provide meaningful real time information
n Ensure safe operation even in remote locations
n Detect any leakage before it reaches critical levels
n Identify preventive maintenance needs
Global demand for fuel cells and electrolyzers is increasing
exponentially, with stack sizes, hydrogen demand, and hydrogen consumption growing correspondingly. This demand
is driven by a desire to de-carbonise the energy sector, since
hydrogen has several advantages over natural gas or other
fossil fuels: it burns cleanly and has a much higher energy
density than natural gas or methane.
On the consumption side, fuel cells combine hydrogen with
oxygen to produce electricity, with only water as a byproduct. Electrolyzers use electricity to split water into hydrogen
and oxygen. Compared to other means of production of
hydrogen, electrolysis is much cleaner and can produce
large amounts of hydrogen ef昀椀ciently and easily. Given the
volumes of hydrogen moving through both fuel cells and
electrolyzers, continuously monitoring the entire process for
safety is critical.
During operation, fuel cells take in hydrogen and must be
monitored for both excess hydrogen as well as for the
presence of hydrogen in the excess air line. In certain types
of fuel cells, such as a proton exchange membrane devices,
the presence of hydrogen in the air line can indicate that
a problem has occurred and hydrogen is leaking across
the membrane. For safety reasons, this must be detected
as soon as possible to prevent reaching 4% in air, which is
hydrogen's LEL.
90000265
Similarly, electrolyzers must monitor the oxygen line for any
hydrogen breakthrough. Any hydrogen present must be detected quickly and accurately to enable appropriate critical safety
measures to be applied immediately. This is also important as
it may indicate that preventive maintenance is required.
Ideally, a hydrogen analyzer which can provide a real-time, continuous measurement will ensure safe operation of fuel cells
and electrolyzers. Other common requirements are operation
at pressures of multiple atmospheres and with high humidity
present, often approaching 100%.
And of course, the areas where either type of product is located
must be monitored in real time for any hydrogen leaks that may
pose a threat to operators or other equipment. Fixed area monitors that provide a long life with reliable, false-alarms free detection should be used to protect these capital-intensive assets.
H2scan's HY-OPTIMA® 5030 Series hydrogen speci昀椀c analyzers featuring auto-calibration measure hydrogen in complex
gas streams, including natural gas. The H2scan solid-state,
non-consumable sensor technology provides real-time continuous hydrogen concentration data with no cross-sensitivity
to any other gases in the stream, including CO and H2S. No
reference or carrier gas systems are required to reliably and
accurately report real-time hydrogen measurements with fast
response times. For more information please visit www.h2scan.com
pg.40
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