AGING MANAGEMENT APPROACHES FOR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION PLANTS

Abstract

Aging is the effect whereby a component suffers some form of material deterioration and damage (The Health and Safety Executive - HSE). Most affected places at hydrogen production plants that suffer from corrosion, hydrogen embrittlement, thermal fatigue and other damage mechanisms are piping and fixed equipment (electrolysers and storage tanks). High operating temperatures and unexpected shutdowns have significant contribution at accelerating the ageing process. Successful aging management is critical to the safety performance, but it is also affected by staff demographics, skills, training, and competencies. Due to the nature of the process, some plants are more susceptible to the aging effect than others. Current approach to asset management is reactive and the focus is on carrying out work that must be done now, rather than work that will prevent future problems. The result is often unanticipated failures, long backlogs of maintenance work and no time to carry out the preventive maintenance which would alleviate many of the problems. A proactive approach with thorough understanding of asset aging mechanisms and conditions and the ways in which assets interact is crucial for effectively managing the aging and ensure that the assets operate efficiently and safely. This research is focused on providing an overview of three aging management methodologies for hydrogen production plants which operate under critical conditions and are subject to rapid deterioration: Regulatory-based aging management; Risk-based aging management according to API 570, 580, 563, 574; and Economic-based ageing management. The legal framework is insufficient to control the aging process and related risks, therefore criticality screening and risk-based inspections are the key to prevent unexpected catastrophic failures, unscheduled downtime, and business interruption. Defining the business-critical equipment and stock of spare parts finalize the aging management process from economic point by reducing the downtime.