Acoustic Emission Testing of High-Pressure Hydrogen Storage Tank
Brief：Acoustic emission technology is a reliable method for periodic testing and safety assessment of multi-layer wrapped high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks — field test at Shijiazhuang Refinery found two additional formed cracks beyond a known leaking one.
Acoustic emission (AE) testing is a reliable method for the periodic inspection and safety assessment of multi-layer wrapped high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks.
Shijiazhuang Refinery used Qawrums' (prev. Soundwel) SWAES-20 full-waveform acoustic emission instrument to carry out AE testing of a high-pressure hydrogen storage tank. The vessel operated at non-ambient temperature — the vessel surface temperature was about 150 °C — and the test was successfully completed after 5 hours of continuous work.
Fig. 1 Field testing picture
On top of one leaking crack already known to the plant, the test newly identified two more inconspicuous but already formed hazardous cracks. Acoustic emission testing of high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks helps the client find potential safety hazards in time and prevent accidents.
