Session: MF-02-01 Materials for Hydrogen Service (Joint with CS-02 and HT-07) - Evaluating Component Life

Paper Number: 107472

107472 - Comparison of Hydrogen Performance of High-Frequency Induction Welds and Submerged Metal Arc Welds of Pipeline Steel 

Pipelines are widely accepted to be the most economical method for transporting large volumes of hydrogen, either for hydrogen-powered vehicle infrastructure or to be used in blends with natural gas.  Some work has been previously conducted on pipeline base metals and welds currently in use for hydrogen transport, as well as some materials that may be used in the future.  It is important to note that welds are often the source and pathway for crack initiation and growth, and the US Department of Transportation is interested in standardizing the performance of a range of welds in hydrogen environments.  High-Frequency Induction (HFI) welds are known for having different residual stresses than submerged metal arc welds, as well as different microstructures due to the lack of filler materials and different heat input.  This may result in smaller microstructural gradients or inhomogeneities in HFI welds.  In this work, this potential difference in microstructure is investigated and discussed.  Moreover, the effect of a hydrogen environment on the fatigue performance of these welds is comparatively unknown versus those from the more common arc weld methods.  We present fatigue crack growth rate data in hydrogen gas environment for HFI welds for comparison with existing data on arc welds.  We will also present the data in the context of validation through ASME B31.12 code for hydrogen piping and pipelines.

Presenting Author: Newell Moser National Institute of Standards and Technology

Presenting Author Biography: In 2019, Newell earned a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. His research was focused on flexible manufacturing processes, sheet metal forming, material characterization, and numerical modeling. Afterwards, he joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as an NRC Post-doctoral Fellow. His research at NIST has involved characterizing powder feedstock and micro-defects in additively manufactured components, creating new 3D image processing techniques related to X-ray computed tomography, and more recently, characterizing and modeling fatigue and fracture performance of pipeline steels in hydrogen environments.

Authors:

Newell Moser National Institute of Standards and Technology
Holger Brauer Mannesmann Line Pipe GmbH
Zack Buck National Institute of Standards and Technology
May L. Martin National Institute of Standards and Technology
Damian Lauria National Institute of Standards and Technology
Peter Bradley National Institute of Standards and Technology
Andrew Slifka National Institute of Standards and Technology
Matthew Connolly National Institute of Standards and Technology