Domestic Gas Meter Durability in Hydrogen and Natural Gas Mixtures

Jacek Jaworski,Paweł Kułaga,Marco Dell’Isola,Giorgio Ficco

doi:10.3390/en14227555

Jacek Jaworski, Paweł Kułaga + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/en14227555

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Abstract

Blending hydrogen into the natural gas infrastructure is becoming a very promising practice to increase the exploitation of renewable energy sources which can be used to produce “green” hydrogen. Several research projects and field experiments are currently aimed at evaluating the risks associated with utilization of the gas blend in end-use devices such as the gas meters. In this paper, the authors present the results of experiments aimed at assessing the effect of hydrogen injection in terms of the durability of domestic gas meters. To this end, 105 gas meters of different measurement capabilities and manufacturers, both brand-new and withdrawn from service, were investigated in terms of accuracy drift after durability cycles of 5000 and 10,000 h with H2NG mixtures and H2 concentrations of 10% and 15%. The obtained results show that there is no metrologically significant or statistically significant influence of hydrogen content on changes in gas meter indication errors after subjecting the meters to durability testing with a maximum of 15% H2 content over 10,000 h. A metrologically significant influence of the long-term operation of the gas meters was confirmed, but it should not be made dependent on the hydrogen content in the gas. No safety problems related to the loss of external tightness were observed for either the new or 10-year-old gas meters.

Highlights

The penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs) in the current energy system is constantly increasing, and recent EU policies encouraging their spread provide that by 2030 at least 32% of final energy consumption will be produced from RESs, with a clause for a possible upward revision by 2023
The error of indication E has been calculated according to the following equation: E = Vm − Vre f Vre f where Vm is the volume measured by the gas meter under test (m3) and Vm is the volume measured by the reference gas meter (m3)
- For the test samples subjected to the durability tests, regardless of whether they were gas meters in service or new gas meters, no significant metrological influence of added hydrogen was found on the obtained average drift of errors of indications after the durability tests

Summary

Introduction

The penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs) in the current energy system is constantly increasing, and recent EU policies encouraging their spread provide that by 2030 at least 32% of final energy consumption will be produced from RESs, with a clause for a possible upward revision by 2023. The injection of hydrogen into a natural gas mixture can affect the metrological performance of gas meters, especially when the measurement principle is influenced by the variation of the thermodynamic properties of the gas (e.g., for ultrasonic and thermal mass meters). In this regard, one of the most relevant properties of gas meters is their long-term stability. In order to analyze whether the addition of hydrogen to natural gas affects the durability of gas meters, tests were carried out simultaneously on gas meters of the same type with the use of a reference (control) sample, i.e., on gas meters of the same type using high-methane 2E gas without hydrogen

Theory and Methods

Results

Statistical Analysis

Leakage Test

Conclusions