Hydrogen gas forms explosive mixtures with air

Safe hydrogen

Net zero is a transition to zero emissions, representing a compelling solution that offers not only environmental benefits, but also economic, social and health benefits. Hydrogen technologies play a key role in the long-term decarbonization of energy-intensive industries. Like electricity, hydrogen is a carbon-neutral energy carrier, while it has advantages when it comes to decarbonizing sectors that are difficult to convert to electric energy, such as heavy industry, long-distance transportation or seasonal storage. Hydrogen and its derivatives can be stored in tanks and salt caverns indefinitely, which means they can become one of the most important solutions to the problem of long-term energy storage. Hydrogen can be used as a raw material for industry and one of the constituent elements of other chemical products, such as ammonia (one of the most important components of fertilizers) and methanol (which is used in the production of plastics).

In the color spectrum of hydrogen, the geological variety is indicated by white or gold, and hydrogen, which appeared due to renewable energy, is green. The type of hydrogen produced from natural gas is marked in gray. Hydrogen can be easily and cheaply produced from natural gas, but this leads to pollution of the atmosphere with carbon dioxide. Replacing gas with water and energy from renewable sources solves this problem, but creates another: generating green hydrogen requires more energy than can be obtained from it. The advantage of white and gold (geological) hydrogen is that it does not have these disadvantages and that it solves the problem of long interruptions in the generation of renewable energy and is reliable enough to replace fossil fuel sources.

A lot of new infrastructure needs to be built for the hydrogen economy. Hydrogen security will become one of the key elements of the hydrogen infrastructure. Hydrogen is the lightest gas. It rises at an average speed of 20 meters per second and quickly disappears. Hydrogen is very fluid and dissipates quickly, making it less likely to form an explosive atmospheres with air. But a hydrogen explosion is more destructive than explosions of other fuels. A atmospheres of hydrogen and air detonates at supersonic speeds.

There are uncertainties and limitations of existing approaches to ensuring hydrogen explosion safety. For example, catalytic active materials (for example, platinum, palladium, and others) deposited on equipment elements lead to a catalytic hydrogen oxidation reaction, which is an exothermic process, that is, heat is released as a result of the reaction and the formation of "hot spots" on the catalyst surface and, as a result, possible explosive combustion of hydrogen. There are also issues of hydrogen distribution in the hydrogen-air atmospheres associated with vortex flows, pressure fluctuations and the appearance of sound waves, due to which local hydrogen concentrations can significantly increase above the lower concentration ignition limit.

Current Ex-equipment ratings are costly, over-engineered, and holding back innovation. For decades, explosion-proof (Ex) equipment has been the cornerstone of safety in the oil and gas industry. Standards evolved from explosive gas subgroups IIA and IIB to include explosive gas subgroups IIC and IIB+H2 to handle the complex, highly volatile gases of advanced petrochemicals and hydrocracking. This "catch-all" approach made sense. explosive gas subgroup IIC, for example, is the most restrictive category, designed to be safe for the most easily ignited gases, such as acetylene. But here is the critical flaw: Hydrogen is also classified under explosive gas subgroup IIC. This forces any equipment used in a hydrogen environment to be designed for the "worst-case" gas in that group (like acetylene), not for hydrogen itself. While both are highly explosive, their properties are different. This "one-size-fits-all" solution means equipment rated for explosive gas subgroup IIC is massively over-engineered for an environment containing only hydrogen. Using a broad IIC or IIB+H2 rating where only H2 is present is not just inefficient - it's a major technical and economic barrier to the new hydrogen economy. This mismatch creates significant, tangible restrictions. As we move toward a global economy fueled by hydrogen, the explosive gas environment is changing. We will no longer be dealing with a complex "soup" of petrochemicals, but in many cases, a single, known gas: hydrogen. Using an IIC-rated enclosure in a pure H2 environment is like wearing a deep-sea diving suit in a swimming pool. It's safe, but impractical, expensive, and limits what you can do.

We propose a new, dedicated classification under IECEx standards for equipment intended for use only in hydrogen environments. This equipment would be marked with the symbol: (H2). This simple change signifies that the equipment is certified as safe for the specific explosive properties of hydrogen and nothing else. Adopting an (H2) standard is not just a minor technical adjustment; it is a fundamental enabler for the entire hydrogen industry.

One of the most effective is to increase the level of hydrogen safety, primarily by minimizing the likelihood of explosive combustion of hydrogen and reducing detonation.

HYDITEX CORPORATION offers design or modernization services for explosion-proof equipment for hydrogen environments only. If necessary, we apply our advanced inventions in this field of protection against explosive effects, in particular to limit the impact of an explosion of a hydrogen-air atmospheres in flameproof enclosures "d". This will significantly reduce the need for unplanned equipment repairs.

Navigating the complex IT landscape for hazardous areas around the world is no easy task. There are still significant controversies in the business due to the continued rapid development of IT and its surveillance in highly regulated and scalable areas. We will provide useful best practices, frameworks and standards to help you meet the challenges of transitioning to Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 in hazardous areas.

Industry 4.0 Ex

HYDITEX CORPORATION in the field of industrial explosion protection has chosen information technology IT for hazardous areas as one of its areas of expertise.

In order to implement such concepts as "Industry 4.0" and "Industrial Internet of Things" (IIoT), new technologies are needed for hazardous production facilities. Industrial IIoT systems are much more complex than any other consumer IoT ("Internet of Things") or traditional M2M ("machine-machine interaction"). Now the industrial Internet of Things environment consists of outdated devices with old data exchange protocols and requires a variety of means to organize data exchange with a wide range of other connected devices on the network, ranging from classic sensors and valves to high-speed 3D scanners and industrial robot manipulators. Communication is obviously a key component of IIoT. Understanding how to overcome communication problems will help build a production ecosystem for more efficient and profitable production. As the industry moves towards more convergent network architectures, many "Industry 4.0" concepts concerning digitalization and transparency of production are being implemented.

The use and widespread use of Ethernet devices, USB peripherals, 19-inch electronic equipment modules, smart devices in industrial process automation has long been constrained by explosion protection requirements when the end device is installed in an explosive zone. Until now, the installation of Ethernet devices, Wi-Fi devices, GSM and LTE modems, GNSS receivers, Wi-Fi application, Bluetooth devices, RFID devices, USB peripherals and 19-inch electronic equipment modules in hazardous areas has been a challenge in terms of providing explosion protection, ensuring continuous operation under voltage and ensuring a fast and secure connection. The most widespread in the world are a variety of devices with Ethernet UTP network interfaces and USB 2.0 peripheral interface. Fast computers, telecommunications and network equipment, video equipment, industrial equipment for power supply, control and automation, scientific equipment is manufactured mostly for 19-inch rack. Various industrial mobile smart devices are developing rapidly.

HYDITEX CORPORATION offers customers new advanced explosion-proof technologies such as high-speed Gigabit Ethernet, 19-inch rack, USB peripherals and other IT technologies for hazardous areas.

IT development for explosive environments, Digital in our DNA

Industry 5.0 Ex

The Fifth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 5.0, is a new phase of industrialisation, whereby humans work alongside advanced technologies and AI-powered robots to enhance processes within the workplace. Industry 5.0 is now envisioned as harnessing the unique creativity of human experts to collaborate with powerful, smart and precise equipment. Industry 5.0 is a framework for re-imagining the future of energy, manufacturing, mobility, and supply chains that build upon and complement the meaningful groundwork paved by the vision of Industry 4.0. Key technologies of Industry 5.0 include edge computing (EC) , Digital Twins (DT), Collaborative Robots, Internet of All Things (IoE), Big Data Analytics, Blockchain, Virtual and extended reality (VR/AR), Future 6G Systems and others. Industry 5.0 uses collaborative robots and artificial intelligence to bring a human touch to the concept of digital transformation.

The adoption of Industry 5.0 as a complement to Industry 4.0 can meaningfully enhance the workforce. In particular, Industry 5.0 brings highly skilled workers and collaborative robots (cobots) to work side-by-side – increasing the value that each brings to production. This evolved generation of machines is equipped with sensors, actuators, and AI-powered controllers that allow them to work next to humans in a safe and nonintrusive fashion. Cobots are versatile, easily programmable, safe, and intuitive to use. A collaborative robot, or “cobot,” is a robot that works alongside a human as a guide or an assistant. Unlike autonomous robots which – once programmed – work independently, collaborative robots are designed to respond to human instructions and actions. The cobot/human relationship is a synergistic one in which the innate strengths of both humans and machines are brought together to accomplish specific tasks or processes. The collaboration between humans and cobots can help unlock innovation.

For example, in hazardous areas, cobots could be responsible for equipment inspection, diagnostics, maintenance, or even simple repairs, while engineers control the process on a computer or in virtual reality in real time in a safe location. By automating repetitive and dangerous tasks, humans are freed up to perform more complex tasks in addition to operating and maintaining robots. This includes pairing humans and cobots in quality assurance tasks, where “robot vision” can autonomously detect defects or flaws that are not immediately visible to the human eye. As cobots execute repetitive tasks with exacting and predictable efficiency, humans can oversee the process to ensure that real-time requests for customization are understood and realized.

AI technology for predictive maintenance can be used to predict the risk of downtime and breakdowns by analyzing sensor data that can determine when functional equipment will fail so repairs can be planned in advance. In Industry 5.0, predictive maintenance based on artificial intelligence and operator experience will make predictive information more accessible and actionable.

Generative design allows design engineers to input design criteria using special software that generates all possible design options based on factors such as materials, dimensions, etc., quickly generating dozens of design options for the desired product. This iterative design process uses machine learning algorithms to mimic the way engineers approach design.

Obtaining data sets collected and transmitted from isolated various sensors using Edge Wearables can provide fast and decentralized information from them. Edge analytics with Edge Wearables allows you to monitor the safety and health of workers using wearable devices.

In Industry 5.0, digital data networks must provide ultra-high reliability and high data rates for a variety of applications. Industry 5.0 refers to the broader concept of leveraging the power of artificial intelligence networks, with advancements such as 10 Gigabit Ethernet technologies in high demand. As large smart devices consume energy, energy management becomes a challenge for Industry 5.0 and requires smarter energy consumption and energy harvesting through the use of energy management and new energy harvesting and distribution techniques. An example of a new method is digital power generation.

HYDITEX CORPORATION offers customers specially developed explosion-proof technologies such as high-speed 10 Gigabit Ethernet, mechatronics, digital electrical power, edge wearables  and other Industry 5.0 technologies for hazardous areas.