Comparative analysis and discussion on domestic and foreign technical standards for hydrogen pipeline transportation

The standardization of hydrogen pipeline transportation technology is an important link to ensure the high-quality development of the hydrogen energy industry and the safe transportation of hydrogen. However, few standards are available for the current hydrogen pipeline transportation technology in China, and no perfect standard system has been formed for long-distance hydrogen pipelines. Hence, a comparative analysis was performed for the current situation of hydrogen pipeline construction at home and abroad, as well as the current technical standards for hydrogen pipeline transportation. Meanwhile, the similarities and differences between domestic and foreign technical standards for hydrogen pipeline transportation were discussed from the aspects of the pipe and connection process, the safe flow rate in the pipeline, and the pipe wall thickness design. The results indicate that: the low-strength material is recommended for the hydrogen pipeline, and the performance coefficient of the material can be introduced in the wall thickness design of hydrogen pipelines. The domestic and foreign standards have few contents on the requirements for the repair of hydrogen pipelines. Thus, the repair requirements for natural gas pipelines can be referred to, provided that the safety risk will not be increased. Generally, the research results are conducive to widely drawing the relatively mature foreign experience of standard systems, capable of providing reference to the application and standard setting of hydrogen pipeline transportation technology in China.