Testing of Nickel Alloys in Hydrogen for the Space Industry

In response to sustained interest in developing the hydrogen economy, particularly from the automotive industry, TWI developed facilities for investigating the effect of high pressure environmental hydrogen on the mechanical properties of alloys which have potential for hydrogen service. More recently TWI has been conducting testing for member companies from the aerospace industry sector who were interested in assessing the performance of nickel-based super alloys when exposed to a gaseous hydrogen environment. This work also led TWI to develop a facility for hot gaseous hydrogen pre-charging of specimens prior to testing to support the Staged Combustion Rocket Engine Demonstrator (SCORE-D) programme managed by the European Space Agency.

Fatigue Crack Growth Rate (FCGR), Crack Tip Opening Displacement (CTOD) and tensile testing are some of the tests possible in TWI’s hydrogen testing facility. Specimens can be tested in high purity (99.9999% pure) hydrogen at pressures of up to 1000 bar at temperatures ranging from    -50°C to 80°C. Cyclic loading up to a frequency of 5Hz can be applied to specimens in order to induce fatigue failure.

This presentation will cover a description of the testing vessels and their capabilities along with some of the specimen geometries that can be accommodated. Intended future developments to TWI’s hydrogen testing capabilities will also be discussed.