The other day, I met up with a friend who has contact with 'green' groups and who hears a lot of alternative technology ideas.
Apparently, hydrogen may well end up being produced as a means of using excess electricity when renewables supply exceeds demand (i.e. as a battery, or a means of transferring the energy). Apparently, there is talk of converting some of our gas supplies to hydrogen, on the grounds that we could re-use the existing network. And what did I think?, he asked, knowing that, while I'm not an RGI myself, I do have more contact with gas installers than he does.
Well, actually, "Installer" had already brought the matter to my attention when it suggested we could use the existing grid for hydrogen instead of natural gas, and it had already got me wondering too.
For a start, since LPG gaslines require more stringent workmanship than natural gas (I'm told you can't use jointing compound), I would imagine that hydrogen molecules, which are the smallest of all, would be even more prone to leakage, seeing as they can apparently leak out through the steel walls of storage tanks. So, surely the threaded joints and thin walls of rusted pipework, and the polymer/copper/Trac pipes now in use for natural gas would allow a massive leakage if we were to try to use them for hydrogen?
Then there are the appliances themselves. Could we feasibly convert every gas boiler, fire, and cooker to hydrogen? A simple case of replacing the jets, or not? All I can remember from school was that hydrogen tended to burn in an uncontrolled manner, with a loud pop. Bearing in mind that, if we use the existing network, then we cannot wait until new appliances are fitted to allow the changeover on a household by household basis. So this means that, if we are going to switch to hydrogen from natural gas, then every appliance has to be modified at the same time, or we need to legislate for all new appliances to be designed for use with both, so that at some point in the future, we can easily switch over.
So, in short, am I right to assume that the idea of even the possibility of converting the exisiting gas network to H is one of those great ideas thought up by someone with no real-world or technical experience, or might it actually be possible and I'm being needlessly doubtful?
I know we converted from town gas not that long ago, but this seems to me to be a different kettle of fish altogether.
Any thoughts?
Apparently, hydrogen may well end up being produced as a means of using excess electricity when renewables supply exceeds demand (i.e. as a battery, or a means of transferring the energy). Apparently, there is talk of converting some of our gas supplies to hydrogen, on the grounds that we could re-use the existing network. And what did I think?, he asked, knowing that, while I'm not an RGI myself, I do have more contact with gas installers than he does.
Well, actually, "Installer" had already brought the matter to my attention when it suggested we could use the existing grid for hydrogen instead of natural gas, and it had already got me wondering too.
For a start, since LPG gaslines require more stringent workmanship than natural gas (I'm told you can't use jointing compound), I would imagine that hydrogen molecules, which are the smallest of all, would be even more prone to leakage, seeing as they can apparently leak out through the steel walls of storage tanks. So, surely the threaded joints and thin walls of rusted pipework, and the polymer/copper/Trac pipes now in use for natural gas would allow a massive leakage if we were to try to use them for hydrogen?
Then there are the appliances themselves. Could we feasibly convert every gas boiler, fire, and cooker to hydrogen? A simple case of replacing the jets, or not? All I can remember from school was that hydrogen tended to burn in an uncontrolled manner, with a loud pop. Bearing in mind that, if we use the existing network, then we cannot wait until new appliances are fitted to allow the changeover on a household by household basis. So this means that, if we are going to switch to hydrogen from natural gas, then every appliance has to be modified at the same time, or we need to legislate for all new appliances to be designed for use with both, so that at some point in the future, we can easily switch over.
So, in short, am I right to assume that the idea of even the possibility of converting the exisiting gas network to H is one of those great ideas thought up by someone with no real-world or technical experience, or might it actually be possible and I'm being needlessly doubtful?
I know we converted from town gas not that long ago, but this seems to me to be a different kettle of fish altogether.
Any thoughts?
