Que: Can you tell us about John Crane’s key product portfolio and how it supports modular hydrogen solutions like mobile fuelling stations?

Ans: At John Crane, we offer particle and coalescing filters that support modular hydrogen applications such as hydrogen refuelling stations, and we are actively engineering solutions that meet international purity standards, including SAE J-2719 and ISO 14687. Our compact systems are designed to remove particles and contaminants from hydrogen gas that could compromise the integrity of critical rotating equipment without the risk of hydrogen leakage. Other modular hydrogen solutions that benefit from John Crane’s expertise include modular hydrogen production systems, such as various types of electrolyser modules where we supply both filtration solutions as well as pump and compressor sealing solutions.

Que: What are the specific material compatibility concerns when dealing with hydrogen, and how are they mitigated in John Crane’s solutions?

Ans: Hydrogen embrittlement poses a significant threat to the structural integrity of critical equipment, impacting both service life and safety of the machinery used in hydrogen applications. For industries transitioning to hydrogen, such as power generation, long-haul transportation, and chemical production, addressing embrittlement is a priority as they integrate new, cleaner energy sources into their energy mix.

Hydrogen embrittlement, also called hydrogen-assisted cracking or hydrogen-induced cracking, is a problematic phenomenon. The heart of the problem is that a metal exposed to hydrogen atoms experiences increased brittleness and decreased load-bearing capacity, which causes parts to fail or break more quickly than expected.

Despite considerable research into the mechanisms of failure and the development of potential mitigating solutions, the challenges presented by hydrogen embrittlement are not fully solved. Fortunately, exciting pilot programs and academic research are generating insights that could topple many obstacles in the coming years. Many researchers are developing modern embrittlement-resistant materials with high strength. Research groups, universities and industries across the globe are researching materials appropriate for hydrogen service. Meanwhile, scientists have found potential in specialised high-entropy alloys, which have demonstrated excellent hydrogen resistance.

Additional material challenges are caused by very high pressures (e.g. new generation of hydrogen refuelling station filters have a design pressure of up to 1000bar) or extremely low, cryogenic temperatures (liquid hydrogen temperature is -253degC)

John Crane is committed to developing innovative technologies that address hydrogen embrittlement and other challenges in our mechanical seals, filters, and pressure vessels.

Que: How can John Crane’s monitoring tools help operators identify energy inefficiencies and how does John Crane’s technologies ensure reliable operation of boil-off gas compressors in LNG storage?

Ans: John Crane offers condition monitoring solutions for rotating machinery and specifically for our compressor gas seal solutions which are some of the most critical components in a large process plant such as hydrogen or ammonia production. Those tools detect any deviation from normal operating parameters and can help with preventive maintenance and overall increase the meantime between failure (MTBF) hence total cost of ownership.

John Crane technologies are designed for maximum reliability and safety. Our suite of reliability services and asset management services complement our engineered sealing and filtration solutions. Each solution is designed for maximum reliability, and we have long experience in upgrading existing equipment such as old compressors or pumps with latest state-of-the art solutions that reduce power and utility consumption hence have a direct impact on lower carbon emissions if the power is provided by fossil fuelled power generation sources and of course also reduces operational cost significantly.

Que: What are the most critical KPIs for evaluating sealing systems in hydrogen applications and what role do John Crane products play in hydrogen-powered energy generation systems?

Ans: Critical KPIs for evaluating sealing systems in hydrogen pertain to reliability and purity. Reliability which for example can be measured via:

•Uptime: Measures the operational time a hydrogen application is available.
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Agreements that define the expected level of service availability.
• Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): The average time between failures.
• Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR): The average time it takes to recover from an outage.
• Pressure, temperature and rotational speed (in case of compressor shaft seals) are important factors to determine the correct design and material selection

There are different KPIs for different hydrogen applications – from renewable hydrogen production to hydrogen storage, distribution and transportation and end use.

Leading and lagging KPI’s; Leading KPIs measure the proactive activities that prevent or reduce the risk of failures, such as inspections, audits, tests, and training. Lagging KPIs measure the reactive outcomes of failures, such as downtime, seal failure, safety incidents, the number and quality of preventative and corrective actions such as mechanical seal refurbishments and repairs and maintenance intervals and non-compliance with industry standards,

John Crane provides numerous engineered services to support power plant performance and reliability, including fuel gas filtration technologies for blended gas mixtures or individual filters for natural gas and hydrogen for hydrogen-ready power turbines. With continued focus, today’s obstacles will drive innovation and success, paving the way for tomorrow’s low-carbon electricity generation.