Setups for SPT at cryocompressed hydrogen temperatures

The storage of hydrogen at low temperature, whether in cryocompressed or liquefied conditions, is of interest from the point of view of the increase in energy density achieved compared to gaseous storage at room temperature. Research into the mechanical response of the materials used to manufacture tanks, tubes and valves for these applications is strongly influenced by the need to temper both the material and the test media down to working temperatures. This thermal conditioning causes a high consumption of liquefied gases. Rationalizing the expenditure on these gases allows to increase the efficiency of the resources dedicated to the investigation of mechanical properties under cryogenic conditions.

This work shares an approach to this type of savings in liquefied gas by combining the reduction of the mass of test tooling and the use of miniaturization offered by Small Punch Testing (SPT). With this approach, it has been possible to carry out SPT tests immersed in liquid nitrogen with the consumption of less than one liter of liquefied gas.