PRESS RELEASE | Oceanit Selected to Innovate on Hydrogen Transportation Safety

19 April 2022, Honolulu, HI | Global energy transformation requires rethinking all aspects of the energy infrastructure. In order for hydrogen (H₂), an extremely efficient, clean-burning fuel, to become mainstream at scale, much new technology is needed. The U.S. Department of Energy selected Oceanit to develop advanced sensing to manage risk of transporting H₂ in natural gas blends. Most current monitoring technologies for natural gas composition do not include H₂, making it very challenging for utilities and industry to manage blending hydrogen at large scale. A real-time process monitoring solution for H₂ blending is critical for use of existing transport pipelines, thereby enabling widespread hydrogen adoption.

Compressing and transporting H₂ through existing natural gas infrastructure is widely considered the most efficient and economical delivery method to further hydrogen energy adoption. Research has demonstrated gas blends with H₂ concentrations as high as 20% are possible. The US has nearly 3 million miles of natural gas pipeline that link production and consumers, however, moving H₂ effectively comes with risks. Oceanit is developing nanocomposite surface treatments specifically to prevent hydrogen embrittlement of pipes, but H₂ concentrations in pipelines must also be monitored for build-ups or blockages.

Oceanit has merged artificial intelligence (AI) with deploy-able optical sensors to create an edge-AI gas blend management system, called HyDIOS (Hydrogen Detection Using Intelligent Optical Sensors) – lightweight sensors along a pipeline to provide continuous, unmanned monitoring of natural gas-hydrogen blends.  This helps maintain safe hydrogen concentrations within natural gas streams. The real-time AI monitoring is scalable and cost-effective, compatible with existing pipeline systems, and enables hydrogen-specific measurement in diverse gas mixtures. HyDIOS will ensure that build-ups, leaks, or blockages are detected early and can be mitigated.

Oceanit’s H₂ work is part of their EDGE initiative (Energy & Decarbonization for the Global Environment): tackling a diverse array of energy transition challenges, with technologies such as nanoscale system efficiency, predictive and prescriptive AI, carbon capture, functional smart materials, and more. EDGE has many moving parts, including work across production, transmission, refining, and distribution of energy.

About Oceanit

Founded in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1985, Oceanit is a privately held ‘Mind to Market’ company, developing award-winning disruptive innovation that endeavors to solve important problems across sectors like aerospace, energy, environment & climate, ocean sciences, health, and materials. Oceanit employs the unique discipline of ‘Intellectual Anarchy’ to transform fundamental science developed in the lab into impactful technologies for the market. Oceanit creates cutting-edge solutions, services, and products.