Figure 1. Hydrogen-based electric power alleviates many of the problems with battery sourcing and disposal. Source: malp/Adobe

Nuclear power, which has been supplying the world with abundant and emission-free electricity for decades with an excellent safety record, should be considered in today’s context for efficient and green energy production. At the same time, when portable power is needed for devices like automobiles and electric generators, fossil fuels are still the de facto standard power source. The nominal other solution – battery-based electricity storage – has many benefits but also introduces significant tradeoffs such as charge time, weight, materials sourcing and eventual disposal. There is, however, a third alternative in the form of stored hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cells.

Hydrogen-based electric power alleviates many of the problems with battery sourcing and disposal. It is the Earth’s — the galaxy’s, in fact — most plentiful element by sheer number of atoms and is found in combination with oxygen as water (i.e., H₂O). Hydrogen fuel cells can supply electrical power with only water as a byproduct (no CO₂), and several processes are available to produce this element in a usable form.

Hydrogen production is not the end of the supply challenge, however. Hydrogen is normally compressed, stored and transported as a liquid under enormous pressure and low temperature for use as a fuel source. This makes containment a significant challenge, and presenting significant safety risks if not handled correctly.

In the event of a leak, escaping hydrogen can freeze ambient atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen, which cause liquid hydrogen to self-ignite. When on fire, escaping hydrogen can form a jet that continuously ignites as it exits containment. Though non-toxic, in high enough concentrations asphyxiation can also be a hydrogen risk, as it displaces oxygen in the immediate atmosphere.

Complicating things, hydrogen can also cause embrittlement, which weakens materials such as steel, making them more prone to failures. Keeping hydrogen safely contained and sealed is thus a significant challenge. Technetics, with their pedigree in nuclear and aerospace sealing applications, has the experience and expertise to meet this challenge head-on.

Nuclear and space-proven Technetics seals

While storing hydrogen at the scale required to replace fossil fuels is a difficult task, consider that Technetics has been manufacturing seals to exacting customer specifications since their founding over 70 years ago, in 1952. Their products are found on every nuclear reactor in the western world, and are used extensively in the space industry and many other demanding applications. This gives the Technetics team important background expertise that can be parlayed into the emerging world of hydrogen containment and sealing.

Today, Technetics offers a range of seals and associated products (like accumulators and overpressure protection solutions) which take advantage of advanced manufacturing technologies and that can be tailored to meet customers’ specific needs, including the following:

Helicoflex® resilient metal seal

Technetics’ line of Helicoflex® seals are high-performance, flexible metal seals with excellent elastic and recovery properties. They feature the highest sealing level performance on the market and have excellent corrosion resistance.

Helicoflex® seals can be made from a wide range of materials with different coatings as required by the customer. They can be manufactured in a broad range of geometries: from 4 mm to 8,000 mm in diameter, and with cross sections of between 1.5 mm to 40 mm. Metal seals have a number of advantages over their more traditional polymer, elastomer and graphite counterparts, such as better resistance to high temperatures, chemical compatibility and more.

Helicoflex® Texeal texturized seal technology

To further enhance sealing performance, Technetics has developed the patented Texeal texturizing process. Texeal — i.e., texturized seal — uses laser processing to add a pattern of small impressions to a seal’s surface. This process can be applied to different materials while maintaining their physical and chemical material properties. Helicoflex® seals enhanced with Texeal enable the highest sealing performance on the market, optimizing contact pressure and usable lifetime (up to 100 years), while minimizing susceptibility to surface defects.

Helicoflex® Texeal could be an excellent solution for emerging applications such as hydrogen storage. As they can last for a century, disposing of these seals during maintenance operations is a virtual non-issue. Not only will engineers of today not need to worry about seal replacement, neither will the next generation or the one after that.

Demo fusion reactor

Technetics welcomes challenging projects and applications, and as a trusted partner in the nuclear world they were enlisted to help develop sealing and maintenance operations for the next generation DEMOnstration fusion power plant. Failure would result in the release of radioactive materials, meaning damage to human health, the environment and the reactor itself. To meet this challenge, they worked with the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) to develop engineering concepts able to: contain plasma at ultra-high temperatures, capture neutrons from the reaction without melting its walls, prevent pressurized steam loss and meet other demanding requirements.

Figure 2. Technetics has been manufacturing seals to exact nuclear industry specifications since their founding over 70 years ago, in 1952. Source: Sergey Nivens/Adobe

Technetics provides sealing capabilities for the reactor as well as safety and maintenance services to keep this massive experimental project going. As part of Technetics’ contribution to the reactor, they are committed to a complete all-around engineering study and analysis of the project over its four-year duration.

While fusion reactors and hydrogen containment present different challenges, each can be enhanced by Technetics’ technological know-how, company scope and customization experience. One could envision a future where abundant fusion power is used to convert water into compressed hydrogen to replace fossil fuels. However our future energy scenario develops, keeping hydrogen, fusion reactions or whatever comes next contained will be of paramount importance.

Space launch system (SLS)

While space travel may evoke images of 1960s-era moon missions or 1980s-era space shuttle flights, space remains an extremely challenging environment and innovation is happening today on multiple fronts. Technetics is heavily involved in NASA’s ongoing SLS project, which made its first flight in November 2022. As of that flight, the SLS is the most powerful rocket to fly a successful mission.

Contributing to this success, Technetics helped develop sealing solutions for the SLS core and upper stages. Working closely with Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne, the Technetics team designed, tested and implemented custom solutions to meet the critical sealing needs of the rocket’s engines. Solutions used include Technetics’ NAEFLEX and K-Port seals, carbon face seals, BELFAB edge-welded metal bellows and accumulators. Both Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne have recognized Technetics for their excellent contributions to the SLS program.

Technetics: Here to help with challenging sealing applications

When in need of a world-class sealing solution, customized to exact specifications or even a partner to work with to develop the proper specification for an application, Technetics is ready to assist. The majority of their metallic sealing solutions are, in fact, built to customer specifications.

Technetics’ seals are made to maintain the highest standards required of the nuclear and aerospace industries, along with other cutting-edge industries like semiconductors and life sciences. This extensive sealing experience – over the greater part of a century – puts Technetics in an excellent position to take on hydrogen storage challenges now and into the future.

Figure 3. Premium seals are Technetics’ core product, and an absolutely critical requirement of the hydrogen industry. Source: Vanitjan/Adobe

Technetics Group is engaged in the continuous development of new and customized sealing solutions, pushing this technology forward through research and development, testing and manufacturing excellence. This allows them to employ their decades of experience at-scale to meet specific customer needs and challenges. To solve your challenge, whether for hydrogen storage, or in the nuclear, space, semiconductor industries and beyond, get in touch via the Technetics Group Website.