Led by the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Task 6.4 evaluates the safe handling of liquid hydrogen and verifies the functionality of the monitoring subsystem. Since no dedicated shipboard hardware is available for standalone testing, the experimental campaign uses the University of Patras (UPAT) cryogenic thermal-insulation test rig.
Physical testing focuses strictly on the rig’s vacuum pump to assess boundary integrity through leakage verification, evacuation performance from atmospheric conditions, and the pump’s automated pressure maintenance profile over time. Monitoring validation is restricted to mapping temperature distributions via embedded sensors because hazardous parameters, such as active gas leakage and flashing, cannot be safely induced in the rig environment.
To address these limitations, a numerical heat-and-mass simulation model, prepared for Deliverable D6.2, will act as a digital twin for evaluating different operational profiles. Using actual piping geometries and manufacturer data, the model assesses the effects of heat leakage on system pressure and evaporation.
Ortho-para conversion is safely disregarded as industrial LH2 is pre-stabilized as para-hydrogen. Furthermore, flashing and sloshing are quantified using specialized thermodynamic modelling and literature-based mathematical approximations, while boundary thresholds are simulated to map safe alarm-triggering sequences.
This hybrid approach ensures a mathematically rigorous safety assessment for future marine LH2 distribution networks.
