Delta H lab, developed in cooperation between Rina Consulting Centro Sviluppo Materiali SpA and University of Calabria, is a recently built infrastructure supporting research related to hydrogen storage and transportation through the evaluation of material and component performances in gaseous Hydrogen, or hydrogen mixtures up to very high pressure (up to 1000 bar). In the lab there are three areas:

• Small scale testing unit, equipped with one servo-mechanic and two servo-hydraulic testing equipment to perform testing in gaseous hydrogen environment to investigate mechanical properties. The following tests can be performed:

o tensile tests at slow strain rate

o Fracture toughness test (rising load method: ASTM E 1820)

o fatigue tests

o fatigue crack propagation tests (FCGR).

Tests can be performed at pressure levels up to 1000 bar, at different temperatures (i.e. 0 °C ÷ 80 °C).

• Large scale testing unit where a testing facility equipped with an autoclave to perform tests in gaseous hydrogen is available. This device allows to perform tests on materials as well as on components. The following tests can be carried out:

o Fracture toughness tests (KIH) according to ASME B31.12 (referring to Method in ASTM E 1681, static loaded sample in long time exposure)

o Pressure cycling tests on tanks, vessels, flanged pipes….

o Fit for purpose tests on materials and components (e.g. valves, fittings, flanged pipes) according to specific requirements.

Tests can be performed at pressure values up to p=1000 bar.

• Solid State materials (SSMs) testing equipment named High pressure Concentration temperature (HPCT) unit, to perform the evaluation of sorption/desorption of the SSM in quantity from 100 g to 20 kg in a pressure range 0–30 MPa and temperature range 77–473 K using tanks from 1 to 50 litres.