Topic of Invited talk

Mechanics, Processing, and Commercialization of Advanced Thermoplastic Composite Structures for Hydrogen Storage and Distribution

Biography

Professor Sung Kyu Ha is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Hanyang University, Korea, and Founder & CEO of 3P.COM. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and has worked for more than three decades in composite materials, composite structures, thermoplastic composites, high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks, non-metallic pipelines, and advanced composite manufacturing.

His research has focused on the mechanics, processing, testing, and commercialization of composite materials and structures, including Type III and Type IV hydrogen pressure vessels, thermoplastic composite pipes, reinforced thermoplastic pipelines, fiber-metal laminates, fatigue and durability of composites, and automated tape laying/winding processes.

Professor Ha is the recipient of the JEC World Lifetime Achievement Award and has been recognized among the world’s top cited scientists in mechanical engineering. His recent work focuses on hydrogen storage and distribution infrastructure, including composite hydrogen tanks, non-metallic hydrogen pipelines, thermoplastic composite manufacturing systems, and certification-oriented product development for the hydrogen economy.

Summary

Advanced composite materials are becoming essential structural platforms for hydrogen storage, hydrogen distribution, aerospace, mobility, and next-generation energy systems. This lecture introduces recent research and development activities on thermoplastic composite structures for high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks and non-metallic hydrogen pipelines, with emphasis on applied mechanics, processing, durability, and commercialization.

The presentation first discusses the mechanics of composite pressure structures, including load sharing between liner and composite layers, burst pressure design, fatigue resistance, creep behavior, hydrogen permeation, and long-term reliability. It then introduces thermoplastic composite processing technologies such as tape winding, automated tape laying, pultrusion, extrusion, liner welding, and laser/infrared heating-based manufacturing.

The lecture also presents recent developments in Type III and Type IV hydrogen tanks, reinforced thermoplastic pipelines, and composite pipe-based hydrogen infrastructure. From an applied mechanics perspective, these technologies require integrated consideration of pressure loading, thermal effects, diffusion, cyclic fatigue, installation loads, bending, impact, and certification requirements. Finally, the presentation discusses the transition from laboratory research to industrial deployment, including prototype validation, testing, certification, manufacturing equipment, and commercialization strategy for the hydrogen economy.