14 July 2026
Bilbao
The final-year project by Daniel Delgado Uriarte, a student at the University of Deusto's Faculty of Engineering, has used computer simulation to determine how polyethylene used in household gas pipelines behaves as new green fuels such as hydrogen are introduced, producing a highly accurate mathematical model to help prevent gas leaks. This final-year project has found a way to prevent hydrogen leaks through joints and pipes in homes by controlling the pressure within the plastic pipes themselves. So, when hydrogen finally reaches households, the distribution network will be a completely leak-proof, efficient and safe system.
Decarbonisation and the transition to clean energy alternatives have placed hydrogen at the forefront of the global energy landscape. This is reflected in major initiatives such as the Basque Hydrogen Corridor, which aim to transform the industrial and residential energy landscape by gradually introducing this renewable gas, blended with conventional natural gas (methane), into existing distribution networks. However, this green transition poses a challenge for homes, kitchens and boilers: are household gas pipes ready to transport this new fuel safely?
Are household gas pipelines ready?
Until now, most scientific studies have focused on large, high-pressure metal pipelines. However, Daniel Delgado Uriarte's final-year project turns its attention to the final stage of the distribution network: the domestic setting. His research therefore focuses on the point at which gas reaches towns and cities and enters homes, where it is no longer transported through steel but through plastic pipes and components, specifically polyethylene.
The scientific rigour of Daniel Delgado's work has led to its publication in the prestigious international journal ACS Applied Polymer Materials, published by the American Chemical Society, an unusual achievement at this stage of his university studies. The article is co-authored with his final-year project supervisor, Alejandro López, a lecturer, researcher and PhD in Engineering.
Perfect simulation
As explained in the final year project, polyethylene is an excellent material due to its strength and low cost. However, it is not completely solid: it contains small dynamic voids (free volume) which, combined with the tiny size of the hydrogen molecule, allow it to pass through these microvoids very easily. This can result in energy losses, the risk of flammable gas accumulating in enclosed spaces, or even internal damage to the plastic itself (a phenomenon known as ‘blistering’).
To study this phenomenon in his final-year project, without any risks or high costs, this engineering student has turned to open-source ‘Molecular Dynamics’ software. In other words, he designed a computer environment – a sort of virtual computational microscope – capable of simulating, frame by frame and with great precision, how gas atoms interact with real plastic. To ensure the simulation was flawless and free from statistical errors, he applied a rigorous method involving high-pressure compression and gradual cooling, thereby managing to replicate the density of household plastic exactly.
A key discovery for household safety
This final-year project has made a key discovery for ensuring that hydrogen can reach homes safely: the ability of plastic to prevent hydrogen from escaping or permeating through it depends entirely on whether the material is free or mechanically compressed.
Beyond the achievement of having a final-year project published as an article in a scientific journal, the practical value of this research for society should also be highlighted. Daniel’s work provides engineers with a straightforward mathematical tool, meaning that they will no longer need months of costly simulations; instead, they will simply need to calculate the compression of the plastic to determine how hydrogen will behave in household gas pipes.
This results in a much safer design for domestic infrastructure, enabling technical teams to mechanically reinforce the joints and flanges in the installations to ensure that, when hydrogen is finally introduced into homes, the distribution network is completely leak-tight, efficient and safe. This work also lays the foundations for the next step: quantifying leaks.
Photograph by Ana Hidalgo Burgos on Pexels.
