Event
- Event ID
- 430
- Quality
- Description
- During operation of a gaseous hydrogen purifier system, an explosion occurred when the valves were actuated to admit hydrogen. The purifier consisted of a precooler coil immersed in liquid nitrogen.
[Ordin, NASA (1974)] - Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- Macro-region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Date
- -
- Main component involved?
- Pipe
- How was it involved?
- Internal Explosion (H2-Air Mixture)
- Root causes
- Root CAUSE analysis
- The system had not been completely purged because a valve in the system was not opened. This valve did not appear on the control panel schematic. The source of ignition not reported but was considered to be related to the high gas velocity at the inlet to tile adsorber coil.
Facility
- Application
- Non-Road Vehicles
- Sub-application
- Aerospace
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
- gas purifier
- Location type
- Unknown
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Number of fatalities
- 0
Event Nature
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Presumed ignition source
- Mechanical sparks
- Ignition delay
- N
References
- Reference & weblink
Mishap no 69 in <br />
P. L. Ordin, Review of hydrogen accidents and incidents in NASA operations, 1974, NASA TM X-71565<br />
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19740020344Lowesmith et al., Safety issues of the liquefaction, storage and transportation of liquid hydrogen: An analysis of incidents and HAZIDS, Int. J. Hydrogen energy (2014) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2014.08.002
Hankinson and Lowesmith, Qualitative Risk Assessment of Hydrogen Liquefaction, Storage and Transportation, FCH JU project IDEALHY, Deliverable 3.10 (2013)<br />
confidential<br />
(accessed October 2025)
JRC assessment
- Sources categories
- ORDIN
