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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Fire during hydrogen transfer from a CGH2 tube trailer

Event

Event ID
78
Quality
Description
This incident occurred at a at an electronics plant. While transferring of hydrogen from a compressed hydrogen tube trailer to stationary cylinder banks, a leak developed on the transfer hose and ignited.

[Zalosh and Short, 1978]
Event Initiating system
Classification of the physical effects
Hydrogen Release and Ignition
Nature of the consequences
Fire (No additional details provided)
Macro-region
North America
Country
United States
Date
Main component involved?
Hose (Trailer)
How was it involved?
Leak & Formation Of A Flammable H2-Air Mixture
Initiating cause
Material Degradation (Generic)
Root causes
Unknown (No additional details provided)
Root CAUSE analysis
The INITIATING CAUSE was the failure of a connection pipe on the stationary storage tank, when transferring.
The ROOT CAUSE is unknown

Facility

Application
Hydrogen Transport And Distribution
Sub-application
CGH2 tube trailer
Hydrogen supply chain stage
Hydrogen Transport (No additional details provided)
All components affected
hose
Location type
Open
Location description
Industrial Area
Operational condition
Pre-event occurrences
The capacity data provided by the PHMSA source are not credible, probably given in the wrong units

Emergency & Consequences

Number of injured persons
0
Number of fatalities
0
Environmental damage
0
Currency
US$
Property loss (onsite)
0
Property loss (offsite)
0
Emergency action
The explosion and fire occurred at 3:32. .
By 4:00 several intense local fires were burning on the floor of the hall, and insulation from the severely damaged roof was burning.
The fire was fought by water beams: it was contained by 5:00, but water was continued on the burning roof until 10:00 am or later.

Event Nature

Release type
gas
Involved substances (% vol)
H2 100%
Presumed ignition source
Not reported

References

Reference & weblink

Extract from Table III of Appendix A of Zalosh and Short<br />
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HYDROGEN FIRE AND EXPLOSION INCIDENTS<br />
Quarterly Report No. 2 for Period December 1, 1977 - February 28, 1978<br />
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6566131<br />
(accessed September 2020)

JRC assessment