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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Fire on the a pipe feed hydrogen to a reactor

Event

Event ID
255
Quality
Description
A hydrogen leak occurred on a 50 mm pipe feeding a reactor. The leak ignited spontaneously when mixed with air.
Thanks to the closing of the input and output valves, the quantity released could be limited to the volume of the reactor.
Event Initiating system
Classification of the physical effects
Hydrogen Release and Ignition
Nature of the consequences
Fire (No additional details provided)
Macro-region
Europe
Country
France
Date
Main component involved?
Pipe
How was it involved?
Leak & Formation Of A Flammable H2-Air Mixture
Initiating cause
Unknown
Root causes
Unknown (No additional details provided)

Facility

Application
Chemical Industry
Sub-application
Production of organic chemicals
Hydrogen supply chain stage
All components affected
hydrogen feedline
Location type
Confined
Location description
Industrial Area
Operational condition

Emergency & Consequences

Number of injured persons
0
Number of fatalities
0
Environmental damage
0
Emergency action
The emergency was quickly ended by the intervention of the drivers, who performed a manual pressure release operation.

Event Nature

Release type
gas
Involved substances (% vol)
H2 100%
Presumed ignition source
Auto-ignition
Deflagration
N
High pressure explosion
N
High voltage explosion
N

References

Reference & weblink

Event description in the French database ARIA<br />
https://www.aria.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/accident/4799/<br />
(accessed October 2020)<br />

JRC assessment