Event
- Event ID
- 242
- Quality
- Description
- A hydrogen leak occurred on a sintering furnace in a manufactory of uranium pellets. The event happened during the restart phase after a period of maintenance. The hydrogen ignited at the location of the electrical connection used for the resistance-heating of the furnace.
The fire damaged the cooling system causing the release of 300 l of water. - 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?
- Reactor / Oven / Furnace / Test Chamber
- How was it involved?
- Leak & Formation Of A Flammable H2-Air Mixture
- Initiating cause
- Unknown
- Root causes
- Unknown (No additional details provided)
Facility
- Application
- Steel And Metals Industry
- Sub-application
- uranium processing
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
- uranium sintering furnace, resistance-heating, water cooling system
- Location type
- Confined
- Location description
- Industrial Area
- Operational condition
- Pre-event occurrences
- The event happened at the restart of the furnace after a period of maintenance.
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Post-event summary
- 300 l of water inundated the facility
- Emergency action
- The pipeline section was isolated and de-pressurised to the facility flare. Local emergency responders were dispatched and contained and extinguished the fire. The fire affected the station piping and equipment in the surrounding area.
Event Nature
- Release type
- Gas-liquid mixture
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2,
H2O - Presumed ignition source
- Electricity
References
- Reference & weblink
Event description in the French database ARIA<br />
https://www.aria.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/accident/15508/<br />
(accessed October 2020)<br />
JRC assessment
- Sources categories
- ARIA
