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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Off-gas explosion at a nuclear power plant

Event

Event ID
513
Quality
Description
Hydrogen in the filter of off-gas system exploded when a welding arc was struck 8’ away. The event occurred during shutdown and maintenance works.

[Zalosh and Short, 1978]
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?
Off-Gas System (Pipe)
How was it involved?
Internal Explosion (H2-O2 Mixture)
Initiating cause
Ignition Due To Electricity
Root causes
Root CAUSE analysis
The report does not specify if a purge was required by procedurers and was not performed, or if shortcoming in risk assesment was not requiring such a preventing measures, just not foreseeing formation of flammable mixture in the off-gas system

Facility

Application
Power Plant
Sub-application
Nuclear power plant - BWR
Hydrogen supply chain stage
Location type
Confined
Location description
Industrial Area
Operational condition
Unknown (No additional details provided)

Emergency & Consequences

Number of injured persons
2
Number of fatalities
0
Currency
US$
Property loss (onsite)
0

Event Nature

Release type
gas
Involved substances (% vol)
H2 100%
Ignition delay
Electricity

References

Reference & weblink

Table II - Industrial Incidents 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