Event
- Event ID
- 236
- Quality
- Description
- A liquid hydrogen tank tanker detached from the tractor due to equipment failure.
The liquid hydrogen was tansferred to another tanker. During this operation a release of 58,000 cu ft (140 kg) occurred.
[Zalosh and Short, 1978] - Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Unignited Hydrogen Release
- Nature of the consequences
- Leak No Ignition (No additional details provided)
- Macro-region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Date
- Main component involved?
- Lh2 Tanker
- How was it involved?
- No Release
- Initiating cause
- Conventional Component Failure (Coupling)
- Root causes
- Root CAUSE analysis
- The INITIATING CAUSE was the failure of the trailer-truck coupling.
The losses occurred during the following transfer of liquid hydrogen to another tanker were probably due to the emergency operation.
Facility
- Application
- Hydrogen Transport And Distribution
- Sub-application
- LH2 tanker
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- Hydrogen Transport (No additional details provided)
- All components affected
- coupling
- Location type
- Open
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Currency
- US$
- Property loss (onsite)
- 0
- Property loss (offsite)
- 0
- Emergency action
- No injuries or damage. The hydrogen safety venting equipment functioned properly. A technician of the gas supply contractor was called and found the tank pressure at zero and the burst disc blown. He switched the three-way diverter valve to the other safety relief device and replaced the burst disc when the line defrosted.
Lesson Learnt
- Lesson Learnt
Zalosh et al (see references), concluded their analysis of hydrogen transportation accidents till 1978 with the following conclusions:
"Finally, an encouraging aspect of the transportation incident compilation is that 71% of the hydrogen releases did not lead to an ignition. ... The relatively few ignitions may be due to either to lack of ignition sources or to the rapid dispersal of hydrogen into the atmosphere. In any event, the accident data provide further incentive t o transport , transfer and store hydrogen outdoors away from occupied areas."
Event Nature
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Released amount
- 140
- Presumed ignition source
- No ignition
References
- Reference & weblink
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
- Sources categories
- Zalosh
