Event
- Event ID
- 369
- Quality
- Description
- During the pump operation of a liquid hydrogen tanker, the vent valve was opened rapidly and the hydrogen detonated above the vent stack. The rapid valve opening was aimed at initiating a good pumping in the LH2 pump-vaporizer system. The vent valve was then closed, but the stack continued to flow hydrogen, which burned. The tanker pressure was 16 psig (ca. 1.1 bar).
[Ordin, NASA (1974)] - 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?
- Valve (Vent)
- How was it involved?
- Leak & Formation Of A Flammable H2-Air Mixture
- Initiating cause
- Wrong Operation
- Root causes
- Root CAUSE analysis
- Apparently, the hydrogen release was intentional, but the ignition occurred due to the rapid opening of the vent valve. Following the detonation, the fire continued because the flap valve on the vent did not make a tight seal. The Teflon gasket was found scorched. According to the report, the vent stack was not purged allowing for a H2- air mixture in the stack. It is unclear if purging was foreseen by the procedure.
Facility
- Application
- Hydrogen Transport And Distribution
- Sub-application
- LH2 tanker
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- Hydrogen Transfer (No additional details provided)
- All components affected
- vent valve, stack
- Location type
- Open
- Location description
- Industrial Area
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Number of fatalities
- 0
Event Nature
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Presumed ignition source
- Auto-ignition
References
- Reference & weblink
Mishap no 17 in <br />
P. L. Ordin, Review of hydrogen accidents and incidents in NASA operations, 1974, NASA TM X-71565<br />
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19740020344
JRC assessment
- Sources categories
- ORDIN
