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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Fire on a desulphurisation unit of a refinery

Event

Event ID
518
Quality
Description
A gasket leak on the hydrogen recycle gas line caused the release of processed hydrogen, which autoignited. The fire caused the rupture of an adjacent line.

[Zalosh and Short, 1978]
Event Initiating system
Classification of the physical effects
Hydrogen Release and Ignition
Nature of the consequences
Fire (No additional details provided)
Macro-region
North America
Country
United States
Date
Main component involved?
Flange (Gasket)
How was it involved?
Leak & Formation Of A Flammable H2-Air Mixture
Initiating cause
Material Degradation (Generic)
Root causes
Unknown (No additional details provided)

Facility

Application
Petrochemical Industry
Sub-application
hydro-desulphurisation
Hydrogen supply chain stage
Location type
Open
Location description
Industrial Area
Operational condition
Unknown (No additional details provided)

Emergency & Consequences

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

Event Nature

Ignition delay
Auto-ignition

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