Facility Design and Construction
A good facility design is necessary to achieve a safe hydrogen system installation. Hydrogen properties (as discussed in the previous section, hydrogen properties and leak detection play a major role in facility design. The following elements should be considered to ensure safe operations:
- Hydrogen Properties & Leak Detection A workspace can be configured to mitigate hazards by understanding and taking advantage of the characteristics of hydrogen.
- Loss Prevention It may be possible to reduce or eliminate risk by "designing out" the hazard.
- Ventilation Providing adequate ventilation will dilute hydrogen air mixtures, minimizing hazards caused by leaks.
- Electrical Providing the correct electrical equipment and instruments will eliminate some potential ignition sources.
- Leak Detection Special techniques are required to reliably detect hydrogen leaks.
- Flame Detection Special techniques are required to reliably detect hydrogen flames.
- Storage and Use Selecting the right kind of storage and the proper location can go a long way towards reducing risk.
- Venting Vent systems are necessary to move hydrogen purged from the system to a safe location.
- Instruments and Controls Safety of the facility can be improved by using interlock systems working in unison with hydrogen and fire detectors.
- Construction Good facility construction is necessary to achieve a safe hydrogen system installation.
References
CGA G-5.4 - Standard for Hydrogen Piping Systems at User Locations
CGA G-5.5 - Standard for Hydrogen Vent Systems
OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.103 (for quantities up to 15,000 scf of gaseous hydrogen, or 75,000 gal of liquid hydrogen)
ISO/TR 15916 – Basic considerations for the safety of hydrogen systems
ISO 19880-1 – Gaseous hydrogen – Fueling stations – Part 1: General Requirements
ISO 22734 – Hydrogen generators using water electrolysis — Industrial, commercial, and residential applications
NFPA 853 – Standard for the Installation of Stationary Fuel Cell Power Systems
IEC 62282-3-100 – Fuel cell technologies - Part 3-100: Stationary fuel cell power systems - Safety