Study of Post-Fire Verification Method for the Activation Status of Hydrogen Cylinder Pressure Relief Devices

To safely remove from its fire accident site a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle equipped with a carbon fiber reinforced plastic composite cylinder for compressed hydrogen (CFRP cylinder) and to safely keep the burnt vehicle in a storage facility, it is necessary to verify whether the thermally-activated pressure relief device (TPRD) of the CFRP cylinder has already been activated, releasing the hydrogen gas from the cylinder. To develop a simple post-fire verification method on TPRD activation, the present study was conducted on the simple technique of verifying TPRD activation by measuring hydrogen concentration at the TPRD gas release port, using a catalytic combustion hydrogen densitometer and Type3 and Type4 CFRP cylinders having different linings. As a result, TPRD activation status can be determined by measuring hydrogen concentrations with a catalytic combustion hydrogen densitometer at the cylinder?s TPRD gas release port.