Hydrogen Safety Panel, Safety Knowledge Tools, and First Responder Training Resources 

Owner/operators of chemical processing and petroleum refining sites often ask whether unconfined hydrogen vapor cloud explosions (VCEs) can actually occur. This question normally arises during the course of a consequence-based facility siting study (FSS) or a quantitative risk assessment (QRA). While it is generally recognized that a hydrogen release within a process enclosure could lead to an explosion, the potential for an external hydrogen release to cause a VCE is not as widely recognized and is often questioned.

VIII.8  Hydrogen Safety Panel and Hydrogen Safety Knowledge Tools

AS THE WORLD SEEKS TO IDENTIFY alternative energy sources, hydrogen-powered fuel cells offer a broad range of benefits for the environment, the economy, and energy security. Hydrogen fuel cells have the potential to replace the internal combustion engine and to provide power in a wide range of stationary and portable applications.

The broad use of hydrogen as an energy carrier to tackle the issue of climate change is unavoidable. The emerging hydrogen economy poses new problems to be solved to ensure a level of safety in hydrogen technologies and infrastructure comparable to that for today’s fossil fuels. The pressure of onboard hydrogen storage in early-market

In developing a 70 megapascal (MPa) fueling infrastructure, it is critical to ensure that a vehicle equipped with a lower service pressure fuel tank is never filled from a 70 MPa fueling source. Filling of a lower service pressure vehicle at a 70 MPa fueling source is likely to result in a catastrophic event with severe injuries or fatalities. The Hydrogen Safety Panel recommends that DOE undertake a two‐step process to address this issue.