Mixing of hydrogen into natural gas, as a means of mitigating environmental concerns associated with the use of fossil fuels, poses a question of performance of appliances designed for use with natural gas, when fuelled by blends of hydrogen and natural gas. This study examines the performance of space and water heating appliances fuelled by methane as a natural gas proxy, and methane/hydrogen blends containing up to 15% hydrogen.

This report provides an evaluation by members of the Hydrogen Safety Panel (HSP) of the June 1, 2019 hydrogen release incident at the Air Products and Chemicals Inc. (Air Products) hydrogen trailer transfill (transfill) facility located in Santa Clara, California. This review was requested by the California Energy Commission (CEC) in May 2020 and examines data from Air Products, and the Santa Clara Fire Department to provide an HSP perspective on the incident cause, response, and recommended follow-up actions. 

The purpose of this guide is to provide basic background information on hydrogen technologies.It is not intended to be a comprehensive collection of hydrogen technologies safety information.

VIII.6  Hydrogen Safety Panel, Safety Knowledge Tools and First Responder Training Resources

Fuel Cell Basics and ApplicationsProperties of HydrogenPrimary Codes and StandardsFundamental Safety ConsiderationsHydrogen Safety ResourcesFirst Responder Training ResourcesConcluding Thoughts

It has been suggested that separation or safety distances for pressurised hydrogen storage can be reduced by the inclusion of walls or barriers between the hydrogen storage and vulnerable plant or other items. Various NFPA codes [1] suggest the use of 60
inclined fire barriers for protection against jet flames in preference to vertical ones. Work by Sandia National Laboratories [2] included experiments and modeling aimed at characterisation of the effectiveness of barrier walls at reducing hazards.