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Flammable hydrogen releases can result in deflagration and transition to a detonation. Whether the
deflagration transitions to a detonation depends on numerous parameters such as cloud size, hydrogen
concentration, confinement, and congestion. Releases into confined or congested areas are more
susceptible to generating significant deflagration over-pressures and more likely to…
Systems should be sited in accordance with national and local standards such as NFPA 2, Hydrogen
Technologies Code. The nature of a trailer filling operation is not much different than a vehicle fueling
station, so the hazards are comparable and similar safeguards such as walls and sensors will apply. These
facilities might be larger and industrial standards and regulations will also…
Underground storage tanks can be either installed in a vault or directly buried. Both offer additional
protection from external impact and fire, but each has unique challenges. Vaults must be properly
ventilated and designed to not create an explosion or asphyxiation risk. Direct burial vessels should not
have any underground leak points and must be protected from corrosion. Both…
Liquid hydrogen is much less likely to pool than liquified natural gas (LNG) due to its low heat of vaporization. Very large facilities are often equipped with methods to enhance vaporization, such as crushed stone under tanks, as well as diversion systems to allow liquid hydrogen to spill and boil off in a safe area. Care needs to be taken that diversion systems do not create a hazardous…
CHS has suitable introductory courses. These, along with a general overview of hydrogen, would
probably suffice until work begins on systems design or actual use occurs. At that time more detailed
courses should be taken by all those involved in these activities.
In most cases, it is not necessary to depressurize hydrogen systems in an emergency. Pressure vessels are usually isolated in an emergency. The best actions to assure safety during an emergency should be identified during the hazard analysis.
Exposure between these products is bidirectional. A hazard analysis should consider what happens to
alternate fueling equipment if an incident with one of the fuels occurs. Care must be taken to have the
appropriate separation distance and mitigations according to the applicable codes. Limited experience
with existing stations has shown that these multi-fuel stations can be successful…
While not required, Safety Instrumented Systems with a specific SIL rating are often used on hydrogen systems. The hazard analysis provides guidance as to whether a SIL rating for a given exposure is required and at what level. The SIL level depends on the probability and consequence of occurrence of a given hazard. Hydrogen equipment may be provided with different SIL levels within the same…
Rupture panels can add an additional layer of overpressure protection against internal overpressure. Given the propensity of hydrogen to generate higher over-pressures when ignited compared to other fuels, rupture panels are often part of the safety design for containerized systems. The need for a rupture panel for a specific system will be determined by the system hazard analysis and the…
Both types of valve actuators are used, and both offer advantages and disadvantages for a given application.
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