Burst of Hydrogen Storage Tank in a Military Facility
The soldiers of the Royal Prussian Air Ship Division stored large amounts of hydrogen gas. They kept some 1000 cylinders in a shed. On 25 May 1894 about 400 of them burst without apparent reason. Damage was considerable.
Event Date
January 1, 1970
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Causes (Select all applicable options):
Cause Comments
Numerous proposals were put forward for the prevention of such accidents. It was concluded that the cylinders were made from unsuitable material.
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
unknown
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Industrial Area
Operational Condition
Number of Injured Persons
5
Currency
Lessons Learned
Numerous proposals were put forward for the prevention of such accidents. It was concluded that the cylinders were made from unsuitable material.The Hanau accident caused a progress in safety engineering. The quality assurance program which was devised became the basis of the German pressure vessel code. All comparable tanks in Germany were checked. Manufacturing rules have been revised (upper limits for corners). The calculation method for the residual life time under cyclicstress was modernized. New test methods are able to detect cracks in earlier stages.
Emergency Action
Unknown
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category