Failure of a Liquid Hydrogen Tank
A tank of liquefied hydrogen felt down in a chemical plant.The tank, containing 100 m of liquid hydrogen, was installed on a concrete plate, which failed. The hydrogen started leaking from the valve at the bottom of the tank. The operator declared the state of emergency and installed a safety perimeter. The emergency responders used a resin to close the leak, after which they defrosted and closed the valve.
Event Date
March 21, 1997
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
Liquid hydrogen storage
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Industrial Area
Operational Condition
Currency
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Unknown
Event Nature
Emergency Action
A tank of liquefied hydrogen felt down in a chemical plant. A release of liquid hydrogen occurs on the valve located down the tank. The Internal Operation Plan is launched. A resin is used to stop the leak and the valve is de-frozen and closed.
Emergency Evaluation
The Internal Operation Plan is cancelled after 6h30.
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References
Event description in the French database ARIA
https://www.aria.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/accident/10969/
(accessed October 2020)