Tube-Trailer off Road
A gaseous tube trailer gone off road in a countryside area and landed on one side. All cylinders were loaded to a pressure of 200 bars. The impact with the ground has caused the rupture of a high pressure valve of one of the cylinders positioned at the back part of the tube trailer. The interested cylinder was positioned in the low band in a central position. The rupture of the valve caused a considerable loss of hydrogen.
Event Date
February 1, 2004
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Causes
Cause Comments
Loos of control and consequent drive-off caused damage to the high pressure valve of one of the hydrogen cylinders and it emptying.
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
Compressed hydrogen cylinders
Storage/Process Medium
Actual Pressure
200
Location Type
Location description
Countryside Road Or Highway
Operational Condition
Pre-event Summary
Drive-off the trailer
Currency
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
The analysis of this accident has identified a lack of protection for the pneumatic control system, which is positioned at the rear of the trailer.
Event Nature
Emergency Action
The fire brigade made use of an infrared camera to measure the temperature of the cylinders, and excluded overheating. The body of the cylinders resulted entire without other losses. The fire brigade team recovered the still loaded trailer, without need to remove gas.
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References
Article presented at the Int. Conference on Hydrogen Safety ICHS2005
Available at: http://conference.ing.unipi.it/ichs2005/Papers/230001.pdf
(accessed June 2020)