Severity
Incident
Was Hydrogen Released?
Yes
Was There Ignition?
Yes
Ignition Source
Friction on the vent stack wall at the stack outlet
Incident Date
Jan 01, 1974
Setting
Equipment
- Hydrogen Storage Equipment
- Vessel
- Pressure Relief Devices
- Burst Disk
- Ventilation System
- Venting System
- Hydrogen Storage Equipment
- Vent line
Damage and Injuries
Probable Cause
Contributing Factors
Characteristics
When Incident Was Discovered
Lessons Learned
Place signs on all liquid hydrogen tanks indicating that no water is to be put on the vent stack.
An additional secondary backup vent stack was added to liquid hydrogen tanks. This secondary stack is designed to be used only if needed in the event the main vent stack becomes plugged with ice, such as what occurred in this incident. The main vent stack is still the primary means of venting all relief devices, rupture discs, and any normal venting of hydrogen. The secondary vent stack would only be used if the main vent stack failed.