Needle Valve Failure in Hydrogen Service

Severity

Near-Miss

Leak

Ignition

The subject needle valve was used primarily for manual filling to control the flow rate of hydrogen from storage banks to the 70MPa test system. The valve was installed on the exterior of the thermal chamber in ambient temperatures of -5C to +30C. The gas flowing through the valve was at conditioned temperatures of -40C to +50C. The valve was in service for approximately two years and 400 fill operations.

Failure occurred during a test under an open valve condition. When attempting to close the valve, the turning force increased and the technician was unable to completely close the valve. An upstream ball valve was closed to isolate the flow.

Incident Date

Sep 19, 2007

Setting

Fueling Station

Equipment

Vehicle & Fueling Systems
Fueling Dispenser

Piping/Fittings/Valves
Valve

Damage and Injuries

None

Probable Cause

Equipment Failure

Contributing Factors

Design Flaw

Characteristics

High Pressure (> 100 bar)

When Incident Discovered

During Operations

Lessons Learned

Investigation determined that internal galling has caused the failure rendering the needle valve unusable. The galling was caused by a stainless steel stem acting against a stainless steel seat. This failure mode had been observed before and the manufacturer had been previously notified. The valve was replaced with a new needle valve to continue with the test program. Additional discussion of best practices for equipment maintenance and integrity can be found in the Hydrogen Safety Best Practices Manual.

Post date

September, 2017

Key:

= No Ignition
= Explosion
= Fire

Hydrogen Incident Summaries by Equipment and Primary Cause/Issue
Equipment / Cause	Equipment Design or Selection	Component Failure	Operational Error	Installation or Maintenance	Inadequate Gas or Flame Detection	Emergency Shutdown Response	Other or Unknown
Hydrogen Gas Metal Cylinder or Regulator		3/31/2012 4/30/1995 2/6/2013	4/26/2010	12/31/1969			3/17/1999 11/1/2001 12/23/2003
Piping/Valves	4/4/2002 2/2/2008 5/11/1999	4/20/1987 11/4/1997 12/31/1969 8/19/1986 7/27/1991 12/19/2004 2/6/2008 10/3/2008 4/5/2006 5/1/2007 9/19/2007 10/31/1980	2/7/2009	1/24/1999 2/24/2006 6/8/1998 12/31/1969 2/7/2009	9/1/1992 10/31/1980	10/3/2008
Tubing/Fittings/Hose		9/23/1999 8/2/2004 8/6/2008 9/19/2007	1/1/1982	9/30/2004 10/7/2005		10/7/2005
Compressor		10/5/2009 6/10/2007 8/21/2008 1/15/2019			10/5/2009	8/21/2008
Liquid Hydrogen Tank or Delivery Truck	4/27/1989	12/19/2004 1/19/2009	8/6/2004	12/31/1969		1/1/1974	12/17/2004
Pressure Relief Device	7/25/2013 5/4/2012	1/15/2002 1/08/2007	12/31/1969
Instrument	1/15/2019	3/17/1999 12/31/1969 2/6/2013			11/13/73
Hydrogen Generation Equipment	7/27/1999			10/23/2001
Vehicle or Lift Truck		7/21/2011					2/8/2011 12/9/2010
Fuel Dispenser		8/2/2004 5/1/2007 6/11/2007 9/19/2007		2/24/2006 1/22/2009
Fuel Cell Stack							5/3/2004 12/9/2010 2/8/2011
Hydrogen Cooled Generator				12/31/1969 2/7/2009
Other (floor drain, lab anaerobic chamber, heated glassware, test chamber, gaseous hydrogen composite cylinder, delivery truck)		11/14/1994 7/21/2011	7/27/1999 6/28/2010 8/21/2008	12/31/1969 3/22/2018			6/10/2019

= No Ignition
= Explosion
= Fire