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Vent Stack/System Design - Electrolyzer Building

For an electrolyzer building, is it better to provide multiple hydrogen vent stacks or to combine the vent lines into a vent system with one vent stack?

It depends on the facility and risk assessment, but generally multiple pressure and temperatures to one vent stack is not the best practice unless all are similar in pressure and temperature, and the streams have compatible composition and flow rate. Care must also be taken to prevent reverse flow and misdirected flow between portions of the system. Additionally, one vent stack can become a single mode of failure for an entire process or facility. Specific considerations for vent systems include the following: 

  1. Design stacks for hydrogen fires at the vent stack outlets.
  2. Locate to assure no harm to people or equipment from thermal radiation.
  3. Hazard review should be completed for the venting node(s).
  4. Potential single mode of failure should be analyzed.
  5. System should not allow air to enter while exhausting H2 gas (venturi effect).
  6. Vent outlet design should direct venting hydrogen to a safe direction meeting requirements for radiation and dispersion.
  7. Vent stacks should be grounded.
  8. Supports should be designed to resist reactions from high velocity flow.
  9. Stacks and vent piping should be designed to resist overpressure due to internal deflagration.

Several codes and standards address vent systems, but not all topics are fully covered in each. Here is a list of codes and standards that address hydrogen vents: 

  1. CGA G-5.4, Standard for Hydrogen Piping Systems at User Locations, and G-5.5, Hydrogen Vent Systems.
  2. EIGA Doc. 75/07/E, Determination of Safety Distances; Doc. 211/17, Hydrogen Vent Systems for Customer Applications; Doc. 121/14, Hydrogen Pipeline Systems.
  3. IFC 2209.5.4, Venting of Hydrogen Systems.
  4. EIGA 211/17, Hydrogen Vent Systems for Customer Applications.
  5. ASME B31.12, Hydrogen Piping & Pipelines.
  6. NFPA 2, Hydrogen Technologies Code. 
  7. ANSI/API 521, Guide for Pressure Relieving & Depressurizing Systems.

ANSI/AIAA G-095A, Guide to Safety of Hydrogen and Hydrogen Systems (formerly NASA Hydrogen Safety Standard).
 

FAQ Category
Submission Year
2023
Month
08

Electrolyzer Qualifications/Certifications

What qualifications or certifications should be required for an electrolyzer?

Requirements for local jurisdictions vary, so the AHJ should be consulted, but NFPA 2:2023, Hydrogen Technologies Code, Chapter 13 has requirements for installation of hydrogen generators up to 100 kg H2/h. Section 13.3.1 General says permitted water electrolysis systems are to be listed to ISO 22734:2019, Hydrogen Generators Using Water Electrolysis - Industrial, Commercial, and Residential Applications, or approved by the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). 

For laboratory or small demonstration scale of less than 3 kg/day, UL 61010-1, Safety Requirements for Electrical Equipment for Measurement, Control, and Laboratory Use - Part 1: General Requirements, is also permitted. ISO 22734 is a product safety standard for packaged or factory-matched water electrolysis systems, either alkaline or PEM or AEM. It does not address high temperature solid oxide systems, but there are apt product safety standards for those also. Typically, a manufacturer will present certification documents stating the water electrolysis system, either fully packaged or provided as factory matched equipment designed and built to be integrated on site, meets the requirements of ISO 22734 or an equivalent. 

The equipment should bear a marking plate that attests to conformity with the electrolysis safety standard. If a different certification is provided, one may need to show equivalency with ISO 22734, or if small, UL61010-1. In US and Canada, the nationalized equivalent is ANSI/CSA B22734, and there are also nationalized versions in Australia, China, and Great Britain. One can ask the providers to supply a Declaration of Conformity (common in the European Union) or certificate asserting compliance. One can also hire a third party Nationally Recognized Test Lab (NRTL) to review the equipment conformity to the electrolysis safety standards. 

Be aware that there may be an applicable ASME BPVC section VIII code case published in 2023 that will impact how water electrolysis cell stacks are to be labeled and approved - some AHJs may accept listing/labeling at the system level (probably a safer approach), while others may look at individual components. Be aware also of installation requirements for hydrogen equipment regarding piping and integration with gas compressors, storage, fueling dispensers. Hazardous area classification and safe venting of hydrogen and oxygen gases must be carefully reviewed and made compliant with the local building and fire code.

FAQ Category
Submission Year
2023
Month
08

Hydrogen Detector Standards

Is there a standard for sensors (detection) for mobile applications such as hydrogen road transportation, similar to the ISO 26142:2010 standard for stationary applications?

The Panel is not aware of any standard for hydrogen detectors for onboard vehicle applications. Some information is available in the SAE Technical Information Report: TIR J3089 Characterization of On-Board Vehicular Hydrogen Sensors, which was published in 2018.

FAQ Category
FAQ Keyword
Submission Year
2024
Month
05

Transportation Standards

Who can provide an understanding of the progress of U.S. hydrogen standards for H2 in transport? Is anyone working on standards for LH2 as a heavy vehicle fuel? ISO standards are available, but they are quite old now.

Generally speaking, the International Fire Code and NFPA 2 apply to non-transportation use of hydrogen. These are maturing quickly, with NFPA 2 currently having issued its most recent edition in 2023. Standards for both on-board LH2 tanks and LH2 tankers for bulk fuel transport are managed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and are well established. DOT transport requirements for the U.S. can be found in 49 CFR. 


There is growing activity regarding the use of LH2 as a vehicle fuel and there are several prototype trucks in operation. The on-board tanks may lack some reference standards, but vehicle fuel storage systems are typically self-certified by the original equipment manufacturers, particularly at the current state of development. While there is risk of impeding the development of a commercial market due to a lack of approved and common hardware, there is also risk of finalizing a standard prior to completion of development and testing. ISO TC 197 has several working groups including WG 1 and WG 35 to further develop the necessary standards for fuel tanks, fueling connections, and filling protocols. Liquid hydrogen transfer is well proven and established for industrial applications. However, consumer use of a cryogenic product has not yet been proven and will require refinement of hardware and processes.


The vehicle manufacturers can also provide guidance as to their efforts to meet required regulations.
 

FAQ Category
Submission Year
2024
Month
04

Design Standards

What code resources are available to ensure the safe liquefaction of hydrogen?

There are no specific code resources that specifically cover hydrogen liquefaction plants, but they must be built to the general building, electrical, machinery, piping, and mechanical codes for process plants. Codes such as NFPA 2, Hydrogen Technologies Code, for installation and emergency response may also be used for reference. It may also be beneficial to break down the requirements into process safety and storage. For general process safety, there is good guidance for large plants. The Center for Chemical Process Safety provides guidance that is not specific to liquid hydrogen but instead addresses process safety. Other resources include the Hydrogen Safety Panel (HSP) and the Center for Hydrogen Safety (CHS).

FAQ Category
Submission Year
2024
Month
04
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