Lessons learned from safety events

The Hydrogen Incident Reporting and Lessons Learned website (www.h2incidents.org) was launched in 2006 as a database-driven resource for sharing lessons learned from hydrogen-related safety events to raise safety awareness and encourage knowledge-sharing. The development of this database, its first uses and subsequent enhancements have been described at the Second and Third International Conferences on Hydrogen Safety 1 and 2. Since 2009, continuing work has not only highlighted the value of safety lessons learned, but enhanced how the database provides access to another safety knowledge tool, Hydrogen Safety Best Practices (http://h2bestpractices.org). Collaborations with the International Energy Agency (IEA) Hydrogen Implementing Agreement (HIA) Task 19 – Hydrogen Safety and others have enabled the database to capture safety event learning’s from around the world. This paper updates recent progress, highlights the new “Lessons Learned Corner” as one means for knowledge-sharing and examines the broader potential for collecting, analyzing and using safety event information.     

Canadian hydrogen safety program

The Canadian hydrogen safety program (CHSP) is a project initiative of the Codes & Standards Working Group of the Canadian transportation fuel cell alliance (CTFCA) that represents industry, academia, government, and regulators. The Program rationale, structure and contents contribute to acceptance of the products, services and systems of the Canadian Hydrogen Industry into the Canadian hydrogen stakeholder community. It facilitates trade through fair insurance policies and rates, effective and efficient regulatory approval procedures and accommodation of the interests of the general public. The Program integrates a consistent quantitative risk assessment methodology with experimental (destructive and non-destructive) failure rates and consequence-of-release data for key hydrogen components and systems into risk assessment of commercial application scenarios. Its current and past six projects include Intelligent Virtual Hydrogen Filling Station (IVHFS), Hydrogen clearance distances, comparative quantitative risk comparison of hydrogen and compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling options; computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling validation, calibration and enhancement; enhancement of frequency and probability analysis, and Consequence analysis of key component failures of hydrogen systems; and fuel cell oxidant outlet hydrogen sensor project. The Program projects are tightly linked with the content of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 19 Hydrogen Safety.     

Web-based resources enhance hydrogen safety knowledge

The U.S. Department of Energy's Fuel Cell Technologies Program addresses key technical challenges and institutional barriers facing the development and deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies with the goal of decreasing dependence on oil, reducing carbon emissions and enabling reliable power generation. The Safety, Codes & Standards program area seeks to develop and implement the practices and procedures that will ensure safety in the operation, handling and use of hydrogen and hydrogen systems for all projects and utilize these practices and lessons learned to promote the safe use of hydrogen. Enabling the development of codes and standards for the safe use of hydrogen in energy applications and facilitating the development and harmonization of international codes and standards are integral to this work.     

Critical review and analysis of hydrogen safety data collection tools

The wider adoption of hydrogen in multiple sectors of the economy requires that safety and risk issues be rigorously investigated. Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) is an important tool for enabling safe deployment of hydrogen fueling stations and is increasingly embedded in the permitting process. QRA requires reliability data, and currently hydrogen QRA is limited by the lack of hydrogen specific reliability data, thereby hindering the development of necessary safety codes and standards [1]. Four tools have been identified that collect hydrogen system safety data: H2Tools Lessons Learned, Hydrogen Incidents and Accidents Database (HIAD), National Renewable Energy Lab's (NREL) Composite Data Products (CDPs), and the Center for Hydrogen Safety (CHS) Equipment and Component Failure Rate Data Submission Form. This work critically reviews and analyzes these tools for their quality and usability in QRA. It is determined that these tools lay a good foundation, however, the data collected by these tools needs improvement for use in QRA. Areas in which these tools can be improved are highlighted, and can be used to develop a path towards adequate reliability data collection for hydrogen systems.     

Evaluating the perspectives for hydrogen energy uptake in communities: Success criteria and their application

In recent years, a number of initiatives have been supported in Europe in the hydrogen energy sector. Communities can play an important role in the adoption process of these emerging technologies: supporting pre-commercial deployment, building public acceptance, and promoting innovation clusters, all of which lay the foundations for more widespread and sustained technology deployment. Participation by communities is hinged on the perceived contribution of technology adoption to community socio-economic and energy related goals, such as, climate change mitigation, air quality improvement, creation of new industries and businesses, exploitation of abundant renewable resources, and meeting growing energy needs. Hydrogen uptake in communities therefore stands to benefit development of the hydrogen energy sector and the communities themselves. This paper presents a methodology for evaluating the potential for successful large-scale hydrogen and fuel cell technology adoption—beyond demonstration projects—within defined community frameworks. This methodology can be a valuable tool, for community decision-makers and industry stakeholders alike, to evaluate and identify opportunities for large-scale hydrogen technology adoption. Results of applying the methodology are presented for three community types: islands, cities and regions. The work in this paper reflects work done within the frame of the European Commission-funded ‘Roads2HyCom’ project, Work Package 3.¹     

Achievements of the EC network of excellence HySafe

In many areas European research has been largely fragmented. To support the required integration and to focus and coordinate related research efforts the European Commission created a new instrument, the Networks of Excellences (NoEs). The goal of the NoE HySafe has been to provide the basis to facilitate the safe introduction of hydrogen as an energy carrier by removing the safety related obstacles.The prioritisation of the HySafe internal project activities was based on a phenomena identification and ranking exercise (PIRT) and expert interviews. The identified research headlines were “Releases in (partially) confined areas”, “Mitigation” and “Quantitative Risk Assessment”. Along these headlines existing or planned research work was re-orientated and slightly modified, to build up three large internal research projects “InsHyde”, “HyTunnel”, and “HyQRA”. In InsHyde realistic indoor hydrogen leaks and associated hazards have been investigated to provide recommendations for the safe use of indoor hydrogen systems including mitigation and detection means. The appropriateness of available regulations, codes and standards (RCS) has been assessed. Experimental and numerical work was conducted to benchmark simulation tools and to evaluate the related recommendations. HyTunnel contributed to the understanding of the nature of the hazards posed by hydrogen vehicles inside tunnels and its relative severity compared to other fuels. In HyQRA quantitative risk assessment strategies were applied to relevant scenarios in a hydrogen refuelling station and the performance was compared to derive also recommendations.The integration process was supported by common activities like a series of workshops and benchmarks related to experimental and numerical work. The networks research tools were categorised and published in online catalogues. Important integration success was provided by commonly setting up the International Conference on Hydrogen Safety, the first academic education related to hydrogen safety and the Hydrogen Safety Handbook. Finally, the network founded the International Association for Hydrogen Safety, which opens the future networking to all interested parties on an international level.     

Advancing the hydrogen safety knowledge base

The International Energy Agency's Hydrogen Implementing Agreement (IEA HIA) was established in 1977 to pursue collaborative hydrogen research and development and information exchange among its member countries. Information and knowledge dissemination is a key aspect of the work within IEA HIA tasks, and case studies, technical reports and presentations/publications often result from the collaborative efforts. The work conducted in hydrogen safety under Task 31 and its predecessor, Task 19, can positively impact the objectives of national programs even in cases for which a specific task report is not published. The interactions within Task 31 illustrate how technology information and knowledge exchange among participating hydrogen safety experts serve the objectives intended by the IEA HIA.     

Energy-efficiency research, development and demonstration : New roles for US states

At least eight states have established energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D) programmes. In contrast to federal and utility energy RD&D, most states emphasize applied research on end-use efficiency and renewable energy. States also try to closely link research and technology deployment, in some cases deliberately blurring the line between the two. The states discussed in this paper spend about US$39 million per year for energy RD&D, or one-fifth of the US Department of Energy (DOE) budget for conservation and renewable energy RD&D. When indexed per capita or per energy dollar, the average rate of state RD&D spending on conservation and renewables is about 65–75% that of the US DOE.     

HSE nuclear safety research programme

HSE funds two programmes of nuclear safety research: a programme of about £2.2 million of extramural research to support the Nuclear Safety Division's regulatory activities; and a programme of about £11 million of generic safety research managed by the Nuclear Safety Research Management Unit (NSRMU) in Sheffield. This paper is concerned only with the latter programme; it describes how it is planned and procured and outlines some of the work on structural integrity problems. It also describes the changes that are taking place in the way nuclear safety research is procured in the U.K.     

Hydrogen safety engineering framework and elementary design safety tools

The viability and public acceptance of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell (H2FC) systems and infrastructure depends on their robust safety engineering design and on education and training of the workforce, regulators and other stakeholders in the state-of-the-art in the field. This can be provided only through building up and maturity of the Hydrogen Safety Engineering (H2SE) profession. H2SE is defined as an application of scientific and engineering principles to the protection of life, property and environment from adverse effects of incidents/accidents involving hydrogen. This paper describes a design framework and overviews a structure and contents of elementary design safety tool for carrying out H2SE. The approach is similar to British Standard BS7974 for application of fire safety engineering to the design of buildings and has been expanded to reflect on specific hydrogen safety related phenomena, including but not limited to high pressure under-expanded leaks and dispersion, spontaneous ignition of sudden hydrogen releases to air, deflagrations and detonations, etc. The H2SE process includes three main steps. Firstly, a qualitative design review is undertaken by a team that can include owner, hydrogen safety engineer, architect, representatives of authorities having jurisdiction, e.g. fire services, and other stakeholders. The team defines accident scenarios, suggests trial safety designs, and formulates acceptance criteria. Secondly, a quantitative safety analysis of selected scenarios and trial designs is carried out by qualified hydrogen safety engineer(s) using the state-of-the-art knowledge in hydrogen safety science and engineering, and validated models and tools. Finally, the performance of trial safety designs of H2FC system and/or infrastructure is assessed against acceptance criteria predefined by the team. This performance-based methodology offers the flexibility to assess trial safety designs using separately or simultaneously three approaches: deterministic, comparative or probabilistic.     

The case for solar/hydrogen energy

Since sustainable, technologically-converted solar energy is the likely basis for our post-fossil-energy future, there is a basic need for solar-produced fuels. It is noteworthy that heat and electricity, solely, are being developed as solar-energy delivery means, while historically civilizations depend on fuels. Hydrogen, a clean, efficiently-used fuel, can be readily derived from water using any of a number of both proved and prospective solar-energy conversion technologies—both direct and indirect (hydropower, wind, etc.). Solar/hydrogen (and oxygen) can also extend depleting fossil-energy resources while ameliorating environmental degradation. The Hydrogen Energy System concept is overviewed as background.A recent ‘Solar/Hydrogen Systems Assessment’ delineated early-availability systems based on photovoltaic, thermal/heat-engine, wind and hydropower solar conversion, and associated water electrolysis to yield product hydrogen and oxygen as ‘hydrogen energy’. Involved technologies being highly modular, good economics of equipment manufacture and deployment are inherent, as is early availability and as-needed rates of construction (in contrast, e.g., with nuclear-plant experience). Proved technological means exist for transporting, storing and distributing hydrogen energy to end-users.Most significant, both small-scale (local, dispersed) and large-scale (central, remote) solar/hydrogen generation facilities can be established in balance with prevailing societal-selection dictates. Involving a readily storable, transportable ‘energy currency’, then-existing hydrogen-energy systems can be inter-tied as desired, providing load-management-related economic advantages to both the energy-user and the ‘energy utility’ of that era. Future solar/hydrogen-electric residences might, as is illustrated, buy and sell hydrogen and electricity in a ‘grid-cooperative’ arrangement.The salient operative question concerns the efficacy of ‘conventional wisdom’ in the energy free-market decision-making process. Will early-enough, adequate level-of-effort programmes be implemented to ensure non-disruptive meeting of tomorrow's demand worldwide? In an aura of business-as-usual, solar/hydrogen's timely contribution to ‘picking up the load’ from exhaustible fossil fuels in the face of still-escalating world energy demand is judged most problematic. Consequently, an unprecedented cooperative world effort for the research, development, demonstration and deployment of solar hydrogen energy delivery capabilities is suggested.     

Green hydrogen production potential for developing a hydrogen economy in Pakistan

Pakistan's energy crisis can be diminished through the use of Renewable and alternative sources of energy. Hydrogen as an energy vector is likely to replace the fossil fuels in the future owing to the political, financial and environmental factors associated with the latter. In this regard it is imperative that conscious effort is directed towards the production of hydrogen from Renewable resources. Renewable energy resources are abundantly available in Pakistan. The need to produce Hydrogen from Renewable resources in Pakistan (or any developing economy) is investigated because it is possible to store vast amount of intermittent renewable energy for later use. Thus the introduction of Hydrogen in the energy supply chain implies the start of a Pakistan Hydrogen Economy. Many nations have developed the Hydrogen Energy Roadmap, and if Pakistan has to follow suite it is only possible through the employment of Renewable energy resources. This study estimates the potential of different Renewable resources available in Pakistan i.e. Solar, Wind, Geothermal, Biomass and Municipal Solid waste. An estimate is then made for the potential of producing hydrogen from various established technologies from each of these Renewable resources. A number of reviews have been published stating the availability and usage of Renewable energy in Pakistan; however no specific study has been focused on the use of Renewable resources for developing a Hydrogen economy or a power-to-gas system in Pakistan. This study concludes that that Biomass is the most feasible feedstock for developing a Hydrogen supply chain in Pakistan with a potential to generate 6.6 million tons of Hydrogen annually, followed by Solar PV that has a generation potential of 2.8 million tons and then Municipal solid waste with a capacity of 1 million ton per annum.     

Network security protection technology for a cloud energy storage network controller

As part of the ongoing information revolution, smart power grid technology has become a key focus area for research into power systems. Intelligent electrical appliances are now an important component of power systems, providing a smart power grid with increased control, stability, and safety. Based on the secure communication requirements of cloud energy storage systems, this paper presents the design and development of a node controller for a cloud energy storage network. The function division and system deployment processes were carried out to ensure the security of the communication network used for the cloud energy storage system. Safety protection measures were proposed according to the demands of the communication network, allowing the system to run safely and stably. Finally, the effectiveness of the system was verified through a client-side distributed energy storage demonstration project in Suzhou, China. The system was observed to operate safely and stably, demonstrating good peak-clipping and valley filling effects, and improving the system load characteristics.     

Safety strategy for the first deployment of a hydrogen-based green public building in France

HELION, a subsidiary of AREVA in charge of the business unit Hydrogen and energy storage, is deploying for the first time in a French public building, a hydrogen-based energy storage system, the Greenergy Box™. The 50 kWe system is coupled with a photovoltaic farm to ensure up to 45% electrical autonomy and power backup to the building. The safety system and siting measures of the complete hydrogen chain are described. The paper also highlights the work accomplished with Fire Authorities and Public to gain the acceptance of the project and allow the deployment of four other hydrogen-based green buildings.     

Risk-informed separation distances for hydrogen refueling stations

As part of the US Department of Energy Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies Program, Sandia National Laboratories is developing the technical basis for assessing the safety of hydrogen-based systems for use in the development/modification of relevant codes and standards. This work includes quantitative risk assessments (QRA) of hydrogen facilities. The QRAs are used to identify and quantify scenarios for the unintended release of hydrogen and thus help identify the code requirements that would reduce the risk at hydrogen facilities to acceptable levels.     

Resolving the impasse in American energy policy: The case for a transformational R&D strategy at the U.S. Department of Energy

From its inception in 1977, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been responsible for maintaining the nation's nuclear stockpile, leading the country in terms of basic research, setting national energy goals, and managing thousands of individual programs. Despite these gains, however, the DOE research and development (R&D) model does not appear to offer the nation an optimal strategy for assessing long-term energy challenges. American energy policy continues to face constraints related to three “I's”: inconsistency, incrementalism, and inadequacy. An overly rigid management structure and loss of mission within the DOE continues to plague its programs and create inconsistencies in terms of a national energy policy. Various layers of stove-piping within and between the DOE and national laboratories continue to fracture collaboration between institutions and engender only slow, incremental progress on energy problems. And funding for energy research and development continues to remain inadequate, compromising the country's ability to address energy challenges. To address these concerns, an R&D organization dedicated to transformative, creative research is proposed.     

Hydrogen energy systems technology study

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Energy Programs initiated the Hydrogen Energy Systems Technology (HEST) Study in the autumn of 1974. The Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) was made responsible for conducting the study and reporting the results, with active support from several NASA Centres through a Working Panel. Objectives of the study were defined to be the assessment of national needs for hydrogen, based on current uses and visible trends, and determination of the critical research and technology activities required to meet these needs, with attention to economic, social, and environmental considerations, providing a basis for the planning of a hydrogen research and technology program.The HEST Study found current U.S. hydrogen utilization to be dominated by chemical-industry and petroleum-processing applications, and to represent 3% of total energy consumption. The study's projections of hydrogen uses show growth the remainder of this century by at least a factor of five, and perhaps a factor of twenty. New applications in the manufacture of synthetic fuels from coal and directly as an energy storage medium and fuel are expected to emerge later this century. Of these new uses, electric utility energy storage for peak-shaving, supplements to the natural gas supply and special purpose transportation fuel such as aircraft, show promise.The Study concludes that the development and implementation of new means of supplying hydrogen, replacing the use of natural gas and petroleum feedstocks, are imperative. New production technology is essential to support even the lowest growth estimate. Methods based on alternative fossil feedstocks, such as coal and heavy oils, which are less expensive and nearer to technical maturity than non-fossil production systems, should be made operational while these feedstocks are abundant. Concurrently, the long-term tasks of advancing electrolysis technology, researching other water-splitting techniques, and integrating these with developing nuclear and emerging solar primary-energy systems, must be carried on, together with work on hydrogen combustion systems and research in materials and safety engineering. Systems studies and assessments of the economic, social and environmental impacts of hydrogen technology are also called for.     

On the development of an International Curriculum on Hydrogen Safety Engineering and its implementation into educational programmes

The present paper provides an overview of the development of an International Curriculum on Hydrogen Safety Engineering and its implementation into new educational programmes. The curriculum is being developed as part of the educational and training activities of the European Network of Excellence “Safety of Hydrogen as an Energy Carrier” (HySafe). It has a modular structure consisting of five basic, six fundamental and four applied modules. The reasons for this particular structure are explained. To accelerate the development of teaching materials and their implementation in training/educational programmes, an annual European Summer School on Hydrogen Safety will be held (the first Summer School was from 15–24 August 2006, Belfast, UK), where leading experts deliver keynote lectures to an audience of researchers on topics covering the state-of-the-art in hydrogen safety science and engineering. The establishment of a postgraduate certificate course in hydrogen safety engineering at the University of Ulster (starting in January 2007) as a first step in the development of a worldwide system of hydrogen safety education and training is described.     

Hydrogen aircraft and airport safety

Hydrogen will be used as aviation fuel in the foreseeable future. First flight tests with a hydrogen demonstrator aircraft, currently under investigation in the scope of the German-Russian Cryoplane project, are scheduled for 1999. Regular service with regional aircraft may begin around 2005, followed by larger Airbus-type airliners around 2010–2015. The fuel storage aboard such airliners will be of the order of 15 t or roughly 200 m³ LH₂. This paper investigates a number of safety problems associated with the handling and air transport of so much hydrogen. The same is done for the infrastructure on the airport. Major risks are identified, and appropriate measures in design and operation are recommended. It is found that hydrogen aircraft are no more dangerous than conventional ones—safer in some respects. Many risks can be avoided by suitable constructive measures, and the rest are bearable. The real challenge lies with the dimensions of the installations on the airfields which will become necessary when hydrogen aircraft become common.