Gexcon to present at the 2022 Center for Hydrogen Safety Americas Conference

PRESENTATION 1

Title:  Lessons Learned from an Explosion Involving a Small-Scale Commercial Hydrogen Electrolyzer

Author(s): Scott G. Davis, John Pagliaro, Tom DeBold, and Derek Engel 

Presenter: Scott G. Davis, Ph.D., CFEI, PE 

Session: Session 4 – Lessons Learned for Hydrogen Safety 

Date & Time: Wednesday, 21 September 2022 – 10:30 AM (PDT/ GMT-7) 

Abstract: 

An explosion  occurred involving a small-scale hydrogen electrolyzer intended to produce hydrogen for a tube furnace.  The explosion unexpectedly occurred during the commissioning process and injured the technician who was performing the work. 

Gexcon was called to investigate the root cause of the incident and to evaluate various fire and explosion mitigation design aspects of the electrolyzer.  The incident investigation not only determined the root causes of the incident, but also highlighted the importance of proper installation, ventilation of compartments where a hydrogen leak could occur, and isolation of such compartments from other compartments that could contain ignition sources.

This paper will provide a description of the incident and a summary of the Gexcon’s findings. While the incident involved a relatively small electrolyzer, the root cause and critical explosion mitigation concepts are relevant to larger electrolyzers as well.  Such units are quickly becoming more prevalent in the United States as companies turn to hydrogen as a green solution. Thus, this investigation has a growing relevance for hydrogen process safety and will help ensure its safe use in the future.

PRESENTATION 2

Title: Improving our understanding of Hydrogen through testing and advanced modeling to avoid possible pitfalls and ensure its safe use 

Author(s): Scott G. Davis, John Pagliaro, Tom DeBold, Derek Engel and Saurav Mitra 

Presenter: Scott G. Davis, Ph.D., CFEI, PE 

Session: Session 6 – Hydrogen Safety In End Use Applications

Date & Time: Wednesday, 21 September 2022 – 2.05pm (PDT/ GMT-7) 

Abstract: 

For the past 40 years, hydrogen has been mostly used as a rocket fuel, in oil refineries and in fertilizers.  However, interest in hydrogen as a clean fuel and energy carrier of the future has grown in many countries which motivated comprehensive research and development activities with the ultimate goal being the transition from fossil fuels towards an energy source with lower CO2 emissions.   

Given its high energy content and clean energy source to the end user, hydrogen has become an acceptable fuel for many energy applications and systems.  Hydrogen can be stored and transported as a compressed gas, however, due to its comparatively small energy content per unit volume as a gas, it is necessary in some instances to liquefy hydrogen.  Similar to liquefied natural gas (LNG), large amounts of hydrogen can be stored and transported as a liquid. 

Given the complex conditions in which hydrogen can be used and stored, it is important to understand all the possible nuisances of this fuel in order to define basic safety specifications and avoid possible pitfalls.  This is especially true given the very high reactivity of hydrogen, its extensive flammability range, extremely low ignition energy, and its ease of transitioning to detonations as compared to other traditional hydrocarbon fuel gases.  Understanding important combustion phenomena, including fires and explosions, is critical to ensure the safe use of hydrogen regardless of whether it is used as a compressed gas or cryogenic liquid.   

This paper summarizes the critical combustion parameters associated with hydrogen and discusses its unique properties when it comes to evaluating unintentional releases.  It also summarizes some of the latest research into accidental hydrogen releases and the associated deflagration explosion hazards.  The work is intended to help ensure that hydrogen is used safely and that certain pitfalls associated with its use are avoided due to the unique properties of the fuel.