Hydrogen ventilation

This presentation is part of the 2023 FLUG Meeting.

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About the presentation

Title: Hydrogen ventilation

The use of high-pressure hydrogen (500-900 barg) is set to grow dramatically in a variety of applications, like transport, mobility and heavy-duty vehicles.​ At these pressures, even a small hydrogen leak can lead to the formation of a large flammable gas cloud which, if ignited, could result in a severe explosion.​ Many vendors and process designers prefer to enclose compressors for maintenance reasons and to comply with maximum allowable noise levels. From the process safety perspective, however, an open design is preferable to allow natural ventilation to help disperse the hydrogen and prevent the accumulation of large, reactive flammable gas clouds.

This study employs FLACS to evaluate if adequate ventilation within enclosed hydrogen compressors can dilute a hydrogen leak below flammable limits.

About the speaker

Chris Gold (Gexcon)

Chris Gold, holding an MSc in Applied and Theoretical Fluid Dynamics from the University of Manchester, brings over 15 years of experience to Gexcon, primarily in high-hazard industries such as Oil & Gas and Nuclear. His expertise is centred on modelling dispersion, fire, and explosions, while also possessing a strong background in risk-based assessments. Chris excels in integrating probabilistic models with deterministic consequence analyses to deliver comprehensive safety evaluations.