Safety studies on high-pressure hydrogen vehicle refuelling stations: Releases into a simulated high-pressure dispensing area

If the general public is to use hydrogen as a vehicle fuel, customers must be able to handle hydrogen with the same degree of confidence, and with comparable risk, as conventional liquid and gaseous fuels. The hazards associated with jet releases from leaks in a vehicle-refuelling environment must be considered if hydrogen is stored and used as a high-pressure gas since a jet release in a confined or congested area can create an explosion hazard. As there was insufficient knowledge of the explosion hazards, a study was initiated to gain a better understanding of the potential explosion hazard consequences associated with high-pressure leaks from hydrogen vehicle refuelling systems. This paper describes the experiments with a dummy vehicle and dispenser units to represent refuelling station congestion. Experiments with ignition of premixed 5.4 m × 6.0 m × 2.5 m hydrogen–air clouds and hydrogen jet releases up to 40 MPa (400 bar) pressure are described. The results are discussed in terms of the conditions leading to the greatest overpressures and overall conclusions are made from these.

► Explosion consequences of high-pressure leaks from H2 vehicle refuelling systems. ► Experiments with ignition of premixed 5.4 m × 6.0 m × 2.5 m H2–air clouds. ► Experiments for H2 jet releases up to 40 MPa (400 bar) pressure also carried out. ► Highest far field overpressures seen for premixed H2–air ignition in an open area. ► For jet releases, highest overpressures seen in trial with shortest ignition time.