Hydrogen Safety

Hydrogen is fast becoming an essential part of the worldwide energy mix in transport and stationary applications (such as a Hydro Genesis system).

In 2015, a European consortium funded by European Union Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking published a detailed report titled 'Hyindoor' on the basics of hydrogen safety. The report has been adopted and disseminated by various international bodies such as the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and country-specific regulatory institutions, such as the Health and Safety Executive in the UK.

The report details many risks and raises awareness of why strict adherence to hydrogen safety is important. The main conveyed message is that simple processes can be followed to make the handling of hydrogen gas safe; points relevant for stationary storage can be summarised in the extracted points below:

• Consider whether it is necessary to house the hydrogen system within a room or enclosure, or whether it could be relocated outdoors, where an accidental leak would less likely lead to accumulation of hydrogen gas in flammable concentrations due to better ventilation
• Reduction of hydrogen supply pipeline diameter and operational pressure to the minimum is required to satisfy technological requirements for mass flow rate
• Install various levels of…