Hydrogen safety concepts

The large-scale industrial application of hydrogen has led to a safety concept with a scale of safety measures aimed at minimizing risks by preventive safety measures and by mitigation measures. A basic safety approach that can be applied to hydrogen energy technologies is outlined in Fig. 8-1. Some examples are [45]... 

The safety concept of PHOEBUS is composed of several active and passive measures which are basically directed against hydrogen release inside the building (Fig. 8-16) ... 

To achieve those targets Siemens has developed a safety concept for an entire, self-sustaining PEM hydrogen electrolyzer system, which is in line with all relevant guidelines, norms and other formalities. 

This Safety Concept of a Self-Sustaining PEM Hydrogen Electrolyzer System is the base for the generation of large scale electrolysis systems and is subject for modification and optimization during the ongoing development and production processes [6]. 

Hotellier, G., Becker, 1. Safety concept of a self-sustaining PEM hydrogen electrolyzer system, Siemens AG. In Presentation at ICHS international conference on hydrogen safety, Bruxelles, Sept 2013... 

Prugh, R.W. 1998. Safe-Design Concepts for a Hydrogen-Reduction Process. Wilmington, Del. Process Safety Engineering, Inc. 

Ponton [60] discusses exemplarily a miniplant concept for performing the Andrussov process, yielding hydrogen cyanide from methane, oxygen and ammonia with a platinum catalyst. HCN is a widely used but highly toxic chemical which requires extreme safety issues, in particular when it is transported or shipped. A miniplant should allow one to produce this toxic material from comparably low toxic ammonia and methane directly on-site at the customer and on-demand in small or even bigger quantities. 

Stewart, N. E. and J. W. McVey. 1994. Design Concepts for a Hydrogen Fluoride Emergency De-Inventory System. Process Safety Progress 13(2) 105-107. 

One safety trick is to add to your total HF solution about one or two percent nitric acid. This addition will not assist the cleaning properties to any significant amount, but it will add more effective warning characteristics to both the odor and any accidental skin contact. This practice is similar in concept to the addition of hydrogen sulfide to methane. 

Also, dialysis was reported to remove TMCs from reaction mixtures. No mechanical pressure is needed here, clearly facilitating the mechanical and safety requirements. The first proof of concept was given with Ru-BINAP confined in a PDMS- envelop simply submerged in the reactor. In a catalytic transfer hydrogenation, the PDMS-membrane retained the catalyst... 

NTSHIHARA, T., et al.. Safety Considerations and Countermeasures Against Fire and Explosion at an HTGR-Hydrogen Production System (Proposal of Safety Design Concept), (3rd JAERI Symp., Oarai, 1996), Proc. JAERI-Conf 96-010, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (1996) 264-271. 

---