Event
- Event ID
- 236
- Quality
- Description
A liquid hydrogen tank tanker detached from the tractor due to equipment failure. The liquid hydrogen was tansferred to another tanker. During this operation a release of 58,000 cu ft (140 kg) occurred.
- Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Unignited Hydrogen Release
- Nature of the consequences
- release, no ignition
- Macro-region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Date
- Component involved
- LH2 tank (road tanker)
- Failure mode
- damage, no release
- Initiating cause
- conventional component failure
- Root CAUSE analysis
The INITIATING CAUSE was the failure of the trailer-truck coupling. The losses occurred during the following transfer of liquid hydrogen to another tanker were probably due to the emergency operation.
- Root causes
- Date entry in HIAD
- 20/01/2025
Facility
- Application
- Hydrogen transport and distribution
- Sub-application
- H2 delivery to customers
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
LH2 road tanker
- Process temperature range [C]
- cryogenic temperature (below -50°C)
- Process pressure range [MPa]
- low to medium pressure (below 2 MPa)
- Location type
- Open
- Location
- highway or similar
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Currency
- US$
- Property loss (onsite)
- 0
- Emergency action
The affected tank was emptied by transferring content into another LH2 tanker.
Lesson Learnt
- Lesson Learnt
Zalosh et al (see references), concluded their analysis of hydrogen transportation accidents till 1978 with the following conclusions: "Finally, an encouraging aspect of the transportation incident compilation is that 71% of the hydrogen releases did not lead to an ignition. ... The relatively few ignitions may be due to either to lack of ignition sources or to the rapid dispersal of hydrogen into the atmosphere. In any event, the accident data provide further incentive t o transport , transfer and store hydrogen outdoors away from occupied areas."
In-depth data
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Released amount (kg)
- 140
- Probable IGNITION SOURCE
References
- Sources categories
- Zalosh
- Reference & weblink
Table III of Appendix A of Zalosh and Short COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HYDROGEN FIRE AND EXPLOSION INCIDENTS Quarterly Report No. 2 for Period December 1, 1977 - February 28, 1978 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6566131 (accessed September 2020)
