Event
- Event ID
- 272
- Quality
- Description
The explosion occurred at a hydrogen drier used for the treatment of the hydrogen used as coolant in a power generator.
The hydrogen leaked, entered the contactor panel box of the drier and was ignited by a spark from the solenoid valve.The leak was caused by the corrosion of a hydrogen dryer cylinder. Explosion blew off contactor panel door.
No injuries sustained and no other area of plant was damaged.
- Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- Macro-region
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Date
- Component involved
- H2 coolant system
- Failure mode
- leak & ignition
- Initiating cause
- material degradation (internal corrosion / erosion)
- Root CAUSE analysis
INITIATING CAUSE:
The leak was caused by the corrosion of a hydrogen dryer cylinder. Explosion blew off contactor panel door.ROOT CAUSE:
In absence of details, it could have been one of the following:
lack of proper maintenance/inspection
design shortcoming
Management decision to operate the system beyond the max allowed age- Root causes
- Unknown
- Date entry in HIAD
- 28/02/2009
Facility
- Application
- Power plant
- Sub-application
- unspecified power plant
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
hydrogen dryer, H2 coolant
- Process temperature range [C]
- Above ambient temperature (50°C to 100°C)
- Location type
- Unknown
- Location
- unknown
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Emergency action
Not known
In-depth data
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Release temperature [°C]
- 25
- Probable IGNITION SOURCE
- Explosion type
References
- Sources categories
- HSE
- Reference & weblink
Event description provided by HSE, original source confidential
