Event
- Event ID
- 428
- Quality
- Description
A Bourdon tube ruptured in pressure gauge after 528 hours of operation in LH2. The alarm sounded, the system was isolated and then vented.
- Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Unignited Hydrogen Release
- Nature of the consequences
- leak no ignition
- Macro-region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Date
- -
- Component involved
- gauge/instrument
- Failure mode
- rupture, no ignition
- Initiating cause
- H2-driven material degradation
- Root CAUSE analysis
The tube was made of martensitic stainless steel 403 SS which is subject to hydrogen embrittlement. It was requested that all gauges that have bourdon tubes be replaced with austenitic stainless steel 303 SS.
- Root causes
- Date entry in HIAD
- 01/11/2025
Facility
- Application
- Hydrogen stationary storage
- Sub-application
- LH2 storage
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
tube
- Process temperature range [C]
- cryogenic temperature (below -50°C)
- Process pressure range [MPa]
- low to medium pressure (below 2 MPa)
- Location type
- Unknown
- Location
- countryside or desert
- Operational condition
- Description of the facility/unit/process/substances
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESSURE GAUGE
A Bourdon tube pressure gauge is a mechanical instrument that uses a curved, flattened metal tube to measure fluid pressure. As pressure increases, the tube attempts to straighten out, and this movement is transferred through a linkage mechanism to a pointer that indicates the pressure on a dial. These gauges are widely used, operate without electricity.
They are widely used in LH2 storage tank and other LH2 systems. They are now made of AISI 316L stainless steel wetted parts to resist hydrogen permeation and embrittlement. In addition, they features an additional safety characteristics aiming at minimising consequences of explosion: a safety case to protect people standing in front of the instruments.
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Post-event summary
Damage probaly only the cost of the gauge
- Emergency action
Safety measures worked as planned: the alarm sounded, the system was isolated and then vented.
Lesson Learnt
- Lesson Learnt
At the time of the occurrence of this event, it was not yet common knowledge that martensitic stell, such as the 403 stainless steel , is subject to hydrogen embrittlement.
- Corrective Measures
It was requested that all gauges that have bourdon tubes be replaced with austenitic stainless steel 303 SS.
In-depth data
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Probable IGNITION SOURCE
References
- Sources categories
- ORDIN
- Reference & weblink
Mishap no 68 in
P. L. Ordin, Review of hydrogen accidents and incidents in NASA operations, 1974, NASA TM X-71565
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19740020344Hankinson and Lowesmith, Qualitative Risk Assessment of Hydrogen Liquefaction, Storage and Transportation, FCH JU project IDEALHY, Deliverable 3.10 (2013)
confidential
(accessed October 2025)Lowesmith et al., Safety issues of the liquefaction, storage and transportation of liquid hydrogen: An analysis of incidents and HAZIDS, Int. J. Hydrogen energy (2014) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2014.08.002
Also uptaken in US database H2TOOLS
https://h2tools.org/lessons/stainless-steel-403-failure-liquid-hydrogen…
(accessed Decembr 2025)
