Event
- Event ID
- 1259
- Quality
- Description
Due to a due a leak of hydrogen at the manifold, a hydrogen fuel cell stack caught fire and burned at a testing laboratory. Since the safety interlocks had been unintentionally turned off during the test, the safety automation system did not activated.
- Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- fire
- Macro-region
- Europe
- Country
- Finland
- Date
- Component involved
- other
- Failure mode
- leak
- Initiating cause
- wrong operation
- Root CAUSE analysis
The INITIATING CAUSE was the fact that the manifold was not properly sealed and caused a hydrogen leak during fuel cells testing.
The user/operator failed to notice the irregularity during operation, partially due to the absence of any alerts. There was a an automatic shutdown system activating on high H2 concentration values and low fuel cell voltages, but its interlock supposed to intervene was switched off, and therefore the emergency shutdown did not happen. These elements suggest a ROOT CAUSE related to failure in following the procedures and in shortcoming of management in overviewing and guaranteeing the correct execution of the safety procedures.
- Root causes
- Date entry in HIAD
- 25/08/2026
Facility
- Application
- Laboratory / R&D
- Sub-application
- Fuel cell testing station
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
stationary PEMFC
- Process temperature range [C]
- Above ambient temperature (50°C to 100°C)
- Process pressure range [MPa]
- low to medium pressure (below 2 MPa)
- Location type
- Confined
- Location
- other
- Operational condition
- Description of the facility/unit/process/substances
hydrogen fuel cell lab - hydrogen fuel cell test rig
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Environmental damage
- 0
Lesson Learnt
- Corrective Measures
- Ensure user’s comprehension of the test station. Training for the users of the test station should be done more comprehensively, including automation and troubleshooting.
- H2 sensor should shut down the main hydrogen and air valve right away, and it shall not be possible be deactivated it at any condition.
- A minimum program safety should measure and make use of temperature, pressure, and minimum cell voltage.
- An alert shall activate in case the system is operated in absence the safety systems.
- An alert shall activate when the load is on in absence the safety systems.
- An automatic nitrogen purge shall start in the event of e-shutdown
- A maximum exhaust fan speed and exhaust duct at proximity of the testing rig are required
In-depth data
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Probable IGNITION SOURCE
References
- Sources categories
- HIAD reporting system
