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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Gas storage vessel rupture release of tank in open atmosphere

Event

Event ID
26
Quality
Description

A compressed gas spherical vessel failed along the along the weld, releasing the whole content, consisting in a H2-CH4-rich mixture (54%, 26%). The cause was stress corrosion accelerated by hydrogen.

Event Initiating system
Classification of the physical effects
Unignited Hydrogen Release
Nature of the consequences
leak no ignition
Macro-region
Europe
Country
Germany
Date
Component involved
CGH2 tank (stationary)
Failure mode
rupture, no ignition
Initiating cause
H2-driven material degradation
Root CAUSE analysis

The INITIATING CAUSE was hydrogen-assisted stress corrosion.
ROOT CAUSE is not given, but a inadequate design is suspected.

Root causes
Date entry in HIAD
28/02/2009

Facility

Application
Hydrogen stationary storage
Sub-application
GH2 storage
Hydrogen supply chain stage
All components affected

compressed gas spherical vessel

Process temperature range [C]
ambient temperature (-50°C to +50°C)
Process pressure range [MPa]
unknown
Location type
Unknown
Location
industrial area
Operational condition

Emergency & Consequences

Number of fatalities
0
Number of injured persons
0

In-depth data

Release type
gas mixture
Involved substances (% vol)
H2 54%
CH4 46%
Release temperature [°C]
25
Probable IGNITION SOURCE

References

Sources categories
Scientific article
Reference & weblink

Kier and Müller, 1983; A.M. Kreiser, G. Fröhlich, H. Eichert, A.Schatz, IKE Universität Stuttgart ISSN 0173-6892, April 1994Analyse von Störfällen mit Wasserstoff in bisherigen Anwendungsbereichen mit besonderer Berücksichtigung von LH2