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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Release from a pipe in a ammonia production plant

Event

Event ID
25
Quality
Description

Furnace tube leak caused excessive heat on H2 tube causing rupture

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
pipe (generic)
Failure mode
rupture, no ignition
Initiating cause
conventional component failure (fire)
Root CAUSE analysis

The INITIATING CAUSE is unclear. A non specified tube leaked causing a hydrogen tube to fail due to over-heating. was the loss of containment due to a failing gasket (of a joint or valve). ROOT CAUSE unknown.

Root causes
Unknown
Date entry in HIAD
28/02/2009

Facility

Application
Chemical industry
Sub-application
Ammonia production
Hydrogen supply chain stage
All components affected

hydrogen piping, ammonia reactor

Process temperature range [C]
High temperature (100°C to 500°C)
Location type
Unknown
Location
industrial area
Operational condition

Emergency & Consequences

Number of fatalities
0
Number of injured persons
0
Currency
US
Property loss (onsite)
5.000

In-depth data

Release type
gas
Involved substances (% vol)
H2 100%
Probable IGNITION SOURCE

References

Sources categories
Zalosh
Reference & weblink

Extract from Table II 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)