Event
- Event ID
- 64
- Quality
- Description
A liquid hydrogen tanker had completed the off-loading at a customer’ site (metal manufacturer). The drivers were preparing to disconnect from the customer’ tank, when they noticed a small leak at the "T" connection at liquid line to liquid level gauge. They stopped the leak by forcing a small wooden stick into the opening. The drivers called the onsite company serviceman, who failed to repair leak. 2.50 hours later the company corporate office was called for assistance. The team arrived 4.50 hour later. After assessing situation, the team instructed the serviceman on how to repair line. The team explained the procedure to fire fighters and the police officials. The repair in the night to the following day.
- 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
- cryogenic connection
- Failure mode
- leak, no ignition
- Initiating cause
- material degradation (generic)
- Root CAUSE analysis
INITIAL CAUSE was a leak on the liquid hydrogen line.
The ROOT CAUSE was probably the same, related to material failure. However, the company service at the customer site had not been able to repair the leak, what speak for a need to improve procedures training.- Root causes
- Date entry in HIAD
- 31/12/2024
Facility
- Application
- Hydrogen transport and distribution
- Sub-application
- LH2 tanker
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
pipe connection
- Process temperature range [C]
- cryogenic temperature (below -50°C)
- Process pressure range [MPa]
- low to medium pressure (below 2 MPa)
- Location type
- Open
- Location
- highway or similar
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Currency
- US$
- Property loss (onsite)
- 100
- Emergency action
The drivers stopped the leak by forcing a small wooden stick into the opening. Unclear if this was successful to reduce/stop the leak.
After that the on-site company serviceman had not been able to repair, the company team arrived from the head quarter succeeded, approximately 9 hours later.
Lesson Learnt
- Lesson Learnt
The fact that company service at the customer site had not been able to repair the leak, probably indicates that procedures training could be improved.
In-depth data
- Release type
- gas
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2 100%
- Released amount (kg)
- 28
- Probable IGNITION SOURCE
References
- Sources categories
- PHMSA
- Reference & weblink
Event incident I-1990080088 of the PHMSA database (Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, 1996) - no individual pdf report
https://portal.phmsa.dot.gov/analytics/saw.dll?Portalpages
(accessed September 2024)