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Clean Hydrogen Partnership

Small LH2 leak during transfer

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)