Comparison of hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels hazards and practical risk management strategies

Abstract

AbstractThe use of hydrogen as a fuel and energy carrier is increasing globally. Existing processes are being expanded, and hydrogen is also being incorporated into novel technologies and processes. As new hydrogen applications and processes are being developed, it is important for industry professionals to understand the associated hazards and how they differ from the hazards of hydrocarbon fuels. While best practices and risk management strategies for hydrocarbon fuel processes are mature and generally known within thre industry, the hazards of hydrogen processes, such as liquid storage tanks and fuel dispensers, are less commonly understood by those who may be planning to enter this industry. The objective of this paper is to explain the hazards of hydrogen and to provide a comparison of these hazards with those of commonly used hydrocarbon fuels through a review of the flammable hazards, consequence modeling, and select hydrogen‐release incidents. The analysis will provide current industry risk practitioners with useful guidance to understand the hazards associated with this increasingly popular fuel. This paper provides information in three main sections. The first section provides a review and comparison of fire and explosion hazards for hydrogen as compared to hydrocarbon fuels. Second section provides consequence modeling results comparing hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels for similar release scenarios using a common software model (DNV Phast version 8.71). Third section provides a review of select hydrogen incidents.