Inherent safety assessment of on-board methanol reforming hydrogen production fuel cell system considering jet fire and vapor cloud explosion

Abstract

The on-board methanol reforming hydrogen fuel cell system (MRFC) is considered more promising than hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. However, few studies have been conducted on the safety of this system. This study investigates the inherent safety of MRFC. An inherent safety assessment framework was established to assess the MRFC's inherent safety, considering jet fire and vapor cloud explosion (VCE). The analysis results show that the radiation intensity of the hot methanol stream was 135.0920 kW/m2 at 0.5 m when a jet fire occurred. The methanol tank had the most severe explosive consequence, which can affect up to 60 m. The study concludes that the streams around the reformer and the methanol tank pose high risks. Compared to other studies, this study quantifies the risks of MRFC's equipment and pipelines, providing a reference for the inherent safety design of integrated processes in the future.