Hydrogen Safety and Loss Prevention in Industries Sergey Dorofeev

1. Hydrogen Safety and Loss Prevention in IndustriesSergey Dorofeev

2. Introduction of FM Global

3. FM Global Commercial and Industrial Property Insurance - A Specialty Company “Majority of Loss is Preventable” - Through Research/Engineering Mutual Ownership

4. FM Global - Numbers • Fortune 541 • > 5,000 employees • 1,800 engineers • 39 offices worldwide • Research: > 110 scientists and engineers (>50 Ph.D.)

5. FM Global Losses FM Global: Loss prevention engineering in fire, equipment, explosions and natural hazards

6. Hydrogen Safety and Loss Prevention in Industries

7. Hydrogen: old and new characters • Safety of hydrogen as an energy carrier • Hydrogen fueled vehicles • Refueling infrastructure • Distributed / renewable energy • … • New character

8. Hydrogen: old and new characters • Hydrogen safety & loss prevention in industries • Nuclear • H2 cooled generators • H2as a process chemical • Aerospace • … • Old character

9. Hydrogen: old and new characters • Hydrogen safety & loss prevention in industries • Nuclear • H2 cooled generators • H2as a process chemical • Aerospace • … • Old character

10. Nuclear • Accidents at NPP • Core-melt down accidents • Radiolysis gas explosions • Extensive studies since 1970that BNL, SNL, McGill, KI, FZK (KIT), … • Physical phenomena well understood • Three Mile Island NPP

11. Nuclear • Severe core melt down accidents • Three Mile Island • Fukushima Dai Ichi • H2 generation from melted core – steam reaction • Hydrogen mixing and explosion in a containment / reactor building

12. P, bar Slow subsonic flames Fast supersonic flames Detonations Hydrogen explosions • Variety of explosions regimes • Flame acceleration • DDT • Pressure loads depend on explosion regime • Confined • Unconfined

13. Explosion limits H2-air-steam mixtures at 450K, 2bar Room size L = 2 m Room size L = 0.5 m

14. Pressure loads • H2 deflagration in VVER-1000 containment B0X code, KI • BWR Mark I reactor building not designed for deflagration loads

15. Radiolysis gas explosions • Two accidents at BWR NPPs with DN15 piping (2001) • Hamaoka-1 NPP • Brunsbuettel KKB H2-O2-steam at T=560K and P=70 bar M. Kuznetsov

16. Radiolysis gas explosions • Pipe fracture Brunsbuettel KKB At BWR operating conditions PCJ= 806 bar M. Kuznetsov Hamaoka-1 NPP

17. Safety & loss prevention – nuclear • Hydrogen explosions in PWRs • Containment design • Hydrogen recombination • Local detonations difficult to avoid at high H2 release rates • Risk understood and accepted… Is problem solved? • Radiolysis gas • Temperature control

18. Hydrogen: old and new characters • Hydrogen safety & loss prevention in industries • Nuclear • H2 cooled generators • H2as a process chemical • Aerospace • … • Old character

19. Hydrogen cooled generators • Electric power generators produce large amounts of heat • Hydrogen is nearly perfect cooling gas • Generator is filled with H2 • H2 is sealed • System to purge H2 at shutdowns • Not all generators are H2 - cooled

20. Hydrogen oil seal system

21. Hydrogen oil seal system • Hazard combination • H2 explosion • Lube oil fire • Oil pressure to be maintained • Hydrogen to be replenished • Systems are complicated

22. Oil system

23. Hydrogen

24. Things happen • American Electric Power • Tank relief valve failure • Damage to building and generator

25. Things happen • American Electric Power • Detonation?

26. Things happen • Georgia Power • Improper purge procedures

27. Things happen • Georgia Power • Huge damage to building and generator

28. Things happen • Tampa Electric power • Improper purge procedures

29. Generators: Explosion hazards • Failure of seal oil system – H2 leak out into turbine hall • Component failure could lead to a release • A leak of the oil reservoir could lead to a fire and system failure • Ignition and explosion – damage to building, generator, nearby equipment

30. Generators: Loss prevention • Redundant pumps: AC and DC (with properly sized battery bank). • A routine hydrogen purge and fill procedure • timed tested and documented • Appropriate system alarms (H2 pressure and purity, etc.)

31. Generators: Explosion protection • Vents for vacuum tanks, extractors and relief devices routed outside • Welded hydrogen piping routed out of way of potential impact damage • Properly rated electrical equipment near generator. Class 1 Division 2 • At least 15 m clearance between hydrogen system and any electrical areas, air intakes, etc.

32. Hydrogen: old and new characters • Hydrogen safety & loss prevention in industries • Nuclear • H2 cooled generators • H2as a process chemical • Aerospace • … • Old character

33. Hydrogen as a process chemical • Experienced handling of hydrogen • Hydrogen production • Chemical plants, refineries,… • Specialty industries, safety culture, trained personal, procedures… VS • Inexperienced, new to hydrogen, or lack of safety culture…

34. Hydrogen as a process chemical • Experienced handling of hydrogen • Hydrogen production • Chemical plants, refineries,… • Specialty industries, safety culture, trained personal, procedures… VS • Inexperienced, new to hydrogen, or lack of safety culture…

35. Hydrogen atmosphere furnaces • Hoeganaes Corporation: Gallatin, TN CSB report No. 2011-4-I-TN

36. Process • Hoeganaesis worldwide producer of atomized steel and iron powders • Coarse iron powder is processed in annealing hydrogen atmosphere furnaces to make the iron more ductile • Hydrogen piping is located in a trench under the floor and covered by metal plates

37. Hydrogen Explosion • MAY 27, 2011 (THREE FATALITIES, TWO INJURIES) • A hissing noise near band furnace #1 identified as a gas leak • Presumed that the leak was nitrogen (same trench as H2) • Needed machinery to lift trench covers CSB report No. 2011-4-I-TN

38. Hydrogen Explosion • Forklift used • Friction created sparks, powerful explosion • Iron dust fires CSB report No. 2011-4-I-TN

39. The cause • Trench: N2, H2, vent pipes, and a drain for the cooling water • Pipe corrosion • Standards notfollowed • ASME B31.3 • CGA G-5.4 • NFPA 2, 55 CSB report No. 2011-4-I-TN

40. Loss prevention – hydrogen atmosphere furnace • Ambient conditions around process pipes as per ASTM • focus on environments that can create physical stresses in piping • Controlling and mitigating unauthorized discharges • Procedure to inspect piping • Protocol to mitigate gas leaks • Investigating a leak by testing the atmosphere for concentrations of explosive gas

41. Safety & loss prevention summary • Common accident prevention measures • Controlling H2 mixture composition • Controlling unintended discharge • Monitoring and inspecting (piping, connections, vessels, detectors,…) • Redundant safety systems • Operation procedures • Rated electrical equipment • Safety / separation distances

42. Safety & loss prevention summary • Common explosion protection measures • Venting high pressure vessels • Mitigating unintended discharge (recombination, ventilation…) • Explosion venting • Damage limiting construction • Safety / separation distances • Old traditional approaches…

43. Safety & loss prevention summary • Most accidents are preventable through research and engineering • Identify hazards and risk • Develop loss prevention and safety solutions • Accidents still occur • Improvement of engineering solutions • Awareness • Information • Education • Training

44. New hydrogen • We need advanced safety culture and new engineering solutions • Extreme operating conditions • New technologies • High system complexity • Inexperienced operators • …

45. Issues • Further refinement needed • Standardization • Education and training • Emergency response • New engineering solutions • Mitigating unintended hydrogen discharge • Gaseous, Cryogenic, Liquid H2 • Explosion venting • Explosion suppression / isolation? • …

46. Thank you!Questions?