Uniform safety statistics (standardization of reporting on incidents or accidents based on clearly defined criteria)

Recommendation: The Standardization Roadmap for Hydrogen Technologies recommends setting up a research project to investigate the following:

The evaluation of incidents and near accidents is a significant source of knowledge for improving the state of safety technology. However, analyses of incident data often reveal an unequal basis for evaluation due to different incident classifications, meaning that incident documentation from different databases cannot be compared. As part of the research, a data structure is to be developed that enables the meaningful integration of a large number of data records from other databases. Based on a sample database to be created as part of the project, a standard is to be developed and presented which can be used by political decision-makers as a guideline for the documentation of accidents and near misses in connection with hydrogen.

Release models/impact assessments

Recommendation: The Standardization Roadmap Hydrogen Technologies recommends setting up a research project to investigate the following:

Dispersion calculations based on VDI 3783 take into account a wide range of hazardous substances, but do not provide reliable information regarding the dispersion of hydrogen at different temperature ranges. Particularly with regard to the wide temperature spread between cryogenic liquefied hydrogen and ambient temperature, there is still a lack of data on the actual dispersion of released hydrogen. On the other hand, there is a very wide range of models for estimating the consequences of possible ignitions, which also deliver very different results. The research should serve to verify or falsify the models and also to improve the statements. To this end, a matrix of sensors for measuring the hydrogen concentration is to be set up and operated around a vent stack. In particular, the close range of the releases, which is explicitly omitted in VDI 3783, will also be considered.

Vent and flarestacks

Recommendation: The Standardization Roadmap for Hydrogen Technologies recommends setting up a research project to investigate the following:

The design of vent and flarestacks is currently based exclusively on the specialist knowledge of individual companies. Although DIN EN ISO 25457:2009-6 considers the construction and design of flare and vent stacks, it is designed for larger molecules and cannot be applied to hydrogen, or only to a very limited extent. The project includes detailed planning, procurement and the construction of a research vent system, in which extensive issues relating to the removal of large quantities of boil-off gases and liquid hydrogen in the event of safety/emergency relief of a component or a container are recorded with sensors and then analyzed. The aim is to build a vent system that is able to analyze high-risk discharge events such as vacuum breakage of a test object using sensors and also to answer specific questions on the subject of heat transfer, insulation and evaporation.

Electrostatic charges

Recommendation: The Standardization Roadmap for Hydrogen Technologies recommends setting up a research project to investigate the following:

The statements in TRGS 727 on the avoidance of ignition hazards due to electrostatic charges are in part too general for practical application. With regard to the avoidance of electrostatic charges, for example, the question arises as to when solid particles or liquid droplets in pure gases become relevant. Furthermore, some of the recommendations on the dissipation of electrostatic charges in the TRGS are too general. How can these recommendations be specified for hydrogen? What measures should be taken?