L R AS Published on Friday 28 June 2019 - n° 283 - Categories:hydrogen
Three explosions due to hydrogen
Three explosions around the world in recent months have raised concerns about the safety of hydrogen-based energy, darkening the prospects for its development.
On 23 March, hydrogen canisters
of a hydrogen plant in the town of Gangneung (South Korea) exploded, killing two people and injuring six,
On1 June, in Santa Clara County, California, several hydrogen transport trucks caught fire, causing a series of explosions caused by a leak of high-pressure hydrogen,
Last week, a serious explosion broke out at a hydrogen filling station in Norway. The shock wave activated the airbags of some nearby vehicles, killing two drivers.
These accidents have rekindled concerns about the safety of hydrogen, given its high flammability, as it can ignite at a density of 4-75% in air, compared to 5-15% for natural gas.
EnergyTrend of 25 June
NDLR The very high sensitivity of hydrogen to a spark and its combination with oxygen in the air can only be a real obstacle to the frequent use of this gas. The industrial use of hydrogen under particularly safe conditions cannot be compared with its daily use by people who are often not very careful. It should be possible to mitigate the explosive capacity of hydrogen. Is this technically possible?
