2022 Center for Hydrogen Safety Americas Conference
The Intersection of Personal Safety and Systems Safety at Public Hydrogen Refueling Stations
The proposed topic is to share the safety in design and operational strategies to manage the various dimensions of safety necessary to continue scaling up hydrogen for light and heavy-duty transportation.
Building and operating hydrogen refueling stations has a unique challenge in managing customers, the general public, and workers' safety. Refueling stations are non-industrial sites that store hydrogen at low temperature and deliver it at high pressure, making the application of the fundamental safeguards of the Hydrogen Technologies Code NFPA 2, a critical but complex task. In this case study, the author presents how a company that delivers more than four tons of hydrogen per day to passenger vehicles in the State of California, uses innovative engineering design to meet and, in several cases, exceed the code requirements. All while dealing with the space restrictions of strategic locations that are necessary to reach and attract customers.
It explains the general operational practices that have worked well to maintain the station's safety systems integrity, the worker's safety, and the actions necessary to improve the customer experience and regulators' trust in the refueling process and the overall safety of the refueling sites. It also addresses the challenges posed by the public unfamiliarity with hydrogen properties and some technological developments necessary to make it more widely accepted and seen as a fuel that can be safely stored, dispensed, and used for transportation.
Building and operating hydrogen refueling stations has a unique challenge in managing customers, the general public, and workers' safety. Refueling stations are non-industrial sites that store hydrogen at low temperature and deliver it at high pressure, making the application of the fundamental safeguards of the Hydrogen Technologies Code NFPA 2, a critical but complex task. In this case study, the author presents how a company that delivers more than four tons of hydrogen per day to passenger vehicles in the State of California, uses innovative engineering design to meet and, in several cases, exceed the code requirements. All while dealing with the space restrictions of strategic locations that are necessary to reach and attract customers.
It explains the general operational practices that have worked well to maintain the station's safety systems integrity, the worker's safety, and the actions necessary to improve the customer experience and regulators' trust in the refueling process and the overall safety of the refueling sites. It also addresses the challenges posed by the public unfamiliarity with hydrogen properties and some technological developments necessary to make it more widely accepted and seen as a fuel that can be safely stored, dispensed, and used for transportation.