Liquid hydrogen spill tests will inform safety standards’ technical basis

Sandia is helping to enable assessment of large-scale leak scenarios to improve the safety of hydrogen infrastructure by developing a science-based, defensible, and well-documented rationale for liquid hydrogen safety requirements. Sandia recently completed an experimental campaign to simulate and quantify how liquid hydrogen behaves if accidentally spilled or released at a fueling station. The experimental observations collected from the tests will be embedded in models that quantify risk. By accurately simulating how liquid hydrogen can pool, evaporate, and disperse when released, the models can help planners and communities focus their discussion and investments on necessary safety measures and reduce costs where safety measures are proven to be redundant or unnecessary.

The experiments were conducted as part of Sandia’s continued work to provide data and analyses to support science-based regulations, codes, and standards for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The research was funded by the Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office.  

Photo: A Sandia researcher inspects the surface after a test.