Fire safety of hydrogen fuel transport refueling infrastructure

Introduction. The necessity of research in the field of fire safety of an infrastructure of railway, waterway and air transport using hydrogen as a fuel is presented. The relevance of this study is stipulated by an expansion of works aimed on an application of hydrogen to various types of the transport. The aim of this study is a review of investigations in the area of the fire safety of the infrastructure for a hydrogen refueling (hydrogen transport). The main task is to identify gaps in the subject and results of already conducted research and to develop proposals for further work.

Analysis of investigations in the area of the fire safety of the refueling stations for transport using hydrogen as a fuel. Publications in international journals devoted to solving the problem of hydrogen use in transport were analyzed. Researches in this direction are carried out in many countries of the world, though practical realization of their results is relatively small. First of all, it is worth mentioning the creation of regular passenger railway transportations in Germany, although the scale of these transportations is small (only one local line operates). In Norway, the conversion of ferries to hydrogen fuel is nearing completion. The works in the field of hydrogen application in air transport are of exploratory nature.

Conclusions. Hydrogen is a promising type of motor fuel for various types of transport, including railway, marine and air transport. However, the results of the works published in scientific press testify to rather weak elaboration of fire safety issues. In this connection it seems necessary to carry out additional research in this area. The directions of these studies are outlined.

1. Gordienko D. M., Shebeko Yu. N. Fire and explosion safety of objects of hydrogen energetics. Occupational Safety in Industry. 2022; 2:7-12. DOI: 10.24000/0409-2961-2022-2-7-12. EDN FYZNQV. (rus).

2. Shebeko Yu. N. Normative documents on fire safety of hydrogen energetics infrastructure. Fire Safety. 2020; 4:36-42. (rus).

3. Gordienko D. M., Shebeko Yu. N. Fire safety of infrastructure for transport on hydrogen fuel. Fire and Explosion Safety. 2022; 31(2):41-51. DOI: 10.22227/0869-7493.2022.31.02.41-51. EDN UZHJGX. (rus).

4. Shebeko Yu. N. Fire safety of hydrogen refueling stations. Fire and Explosion Safety. 2020; 29(4):42-50. DOI: 10.22227/PVB.2020.29.04.42-50. EDN FDSVEM. (rus).

5. Shebeko Yu. N. Fire safety of storage and transportation of hydrogen. Fire Safety. 2023; 1:17-26. DOI: 10.37657/vniipo.pb.2023.110.1.001. EDN JBMKKQ. (rus).

6. Hansen O. R. Hydrogen infrastructure — Efficient risk assessment and design optimization approach to ensure safe and practical solutions. Process Safety and Environmental Protection. 2020; 141:164-176. DOI: 10.1016/j.psep.2020.06.028

7. Royle M., Willougyby D. The safety of future hydrogen economy. Process Safety and Environmental Protection. 2011; 89(6):452-462. DOI: 10.1016/j.psep.2011.09.003

8. Pagliaro M., Iulianell A. Hydrogen refueling stations: safety and sustainability. General Chemistry. 2020; 6:190029. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.10338.48324

9. Piraino F., Genovese M., Fragiacomo P. Towards a new mobility concept for regional trains and hydrogen infrastructure. Energy Conversion and Management. 2021; 228:113650. DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2020.113650

10. Chrysochioidis N., Escude M. R., van Wijh A. M.J. Technical potential of on-site wind powered hydrogen production refueling stations in the Netherlands. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2020; 45:25096-25108. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.06.125

11. Tsuda K. Design proposal for hydrogen refueling infrastructure development in the Northeastern United States. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2014; 39(14):7449-7459. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2014.03.002

12. Farkas B., Koller L., Kovesdi I. Issues for introduction of hydrogen-powered rail vehicles on Hungarian regional railways lines through an example for Germany. Transportation Research Procedia. 2024; 77:35-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.­trpro.2024.01.005

13. Fu L., Chen X., Chen Yu., Jiang S., Shen B. Hydrogen-electricity hybrid energy pipelines for railway transportation: Design and economic evaluation. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2024; 61:251-264. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.02.299

14. Ding D., Wu X. Hydrogen fuel cell electric trains: Technologies, current status and future. Applications in Energy and Combustion Science. 2024; 17:100255. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaecs.2024.100255

15. Ling-Chin J., Giampien A., Wilks M., Lau S. W., Bacon E., Sheppard I. et al. Technology roadmap for hydrogen-fueled transportation in UK. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2024; 52:705-733. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.04.131

16. Bohm M., Del Rey A. F., Pagenkopf J., Varela M., Herwatz-Polster S., Calderon B. N. Review and composition of worldwide hydrogen activities in rail sector with special focus on onboard storage and refueling technologies. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2022; 47:38003-38017. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhedene.2022.08.279

17. Kang D., Yun S., Kim B. Review of liquid hydrogen storage tank and insulation system for the high-power locomotive. Energies. 2022; 15:4357. DOI: 10.3390/en15124357

18. Guerra C. F., Reyes-Bozo L., Vyhmeister E., Salazar J. L., Caparros M. J., Clemente-Jul C. et al. Sustainability of hydrogen refueling stations for trains using electrolysers. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2021; 46(26):13748-13759. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.10.044

19. Yoo B. H., Wilailak S., Bae S. H., Gye H. R., Lee C. J. Comparison risk assessment of liquefied and gaseous hydrogen refueling stations. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2021; 46(71):35511-35524. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.08.073

20. Pasman H. J., Rogers W. J. Risk assessment by means of Bayesian networks: a comparative study of compressed and liquefied H2 transportation and tank station risks. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2012; 37:17415-17425. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.04.051

21. Kim E., Lee K., Kim J., Lee Y., Park J., Moon I. Development of Korean hydrogen fueling station codes through risk analysis. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2011; 36:13122-13131. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.07.053

22. Yu X., Yan W., Liu Y., Zhou P., Li B., Wang C. The flame mitigation effect of vertical barrier wall in hydrogen refueling stations. Fuel. 2022; 315:123265. DOI: 10.1016/J.fuel.2022.123265

23. Aarskog F. G., Hansen O. R., Stromgren T., Ullebtrg O. Concept risk assessment of a hydrogen driven high speed passenger ferry. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2020; 45(2):1359-1372. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.05.128

24. Yuan Y., Wu S., Shen B. A numerical simulation of the suppression of a hydrogen jet fires on hydrogen fuel cell ships using a fine water mist. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2021; 46:13353-13364. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.01.130

25. Adler E. J., Martins R. R. Hydrogen-powered aircraft: Fundamental concepts, key technologies, and environmental impacts. Progress in Aerospace Sciences. 2023; 141:100922. DOI: 10.1016/j/paerosci.2023.100922

26. Jang H., Mujeeb M. P., Wang H., Park C., Hwang I., Jeong B. et al. Regulatory gap analysis for risk assessment of ammonia-fueled ships. Ocean Engineering. 2023; 287:115751. DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2023.115751