Risk identification and control of stationary high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels

The number of hydrogen fueling stations is steadily growing as the number of hydrogen fueled vehicles increases. Stationary high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels are key equipment in hydrogen fueling station. The safety of these vessels should be first considered during the design of hydrogen infrastructure because the vessel failure will cause huge damage and losses. This paper analyzes the potential hazards in these vessels. Based on the risk identification, it is proposed that risks can be mitigated and controlled by taking various measures, such as optimizing vessel structure, correct selection of materials, mitigation of ignition sources, on-line safety monitoring, safe operation and management. Furthermore, it was shown that multi-layered stationary hydrogen storage vessels, which were recently developed in the People's Republic of China, are safe in operation. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.