TY - CONF A1 - Scarponi, G. T1 - Modelling the response of LH2 tanks equipment with Multi Layer Insulation to fire exposure N2 - Hydrogen is among the most promising candidates to replace fossil fuels in the energy transition. Hydrogen-powered vehicles are already a reality, and their number is foreseen to increase considerably in the next decade. Among the possible solutions to store hydrogen in such vehicles, cryogenic tanks equipped with multi-layer insulation (MLI) appear to be one of the most effective to ensure high volumetric energy density. A potential loss of integrity of this kind of storage equipment might lead to severe consequences due to high flammability of hydrogen. This might occur, for instance, as a consequence of the exposure to an external source of heat such as a fire following a car accident. Real scale fire test results suggest that the super insulating performance of MLI systems may undergo severe degradation when this is subjected to high temperature, leaving the tank almost unprotected and leading to failure in a relatively short time. Characterizing this kind of accident scenario is crucial to ensure a safe design of storage tanks for Hydrogen-powered vehicles. This presentation provides an overview of the ongoing research work on modelling MLI LH2 tanks exposed to fire. Lumped and computational fluid dynamic based models are presented, highlighting current gaps. The relevance of taking MLI degradation into account when simulating the pressure increase due to external fire exposure is here demonstrated through the analysis case studies. T2 - H2-Kolloquium CY - Online meeting DA - 21.06.2023 KW - LH2 KW - Cold KW - MLI PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57878 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Heßmann, Jennifer A1 - Werner, Jan A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Cozzani, Valerio A1 - Otremba, Frank T1 - Investigation of realistic fire scenarios involving cryogenic storage tanks N2 - The number of vehicles using or transporting cryogenic fuels such as Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) increases fast in the land transportation sector. Does this also entail new risks for instance from a BLEVE? A key to answer this question is to research representative fires by its characterization and its effect on the insulation. At BAM’s technical test side in Germany, a test series was started to answer this question among others. This paper presents results on a pool fire under a colorimeter, that simulates a tank. The investigation points out, that the full fire characterization approach allows to represent the fire. The findings are relevant for the investigation of a representative design fire that is applicable for the approval and improvement of tanks as well as to research accident scenarios and their consequences. T2 - 18th EFCE International Symposium on Loss Prevention and Safety Promotion in the Process Industries CY - Bologna, Italy DA - 08.06.2025 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Fire KW - Liquefied Natural Gas KW - Safety PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63425 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Otremba, Frank T1 - Systems with Cryogenic Liquefied Gases in Fire Incidents N2 - Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) establish themselves as important energy carriers in the transport sector. Its storage requires tanks with Thermal Super Insulations (TSI) to keep the transported fluid cold. TSI has proven itself in various applications over a long time, but not in the land transport sector, where accidents involving collisions, fires, and their combination are to be expected. The focus of this study is to investigate the behavior of different types of TSI when exposed to a heat source that represents a fire. Therefore, a High- Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (HTTVC) was used that allows the thermal loading of thermal insulation material in a vacuum and measuring the heat flow through the TSI in parallel. Within this study, 5 samples were tested regarding 3 different types of MLI, rock wool, and perlites. The thermal exposure caused different effects on the samples. In practice, this can be connected to the rapid release of flammable gases as well as a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). These results are relevant for the evaluation of accident scenarios, the improvement of TSI, and the development of emergency measures. T2 - IMECE 2023 CY - New Orleans, Louisiana, USA DA - 29.10.2023 KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Fire PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58769 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - Energy Transportation and Storage with Liquid Hydrogen N2 - Hydrogen is seen as a potential energy source that enables us to achieve our climate targets. Hydrogen can be well integrated into the electrical energy infrastructure, and its production and use is free of direct GHG emissions. However, tanks are needed for worldwide storage and transportation, which require further development and upscaling. In the EU-funded NICOLHy project, novel insulation concepts based on Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP) are being investigated. These aim to enable the safe, cost- and energy-efficient storage of large quantities of LH₂. Such large-scale LH₂ storage technology is necessary to build transport and stationary tanks with capacities ranging from 40,000 m³ to more than 200,000 m³ of LH₂, similar to current LNG applications. However, new design concepts are needed, as the technologies currently used for small and medium-sized storage are not suitable for upscaling. The main disadvantages of the current state of the art in terms of upscaling are long production times due to complex process chains, low failure tolerance, and the spherical shape of the tanks, which reduces payload in technical applications by up to 50% compared to other geometries. The novel concept aims to overcome these limitations by being modular, open-form, energy-efficient, time- and cost-efficient in production, operation, and maintenance, safe while being multi-failure tolerant, and suitable for both transport and stationary applications. To achieve these ambitious objectives, experts from all over Europe in the fields of thermodynamics, cryogenics, marine, chemistry, process, and safety engineering are working hand in hand. Within the NICOLHy project, several insulation concepts have been developed and will be benchmarked using a set of key performance indicators aligned with the overall project goals. During the development process, refined and detailed research questions were formulated, which are being addressed through ongoing theoretical and experimental studies. In this context, small to large-scale test rigs are being built to evaluate and quantify insulation materials and concepts. The presentation will showcase the NICOLHy project and its progress. NICOLHy will contribute to accelerating the integration of hydrogen into the European energy economy and industry—supporting the European Green Deal and fostering public trust in both policy and technology. T2 - Hydrogen Research and Innovation Days CY - Brussels, Belgium DA - 24.11.2025 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64829 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Ustolin, Federico A1 - Zervaki, Anna A1 - Okpeke, Bright A1 - Harwege, Finn A1 - Tugnoli, Alessandro T1 - NICOLHy - 3rd Stakeholder Advisory Board meeting N2 - The NICOLHy project aims to develop a novel insulation concept based on Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP) that enables the safe, cost- and energy efficient storage of large quantities of LH2. Such large scale LH2 storage technology is necessary for establishing a hydrogen economy with dimensions between 40.000 m³ and more than 200.000 m³ of LH2. However, new design concepts are needed because the currently available technologies used in small and medium storages today are not suitable for up-scaling. The main problems prohibiting the up-scaling are the long production time due to the process chain, the low failure tolerance and the spherical shape, which reduces the payload in technical applications by up to 50% compared to other shapes. The novel concept will change these conditions by a system which is modular, open-form, time-and cost efficient while production, operation and service, multi-failure tolerant and applicable for onshore and offshore applications. The presentations shows details to the concept and presents several safety concerns the project has to deal with. T2 - NICOLHy 3rd Stakeholder Meeting CY - Online meeting DA - 27.06.2025 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Tanks PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63730 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Askar, Enis T1 - Stand der Kenntnisse und Technik bzgl. Wasserstoffsicherheit N2 - In dem Vortrag werden die aktuellen Herausforderungen für die Sicherheit von Wasserstofftechnologien skizziert, die sicherheitstechnischen Eigenschaften und physikalischen Eigenschaften von Wasserstoff im Vergleich zu anderen Energieträgern vorgestellt sowie Gefahren spezifisch im Zusammenhang mit Flüssigwasserstoff aufgezeigt. Im zweiten Teil wird ein kurzer Überblick über Regelwerke gegeben und typische Unfallszenarien anhand eines Fallbeispiels illustriert. Abschließend werden die von nationalen und internationalen Expertengruppen identifizierten Forschungslücken zusammengefasst und es wird auf relevante Datenbanken und Portale zur Wasserstoffsicherheit verwiesen. T2 - DVGW-Kongress H₂ Sicherheit CY - Online meeting DA - 26.11.2025 KW - Explosionsschutz KW - LH2 KW - Regelwerke KW - Unfallszenarien KW - Forschungsbedarfe PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64865 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Askar, Enis A1 - Holtappels, Kai T1 - Fire and explosion safety for hydrogen technologies N2 - The presentation gives an overview about the research and testing activities of H2Safety@bam in the field of process and plant safety. T2 - HYDROGENIUS BAM Joint Hydrogen Symposium CY - Online meeting DA - 06.07.2021 KW - Explosion protection KW - LH2 KW - Jet-fires KW - Test area PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53720 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Ustolin, Federico A1 - Zervaki, Anna A1 - Okpeke, Bright A1 - Harwege, Finn A1 - Tugnoli, Alessandro T1 - NICOLHy - 4th Stakeholder Advisory Board Meeting N2 - The NICOLHy project aims to develop a novel insulation concept based on Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP) that enables the safe, cost- and energy efficient storage of large quantities of LH2. Such large scale LH2 storage technology is necessary for establishing a hydrogen economy with dimensions between 40.000 m³ and more than 200.000 m³ of LH2. However, new design concepts are needed because the currently available technologies used in small and medium storages today are not suitable for up-scaling. The main problems prohibiting the up-scaling are the long production time due to the process chain, the low failure tolerance and the spherical shape, which reduces the payload in technical applications by up to 50% compared to other shapes. The novel concept will change these conditions by a system which is modular, open-form, time-and cost efficient while production, operation and service, multi-failure tolerant and applicable for onshore and offshore applications. The presentations shows details to the concept and presents several safety concerns the project has to deal with. T2 - NICOLHy 4th Stakeholder Advisory Board Meeting CY - Hamburg, Germany DA - 23.01.2026 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Life cycle assessment KW - Tank PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65437 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - NICHOLHy - Novel insulation concepts for liquefied hydrogen storage tanks N2 - Liquefied Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier for the flexible import of energy to Europe. But, tanks in the relevant scale of 40 000 to 200 000 m³ do not exist yet. The upscaling of liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage tanks from the current largest tank of 4700 m³ requires a new concept for thermal insulation. NICOLHy studies novel concepts based on multiple layers of vacuum insulation panels (VIPs). Current LH2 tanks rely on the intactness of a single vacuum layer that covers the whole tank. The multilayered VIP systems offer redundancy and improve manufacturability. The Article describes the progress within the project. KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Tanks PY - 2026 UR - https://www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu/content/files/2025/12/EEI-Magazine---Winter-2025-Digital-Version-Spreads-2.pdf SN - 3049-5431 VL - 2026/1 SP - 33 EP - 33 PB - Pantograf Media Ltd. CY - London AN - OPUS4-65481 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schiaroli, Alice A1 - Camplese, Davide A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Ustolin, Federico A1 - Cozzani, Valerio T1 - Modelling the behaviour of cryogenic liquid hydrogen tanks engulfed in fire N2 - The safe use of liquid hydrogen as a clean fuel requires a deep understanding of its behaviour in accident scenarios. Among other scenarios, the possible involvement of cryogenic liquid hydrogen tanks in engulfing fires is of particular concern, due to the potentially severe consequences. This study proposes a computational fluid dynamic model suitable to simulate the behaviour of liquid hydrogen tanks equipped with multi-layer insulation (MLI) engulfed in fire. An original approach has been developed to assess the progressive degradation of the performance of the thermal insulation, that is crucial in determining the tank pressurization and failure. The model is validated against full-scale experimental fire tests. The outcomes of the model reproduce the progressive pressurization and the opening time of the pressure relief valve within 2 % error. The results demonstrate the importance of accounting for the dynamic evolution of the progressive degradation of the insulation when evaluating tank pressurization, and they highlight the limitations of empirical, simplified state-of-the-art approaches. Furthermore, the analysis evidences the key role of the fire temperature in governing tank response, stressing the need for proper fire characterization to support reliable modelling of fire scenarios and the development of emergency planning and mitigation strategies ensuring the structural integrity of liquid hydrogen tanks during fire attacks. KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Fire KW - Tank PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-652920 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2025.108319 SN - 0957-5820 VL - 206 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-65292 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -