Cryogenic LH2 storage vessels in a fire
- To investigate the hazards emanating from cryogenic LH2 storage Vessels in a fire, experiments have been performed at the Test Site Technical Safety of the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM) in Horstwalde, Germany.
Three double-walled vacuum insulated vessels of 1 m3 volume, filled to approximately 35-40 Vol.% with LH2 were put in a fire. The cylindrical Vessels differed in orientation (horizontal or vertical) and the insulation material used (perlite or multi-layer insulation (MLI)). The fire load was provided by a propane fed burner-system positioned under the storage vessel and designed to give a homogeneous fire load.
During the tests the conditions in the vessel (temperatures and pressure) as well as external effects (heat radiation, blast waves, flame ball development and fragmentation) were measured. The tests showed that the k-type thermocouples used are not suitable for measuring very low temperatures as for example the temperature of the hydrogen liquidTo investigate the hazards emanating from cryogenic LH2 storage Vessels in a fire, experiments have been performed at the Test Site Technical Safety of the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM) in Horstwalde, Germany.
Three double-walled vacuum insulated vessels of 1 m3 volume, filled to approximately 35-40 Vol.% with LH2 were put in a fire. The cylindrical Vessels differed in orientation (horizontal or vertical) and the insulation material used (perlite or multi-layer insulation (MLI)). The fire load was provided by a propane fed burner-system positioned under the storage vessel and designed to give a homogeneous fire load.
During the tests the conditions in the vessel (temperatures and pressure) as well as external effects (heat radiation, blast waves, flame ball development and fragmentation) were measured. The tests showed that the k-type thermocouples used are not suitable for measuring very low temperatures as for example the temperature of the hydrogen liquid phase when using the standard tabled values and conversion functions. An assessment of the measured temperatures could only be done by an own “recalibration” of the thermocouples for the very low temperature range.
Bolometers were used to measure the heat radiation generated by a possible fireball/BLEVE. To measure blast generated by the vessel burst/BLEVEs blast pencils were positioned at up to three locations. Further several cameras were used to monitor the events: normal cameras, infrared (IR)-cameras, high-speed cameras also on board of a drone.
Two of these vessels, a horizontal and a vertical vessel both insulated with perlite withstood the fire loading for 1 hour 20 minutes and 4 hours respectively without catastrophic failure, but partly showing leakages. The horizontal vessel insulated with MLI failed by bursting after 1 hour and 6 minutes resulting in a fireball, fragments, and blast wave. The test results as well as the detailed examination of the non destroyed vessels rose some interesting questions which type of insulation is better to protect a vessel not only during its normal operation but also under fire loading against a heat flux from the surroundings, as well as to the suitability of cryogenic (safety) equipment under fire loading.…


| Autor*innen: | Martin KlugeORCiD |
|---|---|
| Koautor*innen: | Abdel Karim HabibORCiD |
| Dokumenttyp: | Vortrag |
| Veröffentlichungsform: | Präsentation |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Jahr der Erstveröffentlichung: | 2025 |
| Organisationseinheit der BAM: | 2 Prozess- und Anlagensicherheit |
| 2 Prozess- und Anlagensicherheit / 2.1 Sicherheit von Energieträgern | |
| DDC-Klassifikation: | Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / Chemische Verfahrenstechnik / Chemische Verfahrenstechnik |
| Freie Schlagwörter: | BLEVE; Consequences; Cryogenic storage; Fire engulfment; LH2 |
| Themenfelder/Aktivitätsfelder der BAM: | Chemie und Prozesstechnik |
| Chemie und Prozesstechnik / Anlagensicherheit und Prozesssimulation | |
| Veranstaltung: | 18th EFCE International Symposium on Loss Prevention and Safety Promotion in the Process Industries |
| Veranstaltungsort: | Bologna, Italy |
| Beginndatum der Veranstaltung: | 08.06.2025 |
| Enddatum der Veranstaltung: | 11.06.2025 |
| Verfügbarkeit des Dokuments: | Datei im Netzwerk der BAM verfügbar ("Closed Access") |
| Datum der Freischaltung: | 16.07.2025 |
| Referierte Publikation: | Nein |
| Eingeladener Vortrag (wissenschaftliche Konferenzen): | Ja |

