Screening-Level Risk Assessment of a Hydrogen Refueling Station that Uses Organic Hydride

Kiyotaka Tsunemi, Kikuo Yoshida, Takehiro Kihara, Tei Saburi and Kyoko Ono
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Kiyotaka Tsunemi: Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan
Kikuo Yoshida: Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan
Takehiro Kihara: Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan
Tei Saburi: Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan
Kyoko Ono: Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-13

Abstract: This study involves a screening-level risk assessment of the impairment of human health and life related to hydrogen explosion and chemical release during the operation of a hydrogen refueling station (HRS) that uses organic hydride. First, twenty-one accident scenarios were identified involving the leakage of hydrogen, toluene and methylcyclohexane (MCH) in the HRS. Next, the leakage frequency for each scenario was estimated using a hierarchical Bayesian model. Simulations were then performed of the blast-wave pressure and heat radiation after a hydrogen leak and of atmospheric dispersion of evaporated chemicals after leaks of liquid MCH and toluene. The consequences were estimated for each scenario according to leak size using the existing probit functions and threshold values. Finally, the risk due to explosion, heat radiation, and acute toxicity was estimated by multiplying the consequence by the leakage frequency. The results show that the mortality risk of explosion and acute effect is less than 10 −6 per year, which is a negligible level of concern. However, the mortality risk of heat radiation in the scenarios involving hydrogen leakage from the pipe connected to the cylinders and compressors exceeds 10 −4 per year inside the HRS, thereby requiring additional steps if a more-detailed risk assessment is needed.

Keywords: hydrogen refueling station; organic hydride; quantitative risk assessment; explosion; heat radiation; acute toxicity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:12:p:4477-:d:186176

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