Our involvement
We are pleased to announce that Gexcon will attend this year’s Hazards32 as exhibitors, which takes place between the 18-20 October at the Harrogate Convention Centre, Harrogate, UK.
Our team will be located on STAND 16, where they will be looking forward to meeting with you to discuss the latest information and technologies within the process safety industries and share knowledge.
We will also deliver a presentation where examples of hydrogen leak dispersion in enclosures and the potential explosion overpressures that could be expected will be presented.
Presentation
Title: Is Ventilation Your Trustworthy Old Friend When It Comes to Hydrogen? An Investigation of Hydrogen Dispersion and Vented Explosions
Authors: Jake Connor, Pablo Giacopinelli and Dr Karina Almeida Leñero (Gexcon UK)
Presenter: Pablo Giacopinelli / Dr Karina Almeida Leñero
Session: Hydrogen Hazards II
Date & Time: Tuesday, 18 October 2022 16:30 – 16:55 GMT
Abstract:
Hydrogen is poised to become a pillar in the transition towards a more sustainable energy system. As a result, many governments, businesses, and research institutions are looking to use hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas, in particular for power and transport applications (gas turbines, hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen combustion engines).
Although the industry has extensive experience in using hydrogen as part of their manufacturing processes, many new applications require hydrogen to be deployed close to the public. However, there seems to be a lack of awareness, particularly among new entrants, of the very different properties and explosion characteristics of hydrogen compared to natural gas.
One crucial difference is the difficulty that typical ventilation systems have in diluting a hydrogen leak to concentrations below which no damaging overpressure are expected. In natural gas applications, ventilation is a well-established component of the “basis of safety” in enclosures (compressor shelters, gas turbines). However, when using hydrogen, ventilation alone might not be enough to achieve a non-flammable atmosphere.
This paper will present examples of hydrogen leak dispersion in enclosures and the potential explosion overpressures that could be expected. We will show the influence of the size of the gas cloud on the severity of the explosion and the effect of different ventilation arrangements. Possible mitigation strategies will then be presented, to enable the safe deployment of hydrogen in applications that require close proximity to the public.
About the event
Hazards is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading process safety conferences. First staged in 1960, it is an industry-focused event which shares good practice, current thinking and lessons learned in process safety, and offers valuable networking opportunities.
As IChemE marks its centenary in 2022, Hazard 32 will also be a timely opportunity to celebrate progress in process safety and major hazard management, reflect on the lessons of the past and consider how we can apply them effectively to make tomorrow a better world.
Hazards32 will promote sharing and learning in every major aspect of process safety to encourage continuous improvement, with a particular focus on:
- identifying and embedding good practice in major hazards management
- the role of executive leadership in managing major hazards
- understanding and managing the emerging challenges and the major hazard implications of new technologies and applications
- opportunities for sharing and learning across industries and sectors.
This builds on the themes of last year’s Hazards conference, which resonated with attendees as the most important topics in major hazard management – particularly the emerging challenges of climate change, decarbonisation and the associated energy transition, new technologies such as digitalisation, big data, artificial intelligence, and the structural impact of COVID-19 on ways of working. Cross-sector learning was again seen as particularly valuable in providing new perspectives.
