EU H2 Safety Centre /
Future Needs for Research
Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
T. Jordan
Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH
Co-ordinator of NoE HySafe
1
Main characteristics of H2 Safety
 Dispersed knowledge in Europe due to different application
fields, experience (oil/gas industry, other chemical industry,
accidential nuclear production)
 Cross-cutting issue
 Closely related to RC&S
 Early exceptional accident could be a show-stopper for the
H2 economy
 Large energy / automotive players can afford their own
research but keep results confidential
 SMEs concentrate on product development, can not afford
research and activities towards RC&S
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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NoE HySafe SES6-CT-2004-502630
General Goal
 Contributing to a safe transition to a sustainable development
in Europe by facilitating the safe introduction of hydrogen
technologies / applications
Objectives
 strengthen and focus, integrate fragmented research on
hydrogen safety → competitive scientific and industrial institution
“European Hydrogen Safety Centre” EHSC
 Promoting public awareness and trust in hydrogen
technologies
 development of an excellent safety culture
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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Medium and Long term
market prospects
 According to the European Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology
Platform Strategic Overview:
„Early markets - including specialist vehicles (e.g. forklifts) and portable
applications – will be established by 2010, with stationary applications
achieving commercialisation by 2015 and mass market transport
applications by around 2020“
Safety,
RC&S
2020 Assumptions:
cross
cutting
issues
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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RTD objectives
 Develop common understanding of safety relevant H2 properties
 Fill knowledge gaps e.g. on:
o Performance/appropriateness of mitigation measures
o Behaviour in (partially) confined spaces
o DDT in realistic conditions, heterogeneous mixtures, influence of water
sprays
o Ignition in general
o Safety characterisation procedures for solid storage materials
o Material compatibilities
o High pressure jet behaviour
o Crashworthiness of H2 storage, piping, installations
 Evaluate and develop engineering RA methodologies
 Support RC&S by coordinated (integrated) pre-normative research,
e.g. handbook for small stationary installations,
translation of hazard zone and safety distances concepts,
tunnel directives, bonfire testing …
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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Research Infrastructures
usefulness for industry
Hardware/Facilities
 Most of the 78 facilities listed in
the HySafe catalogue of
experimental facilities
(public report D9 and online
presentation on www.HySafe.org)
have strong industry relevance
or even have been co-financed
by industry
INERIS
FZK
160m3 Test Cell for
distribution and
combustion tests
HSE/HSL
FZK
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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Research Infrastructures
usefulness for industry
Software/Simulation
 CFD tools for gas distribution and
combustion are important tools for all
involved industries
 design, risk assessment,
Prediction of flammable volume by 240g
extrapolation of experimental
H2 release in a “garage”:
results
AVT
CEA
DNV_b
GRS
HSE/HSL
NCSRD_b
UU
50
45
40
Flammable volume (m3)
 Standard commercial tools
in general are less useful
o H2 differs considerably
from other burning gases
o Tools rarely fit H2 properties
o Poor verification and accuracy
AVT_c
DNV_a
FZK
GXC
NCSRD_a
UPM
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
600
1200
1800
2400
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
3000
Time (s)
3600
4200
4800
5400
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Integration of the RTD objectives to a
Strategic Research Agenda
 Implicitely integrated as cross-cutting issue
 a detailed list of topics has been proposed but was
not implemented in the SRA
 Further details see HFP Review Meeting Online Presentations
(www.hfpeurope.org)
+ Leaves freedom to adopt new topics or to re-orientate HySafe
roadmaps to external requirements
- Makes it difficult to anticipate the needs
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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Mapping of existing research infrastructures
Overview related to the objectives
 Available infrastructure facilities 
Basic distribution/combustion phenomena in most scales
(mircro fuel cell to tunnel accidents)
 Special equipment  testing fuel cells are available
 Not many application orientated facilities
 Existing H2 measurement techniques 
not fully satisfactory (spatial resolution of small releases, reaction
times of precise sensors,…)
 Existing software infrastructure 
Not reliable enough to predict relevant phenomena accurately,
still very dispersed and therefore too small efforts on proprietary
codes with hidden models
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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Research Infrastructures needs
Maintenance + Upgrades
 Equipment of existing facilities with updated measurement
systems
 Upgrading existing facilities, e.g. to allow for H2 handling, and
releases or to allow for more application orientated experiments
o Tunnel facility www.l-surf.org
o New inserts for FZK Test Cell (Room simulation,…)
 Setting up procedures for equipment exchange
 Further development of existing CFD codes for
H2 dispersion and combustion modelling
 Integration by continuously and commonly performed
research projects
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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Research Infrastructure needs
New Facilities / Instruments

Full scale test refueling station
test different scenarios,
mitigation measures, safety barriers
 best design and
experimental verification of
simulations

„European Hy-SEF“
( Japan+US)
for full scale automotive
tests at system level,
public garage simulations
(fire, explosion,…)

Sensor arrays
New optical measurements
non instrusive
(0-100% H2)
+ software
Silencer
Air Supply
Exhaust
Blower
Air
Silencer
Air
Exhaust Emissions
Exhaust Blower
After Treatment Equipment
Internal Structure of Fire Test CellExternal Appearance of the Facility
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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Research Infrastructure needs
New Software + Procedures

Open Source European Combustion Code
new development, accounting for present and future HPC architectures
best documented, modular design, modern testing and verification procedures

Common European Safety Assessment Framework
unique approach for all EC (FP7) projects to prove the implementation of
comparable safety action plans,
continuous „control/auditing“ by independant safety experts
all according to guidelines (to be delivered)
and existing standards/regulations

Common European Incidence/Accident
Reporting
feeds the open HIAD database
increases information exchange,
facilitates probabilistically based
RA methodologies,
increases public awareness
 improves safety
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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Research Infrastructure needs
Integrated Organisation
To increase efficiencies and competitiveness integration is
needed for all safety relevant activities like
 Joint Research
 Dissemination
 Education
Currently provided by NoE HySafe
Public support ends 2009 (first half of FP7)


Long term survival of the successful activities,
instruments, databases and networks important
Reasonable maintenance of the 5 years EC and
consortium partners investment
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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Research Infrastructure needs
Integrated Organisation
RC&S
CEN
ISO
IEA
IPHE
HFP
North
America
EH SC
HyApproval
European Hydrogen Safety Centre
HyWays
Advisory
Council
Japan
Russia
StorHy
NATURALHY
R&D
HySAFEST
HyCourse HyTrain
HyFire
E&T
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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Next steps
 Develop DJPA for 3rd HySafe planning period
 Support HyApproval and HYTHEC by safety workshops
 Develop guideline for safety action plan (templated
procedure for all H2 project proposals)
 Propose joint research activities responding public calls
 Business Plan for HySafe
 European Hydrogen Safety Centre EHSC
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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Conclusion
 Safety is a crucial factor for introducing H2 as an energy
carrier to the public
 There is no absolute measure for safety, rather a common
scientificially based consensus on relative safety features
 any early exceptional accident could inhibit the new option
 There are many tools available based on different (also
industrial) experience, but they have to be improved,
partially adapted and applied
 Some additional hardware infrastructure is needed
 immediate need for commonly agreed procedures and
organisation of joint research
 Scattered efforts need to be integrated, research
coordinated and enforced by efficient cooperation centrally
organised by the European Hydrogen Safety Centre EHSC
Future Needs for Research Infrastructures in Energy
Brussels, 24 January 2006
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