Lessons Learned from an Explosion Involving a Small-Scale Commercial Hydrogen Electrolyzer

In 2018, an explosion occurred involving a small-scale hydrogen electrolyzer intended to produce hydrogen for a tube furnace. The explosion unexpectedly occurred during the commissioning process and injured the technician who was performing the work.

Gexcon was called to investigate the root cause of the incident and to evaluate various fire and explosion mitigation design aspects of the electrolyzer. The incident investigation not only determined the root causes of the incident, but also highlighted the importance of proper installation, ventilation of compartments where a hydrogen leak could occur, and isolation of such compartments from other compartments that could contain ignition sources.

This paper will provide a description of the incident and a summary of the Gexcon’s findings. While the incident involved a relatively small electrolyzer, the root cause and critical explosion mitigation concepts are relevant to larger electrolyzers as well. Such units are quickly becoming more prevalent in the United States as companies turn to hydrogen as a green solution. Thus, this investigation has a growing relevance for hydrogen process safety and will help ensure its safe use in the future.