Project Lifecycle and Hydrogen Hazards Analysis Roadmap

Hazard analyses for projects involving hydrogen production, transmission, storage, and/or consumption can and should be performed as a project design proceeds. Many approaches currently employed for typical hydrocarbons can be adapted and modified to fit hydrogen-specific characteristics. Potential analysis approaches can include Process Hazard Analyses (PHA), simplified dispersion and explosion models, detailed dispersion and explosion models (e.g., computational fluid dynamics – CFD) and single- or multi-degree-of-freedom (SDOF or MDOF) dynamic structural response modeling. As the project design state matures, the chosen approach may transition from qualitative to quantitative and/or from simplified to detailed.

This presentation will present a hazard analysis roadmap that is focused on hydrogen explosion hazards and tied to typical project lifecycle gates. The described approaches have been successfully used for a number of greenfield and brownfield projects by Cummins Inc. across the globe. Examples of specific hazard analyses and their outcomes will be presented and discussed.