What serious consequences could arise if hydrogen leaks and catches fire, with the fire department using foam to extinguish it?
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A pipeline in a hydrogen processing unit caught fire; the fire department immediately used foam to extinguish it. What serious consequences could this lead to?
The foam serves to isolate air; however, covering the hydrogen increases its density per unit volume, leading to a secondary explosion.
Generally, it is not allowed to extinguish it, especially in areas near heating furnaces. It should mainly involve cooling equipment and pipelines, with the process being cut off.
Shouldn’t the gas supply be cut off first? Is this wrong?
Blindly extinguishing the flame can easily cause the local area to reach its explosion limit, leading to a gas explosion; it is generally dangerous to cool down and shut off the gas supply. Of course, the flame should only be extinguished first if it is certain that the leaking gas will not explode (for example, by isolating it from air or controlling any ignition sources)
The correct approach is to cut off the gas supply and let it burn until it goes out!
This post was last edited by Security Door on 2015-8-14 20:27. A lot was said above; the key is to cut off the source of the leak. The function of the foam is to isolate air; it does not play any role in preventing hydrogen from catching fire, but it also has no negative effects, so it’s just a waste.
Contents of the safety data sheet for hydrogen: Cut off the gas supply. If the gas supply cannot be cut off, it is not allowed to extinguish the flame at the leak site. Use water spray to cool the container; if possible, move the container away from the fire to an open area. Extinguishing agents: fogged water, foam, carbon dioxide, dry powder. First, cut off the gas supply by closing the valve. If the gas supply can be cut off, it is permissible to use foam for extinguishing. When it is not possible to cut off the gas supply, the combustion is generally controlled until it is exhausted, in order to cool the surrounding containers.
No foam is needed; nitrogen is introduced, and then the pipes or equipment connected to them are shut off to cut off the gas supply. Wait until the hydrogen has burned out, being careful to cool the outside of the pipes