Hydrogen Tube Trailer Crash
A lorry crashed into a hydrogen tube trailer with considerable speed on the highway A1 near Cologne. The lorry driver was killed. Gas escaped from tubes and valves of three of the nine tanks and was ignited. The fire brigade let the gas burn and cooled the undamaged tanks. Other vehicles or persons were not involved.
Event Date
March 7, 2001
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Causes
Cause Comments
Immediate cause of the hydrogen release was the crash into the hydrogen transporter. Nothing is said on the crashworthiness of the transporter.
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
truck transporting hydrogen, highway
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Highway, Near Inhabited Area
Pre-event Summary
The release of hydrogen has been caused by a high speed impact from a lorry
Event Nature
Emergency Action
The fire brigade let the gas burn and cooled the undamaged tanks. Other vehicles or persons were not involved.
Release Type
Release Substance
Hydrogen Release Concentration (%)
100.00
Ignition Source
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References
Mirror 2/2001
News of the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Association (DWV)
https://www.dwv-info.de/wasserstoff-spiegel/#1456498279633-abb860ba-5efb
(accessed July 2020)