According to the US Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy it is safe to use hydrogen at home. Its safety level is about the same as other fuels commonly used today, with a few advantages as well.
By their nature, all fuels have some degree of danger associated with them. The safe use of any fuel focuses on preventing situations where the three combustion factors — ignition source (spark or heat), oxidant (air), and fuel — are present.
A number of hydrogen’s properties make it safer to handle and use than the fuels commonly used today. For example, hydrogen is non-toxic. In addition, because hydrogen is much lighter than air, it dissipates rapidly when it is released, allowing for relatively rapid dispersal of the fuel in case of a leak.
The goal, according to the US Department of Energy, is always to make sure that there is a prevention of circumstances in which the three combustion factors are present simultaneously. These three factors are:
- A spark, heat or other source of ignition
- An oxidant such as air
- And the fuel
It is easier to make hydrogen at home safer than other forms of gas and petroleum products in many cases.
To begin, it should be recognized that H2 is non-toxic. Therefore, if a leak occurs, it is not harmful to people or animals who might come in contact with it in the air. Also, as it is extremely light, in case of a leak, the rapid dispersal helps to reduce the risk of an unwanted outcome.
Therefore, to make hydrogen at home a safe alternative, it is important to ensure leak detection and proper ventilation are built into H2 systems, such as investing is SmartPipe Technologies. The Smartpipe Technologies tech is patented and developed using a high strength composite internal pipeline liner. That is pulled through the existing pipeline in order to enhance the structural integrity and make it possible for improved monitoring.
Hydrogen safety standards have come a long way. Although there has been a lot of recent hype around hydrogen, it is not a new technology. Industry has been using hydrogen in rocket fuel, oil refineries, and fertilizer production for the past 40 years—more than enough time for scientists and engineers to develop and adopt robust safety protocols.
Our work with hydrogen
Universal Kraft works with hydrogen as a green option to fossil fuels, providing the same functionality on a large scale. Complementary to direct electrification, hydrogen gives the green industry a chance to contribute beyond the grid, via the generation of green hydrogen as energy storage, greening of gas through methanation of hydrogen and feedstock for high-temperature local industrial processes that are difficult to electrify.
These green power alternatives are fundamental for a sustainable and complete clean energy transition. Universal Kraft has been working on alternative and innovative energy storage solutions for a number of years. To optimize the decarbonization potential of renewables for the generation of green hydrogen and ammonia we created the companies UH2 and BH2.
Discover all our solutions here.