You are on page 1of 8

i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 3 8 ( 2 0 1 3 ) 8 0 5 3 e8 0 6 0

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/he

Safety strategy for the first deployment of a


hydrogen-based green public building in France

F. Verbecke*, B. Vesy
Quality, Health, Environment and Safety Department, HELION e AREVA Group, Domaine du Petit Arbois e BP71,
13545 Aix en Provence Cedex 04, France

article info abstract

Article history: HELION, a subsidiary of AREVA in charge of the business unit Hydrogen and energy storage,
Received 31 January 2012 is deploying for the first time in a French public building, a hydrogen-based energy storage
Received in revised form system, the Greenergy Box. The 50 kWe system is coupled with a photovoltaic farm to
9 August 2012 ensure up to 45% electrical autonomy and power backup to the building. The safety system
Accepted 4 March 2013 and siting measures of the complete hydrogen chain are described. The paper also high-
Available online 28 April 2013 lights the work accomplished with Fire Authorities and Public to gain the acceptance of the
project and allow the deployment of four other hydrogen-based green buildings.
Keywords: Crown Copyright 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All
Hydrogen rights reserved.
Energy storage
Safety
Public building
Fuel cell
Electrolyser

1. Introduction - Grid stabilization and system services: storage systems


based on hydrogen can act as secondary and tertiary re-
The future belongs to Renewable Energy Sources (RES), and serves for grid frequency and voltage regulation
satisfying the energy growing demand for sustainable energy
Hydrogen presents many advantages for storage of the
sources must be one of the highest priorities for research in
RES, in particular:
the energy field. Four main electricity storage applications can
be distinguished for RES management: - PEM electrolyser are suitable for high dynamics from RES
e.g. wind and photovoltaic;
- Load levelling e to allow smoothing the RES power plant - High pressure electrolysis i.e. 35e50 bar allows the produc-
output (Fig. 1 left). tion of gaseous hydrogen and oxygen without further
- Time shifting e to store electricity during low demand pe- compression stage which implies lower investment costs
riods and feed in the grid when demand is high and/or and higher simplicity of the system;
electricity prices high. - H2 and O2 are both stored and used to produce electricity
- Forecast optimization uses the storage system as a buffer back in an H2/O2 fuel cell;
enabling a real-time RES production as scheduled e for - O2/H2 fuel cells are air independent system and present a
example in PV or wind 24 h forecasts (Fig. 1 right). better output compared to Air/H2 fuel cells

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: franck.verbecke@areva.com (F. Verbecke), benoit.vesy@areva.com (B. Vesy).
0360-3199/$ e see front matter Crown Copyright 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2013.03.019
8054 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 3 8 ( 2 0 1 3 ) 8 0 5 3 e8 0 6 0

Fig. 1 e Storage system allows smoothing the RES power plant output (Left); Forecast optimization uses the storage system
as a buffer enabling a real-time RES production as scheduled e for example in 24 h forecasts (Right).

- Carbon free electricity production without toxic compounds; the energy problem of the city. The first Greenergy Box is
- Noise free; going to be installed in a Childrens Leisure Centre.
- High efficiency when combined with power and heat
production; 2.3. The GREENERGY BOX: the solution for the project
- No self-discharge over time;
- Independent optimization of the system delivered power The Greenergy Box is a containerized hydrogen chain
(fuel cell power: kW) and of the available stored energy comprising an electrolyser, a fuel cell, water and heat man-
(gases storage: kW h). agement, and electrical converter systems coupled with
hydrogen and oxygen reservoirs installed out of the container.
The Greenergy Box is an integrated modular system that can
offer a power from 50 to 500 kW with a storage capacity from
2. Deployment of the Greenergy Box
0.2 to 2 MW h. Several systems can be coupled to increase the
power and the energy capacity. Coupled with RES, such so-
2.1. Energy context
lution allows not only ensuring a partial building autonomy
from 45 to 85% but also providing the function of backup
A number of cities located in the South of France face the
system for several hours at high power.
problematic increase of population by a factor 10 in summer.
The photovoltaic panels provide electricity to the electrical
Furthermore, some of them may be exposed to repeated
network and the surplus is used by the electrolyser to generate
power outage on account of the end line location on the
gaseous hydrogen and oxygen, as shown in Fig. 1. Once pro-
electrical network. In this context, they target the objective to
duced, gaseous hydrogen and oxygen are stored within
be more electrically independent from the network.
separated reservoirs installed outside of the Greenergy Box.
It is thanks to the fuel cell system that the stored hydrogen
2.2. An innovative project and oxygen can be used to produce electricity to ensure partial
energy autonomy of the buildings as well as the backup sys-
The project aims at developing hydrogen-based energy stor- tem in case of power outage. The Greenergy Box manages
age solution coupled with photovoltaic panels for five build- itself the electricity received by the photovoltaic panels to
ings in order to: electrolyse water or to provide electricity to the network.
Furthermore, heat, which is also produced by the system
- Insure the green production of electrical and thermal energy during both electrolysis and hydrolysis processes, is also
for five buildings of the city managed and valorized for the adjacent buildings.
- Ensure the partial energy autonomy of the buildings and The water-proof and wind-resistant Greenergy Box is
backup system in case of power outage segregated into three different compartments, including in
- Decrease the energy bill of the city while continuing in the particular an electrical, a fuel cell compartment and an elec-
sustainable development trolyser compartment as shown in Fig. 2.
- Develop a reliable and sure solution that can be trans- The Greenergy Box system is currently being tested on
missible to the future generations HELIONs site as shown in Fig. 3 below. The development of
such solution enables HELION to offset the remaining barrier to
The project is partially autofinanced, thanks to the elec- the full deployment of renewable energies: their intermittency.
tricity produced by the photovoltaic panels that is sold back to
the French electricity provider EDF. 2.4. Sizing for the Childrens Leisure Centre
The Greenergy Box [1], developed by HELION-AREVA [2],
is the hydrogen-based energy storage system that has been The Childrens Leisure Centre is going to be equipped with a
chosen to be coupled with photovoltaic panels to answer to 200 m2 photovoltaic panel farm installed on the roof,
i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 3 8 ( 2 0 1 3 ) 8 0 5 3 e8 0 6 0 8055

consequences and assess the existing barriers. As a third


stage, a fault tree analysis completes the HAZOP revue so as to
highlight the conception failure, inappropriate system
configuration and external sources of danger. All the safety
study is centralized in a same document Synthesis of the
safety studies of the Greenergy Box.
The overall safety strategy of the hydrogen chain is
detailed below into six different parts.

3.1. Leak suppression and control

Equipment and piping materials are chosen to be compatible


for hydrogen and oxygen use. In particular, hydrogen material
Fig. 2 e Segregation of the Greenergy Box. embrittlement and oxygen corrosion are selected from the
IGC15/06, ISO/TR 15916 and ISO 11114-4. Steel cylinders are
commonly used to store pressurized hydrogen and oxygen.
delivering 29 kW c power and coupled with the complete The maximum carbon equivalent (CE) for hydrogen is 0.43 as
hydrogen chain. The different sized components of the described in the IGC 121/04, x 3.
hydrogen chain are presented in Fig. 4. In particular, the Welded connections are preferred and are used wherever
Greenergy Box is able to deliver a 50 kWe power. The gaseous practical to minimize potential leak sources. The number of
hydrogen and oxygen tanks were sized to achieve 45% of the joints and fitted connexions are minimized.
electrical and thermal building autonomy i.e. about 200 Nm3 Both electrolyser and fuel cell compartments of the
of hydrogen and about 100 Nm3 of oxygen. The back-up option Greenergy Box are equipped with two hydrogen sensors and
offers an electrical autonomy of 4 h at 50 kW or 10 h at 20 kW. an oxygen sensor. A security shutoff triggers at 10% of the
lower Flammability Limit (0.4% H2 in air) and an emergency
shut-off occurs at 25% of the Lower Flammability Limit (1%).
Oxygen detection triggers whenever the oxygen concentration
3. Safety strategy of the hydrogen chain reaches more than 23% in volume air.
Furthermore, hydrogen and oxygen leaks are also detected
HELION is designing and building hydrogen systems for more by difference of pressure during standby phases. If a tank or a
than 10 years. Safety of systems is always a key consideration. portion of pipe losses pressure during a standby stage, it
A good knowledge of hydrogen behaviour, designing and potentially means that there is leak. If there is a minor loss of
building systems in conformity with European and French pressure during the standby stage, an alarm triggers and if the
codes, standards and best practices allows maintaining a high pressure loss is too significant the system will not be able to
safety performance. restart.
The Greenergy Box is certified by following the Low Before commissioning, hydraulic and leak tests are per-
Voltage Directive, LVD 73/23/EEC, the Electromagnetic formed as required by the Pressure Equipment Directive.
Compatibility Directive, EMC 89/336/EEC, Machinery Directive, Regular inspections and preventive maintenance program
MD 98/37/EC, Pressure Equipment Directive, PED 97/23/EC. are organized to ensure the maximum safety level. In partic-
The risk assessment of the complete hydrogen chain is ular, leak tests on pressure regulators, valves, pipes, joints and
realized in three steps. First, a document Basic safety con- connections etc. are realized regularly. Regular visual in-
siderations that describes the main safety requirements to be spections are organized to check the level of corrosion. In-
followed for the architecture and conception stages of the formation regarding inspection and maintenance frequency is
hydrogen chain is written. Once the architecture of the system in the Appendices F of the IGC 121/04 and IGC 13/02.
is sufficiently detailed, a HAZOP revue of each subsystem
(HAZard and OPerability Study) is realized to define the po- 3.2. Prevention of formation of flammable or over-
tential causes of each process deviation, associated potential oxygenated atmospheres

The three compartments of the Greenergy Box are naturally


ventilated thanks to lateral vents located on both sides of the
container as shown in Fig. 2.
The fuel cell and electrolyser compartments are both
equipped with ATEX type ventilation that triggers for
hydrogen and oxygen concentration above 0.4% hydrogen or
23% oxygen. The maximum flow rate are sized for the thermal
dissipation i.e. 2500 m3/h for the Fuel Cell compartment and
2700 m3/h for the electrolyser compartment.
Modelling of an accidental hydrogen leak of 750 Nl/min
flow rate using the LES (Large Eddy Simulation) approach
Fig. 3 e Greenergy Box settlement on HELIONs site. developed at the University of Ulster [3,4] highlights that it
8056 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 3 8 ( 2 0 1 3 ) 8 0 5 3 e8 0 6 0

Fig. 4 e Hydrogen chain to be installed in the Childrens Leisure Centre.

takes about 10 s for the hydrogen sensor to detect a hydrogen 3.5. Emergency and safety shutdown
concentration greater than 0.4% in the naturally ventilated
electrolyser compartment. Considering the conservative hy- The control command that is used for piloting automatically
pothesis of 30 s for a response time of the hydrogen sensor, it the system is also used to trigger the safety functions. About
can be observed that after 40 s of continuous constant release 70 safety functions are recorded into the control command to
the hydrogen-air concentration formed below the ceiling is detect any process deviation or gaseous leak or fire within
still below the Lower Flammability Limit (LFL) of hydrogen in the system. Depending on the amplitude of the deviation
air i.e. 4% by air volume. From this moment, the hydrogen compared to the safety threshold of the parameter, an emer-
sensor sends a signal to the control command that triggers the gency or and security shutdown is triggered and is followed by
air intake fan to its maximal speed. It can be observed that the power shutdown, system depressurization, inerting and
hydrogen air cloud is entirely diluted in less than 2 s. ventilation activation (except for fires).
The main safety functions i.e. H2, O2 and fire detections and
3.3. Suppression/reduction of ignition sources emergency stop are realized by cable logic and respect a SIL 1
level (Safety Integrity Level).
The inside of the Greenergy Box where hydrogen may leak or
diffuse into is not classified since safety barriers ensure no 3.6. Security of the installation
dangerous hydrogen ATEX at the leaking point or by accu-
mulation. Nonetheless, all equipment installed just below the The Greenergy Box and storage tanks are installed outside
container ceiling and susceptible to ignite a flammable within a controlled area surrounded by fences, walls or safety
hydrogen-air mixture is certified for ATEX zone 2. In partic- barriers and only accessible to authorized persons.
ular, it concerns the fire, hydrogen, oxygen sensors and the Authorized personnel are trained and know the relevant
ventilation system. emergency procedures. Any work other than that directly
The Greenergy Box and reservoirs are earthed and connected with operating or maintenance the system by a
bonded to give protection against the hazards of stray elec- Safety Work Permit system.
trical currents and static electricity.

3.4. Protection against overpressures 4. Childrens Leisure Centre: the first


Greenergy Box implementation in a public
Each reservoir and piping lines from the Greenergy Box to building
the storage tanks are equipped with a pressure relief valve.
The PRV actuates when the pressure within the reservoir 4.1. The challenges
reaches 1.15 of the maximal operating pressure.
The storage tank vents are mounted vertically at a mini- 4.1.1. Lack of hydrogen-related regulation
mum high of 3 m with an elbow at 90 at the end of the line. The first installation of the Greenergy Box in the frame of the
The Greenergy Box is equipped with two distinct project is foreseen to be in a new Childrens Leisure Centre
hydrogen and oxygen vents located at a minimum height of building of the city. Regarding the French regulation, this type
1 m above the roof the container and well separated to avoid of building occupation is considered as a public building that
oxygen-enriched hydrogen-air mixture. Each distinct venting has to follow precisely the building codes requirements. In
line is common to the electrolyser and the fuel cell and allows France, such regulation is not adapted to the installation of
the depressurization of the totality of the system in less than hydrogen-energy applications since the word hydrogen is
2 min in case of emergency shut-down. even not mentioned anywhere in the texts. Therefore, one
i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 3 8 ( 2 0 1 3 ) 8 0 5 3 e8 0 6 0 8057

major challenge was to define the rules for the first installa- hydrogen-based energy storage systems. Nonetheless, looking
tion of a hydrogen-energy storage system in adequacy to the closely to the texts, some similarities can be found for the
existing safety strategy in public building regulations. installation of cogeneration systems. According to the texts, a
cogeneration system consists of producing simultaneously
4.1.2. Late stage agreement to install the Greenergy Box electricity and heat with the help of a thermal motor or a
within the building turbine using liquid or gaseous combustible. Looking at this
In a perfect world, we would have been associated with the definition, a Greenergy Box can also be considered as a
architects from the design stage of the building so that we cogeneration system since it produces electricity and heat, the
could have chosen the installation location of the Greenergy only difference being that the electricity and heat are pro-
Box and the tanks. In reality, the agreement to install the duced thanks to an electrochemical process that works with
Greenergy Box was obtained whereas the architecture plans hydrogen, oxygen and water, and not a motor or a turbine.
of the building were almost finalized. At this stage there was Considering that a Greenergy Box is a compact and
no chance to modify significantly the building architecture. containerized system, it can be assimilated to a cogeneration
On account of this late involvement, the space attributed for module in the regulation. The installation guidelines have
the settlement of the Greenergy Box system and the therefore to follow the requirements defined for combustion
hydrogen and oxygen reservoirs, was quite restricted and heating systems, which are defined according to two param-
located in the proximity of the reception area of the building, eters, namely the total power and the location of installation
close to the building access road and a garage entrance, as i.e. inside, outside or on a terrace. The parameter power is
shown in Fig. 5. Above the garage is found a multi-purpose described as representing the total electrical and thermal
hall and its terrace that gets a direct view of the hydrogen power delivered by the system and is classified into three
chain settlement. categories: below 30 kW, between 30 and 70 kW and over
70 kW. The total power delivered by the Greenergy Box
4.1.3. Public acceptance of hydrogen technology and safety corresponds to 100 kW i.e. 50 kW for the electrical power and
In addition to the challenges related to the first installation of 50 kW for the thermal power, thereby falling into the third
the hydrogen chain in the environment described above, category over 70 kW. For an outside installation, the text
public perception and acceptance regarding hydrogen repre- requires in particular that:
sent a crucial factor for the successful implementation of the
hydrogen-based energy storage chain in the city. A commu- - The envelop of the system must be constructed as a M0
nication strategy was therefore necessary not only to material (not flammable)
convince the population of the benefits of such projects but - The system has to be installed in an area not accessible to
also to demonstrate them that the hydrogen chain installation the public or made inaccessible by the use of a wall or a
is safe. fence of at least 2 m high
- The system has to be installed at a minimum distance of
4.2. Solution of the hydrogen chain installation 10 m from the public highway, private property limit or
other buildings. If this distance cannot be respected, a pro-
4.2.1. Analogy with cogeneration system installation in tective wall of fire resistance of 2 h and of minimum height
public buildings of 2 m must be erected
As it has been previously described, the public building regu- - A display must indicate that the installation is conceived to
lation is not adapted in France for the installation of work outside and the access must be forbidden to the public

Fig. 5 e Top view of the Childrens Leisure Centre and the installation site reserved for the hydrogen chain.
8058 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 3 8 ( 2 0 1 3 ) 8 0 5 3 e8 0 6 0

4.2.2. Hydrogen and oxygen storage tank installations not competent to authorize the installation of such systems in
Regarding the hydrogen and oxygen reservoir installation re- the Childrens Leisure Centre. The safety folder has to be
quirements, it has been proposed to install the storage tanks presented for authorization to the National Public Building
in the same Greenergy Box zone inaccessible to public and Safety Commission that takes place every month in Paris.
surrounded by a protective wall of fire resistance of 2 h and of Thanks to the MYRTE project [5] and the good relation
minimum height of 2 m. In addition to that, it has been rec- established with the Fire Authorities of Corsica, it has been
ommended to physically separate both storage tanks by a possible to get the contact of a member of the National Public
protective wall of fire resistance of 2 h. On the top of them and Building Safety Commission. We invited this Firefighter Offi-
to account of the location of the multi-purpose hall, it has cer but also the local Firefighter officers under the jurisdiction
been preconized to install a 1 h flame guard canopy to protect of the City. A presentation that included in particular:
the storage tanks from the risk from radiation from the multi-
purpose hall in the case of a fire. - HELIONs activities and hydrogen products that are developed
in HELION. A visit was organized at the end of the meeting to
4.2.3. Solution of installation show the FC and electrolyser test platforms, the didactic
The solution of installation of the complete hydrogen-based product BAHIA [5], the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
energy storage solution, including the Greenergy Box and PAC-SM [5], the 70 kW backup system called MISTRAL [5],
associated hydrogen and oxygen tanks, is presented in Fig. 6. the energy storage system Greenergy Box [5]
The dimension of the zone respects area reserved by the ar- - The key hydrogen-energy associations, platforms and
chitects shown in Fig. 5. On account of the proximity of the partnerships at the International, European and National
installation area to the public highway and reception, garage levels to give an understanding of the global context
access and overlooking multi-purpose hall, the hydrogen regarding hydrogen as an energy carrier
chain area is surrounded by a 2 h and 3.5 m height fire resis- - Few key demonstration projects such as MYRTE project [5]or
tance wall. The access to the installation zone is restricted to deployment projects of hydrogen stations and vehicles in
authorized persons and the opening is made to the outside in California or North of Europe
case of emergency. The zone is also surrounded by a walking - A comparison of hydrogen properties with those of more
path accessible to wheelchairs. conventional fuels such methane, propane and gasoline
with the message behind that a good understanding of
4.3. Strong collaboration with fire authorities hydrogen physical properties allows the safe design and
handling of hydrogen technologies and systems
4.3.1. Organization of a meeting with local and national Fire - Project objectives, calendar and realization planning
Prevention Officers - The safety treatment of the Greenergy Box and associated
In France, a local Public Building Safety Commission storage tanks as described in the present paper
composed of a representative of the Fire Prevention Depart- - The description of first deployment of the hydrogen-based
ment, the Mayer of the town, a policeman, a public repre- with the solution of installation as described in the pre-
sentative of the Equipment Department, is in charge of sent paper
examining the conformity of architectural plans with the
Public Building Safety regulation. The commission also re- The conclusions of the meeting were very satisfactory. The
alizes Public building inspections for their openings or after Firefighter Officers highlighted that they were pleased to be
modifications. Fire Prevention Service plays a key role in this approached at an early stage for the installation of such new
commission since they check the conformity to the fire safety system. They agreed on the fact that their knowledge
regulations. regarding these new hydrogen technologies is low and that
On account of the lack of official safety requirements they will need in the future educational and practical
defined for the installation of a hydrogen-based energy stor- hydrogen safety training to know how to handle potential
age system in a public building, the local safety commission is incidents.

Fig. 6 e Solution of installation of the Greenergy Box and associated hydrogen and oxygen tanks.
i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 3 8 ( 2 0 1 3 ) 8 0 5 3 e8 0 6 0 8059

They agreed in principle for the installation of the - The integration of the Greenergy Box within the Childrens
hydrogen-based energy storage system within the Childrens Leisure Centre is realized in close cooperation with the Fire
Leisure Centre. They underlined that the analogy to the Authorities
cogeneration system installation in Public Building Regulation - An agreement by principle was given by the Fire Authorities
was probably the right approach to follow. They confirmed for the implementation of the hydrogen chain within the
that the safety file would have to be presented to the National Childrens Leisure Centre and the final agreement will be
Public Building Safety Commission to get the final delivered by the National Public Building Safety Commission
authorization.
Bearing in mind that the project aims at installing other The public was interested in presentations and no firm
hydrogen-based storage systems in four additional buildings opposition to the project was observed. From a safety
of the city, they also advised to start the process to modify the perspective, it was central to present that the Fire Authorities
French Public Building Regulation. were involved in this project since it give more confidence to
the Public regarding the safety of the hydrogen chain. Fire
4.3.2. Further collaboration with the French National Fire Authorities are then an essential partner that has to be
Association included as early as possible for hydrogen projects especially
Following this positive meeting with the Fire Authorities, it when there are not very familiarized with these new
has been offered to the Officer who belongs to the National technologies.
Public Building Safety Commission to participate in the review
of the draft of the on-going French standard NF M58-003
Installation of hydrogen system. This standard that is being 5. Conclusion
prepared by an ad-hoc group led by AIR LIQUIDE and
composed by AREVA ENERGY STORAGE, CEA, INERIS, SO- For the first time in France, a hydrogen-based energy storage
PRANO, McPHY, N-GHY and BENSI, aims at defining installa- system, the Greenergy Box developed by HELION-AREVA, is
tion requirements of hydrogen systems. being deployed in several French Public Buildings. The
Thanks to the Firefighter Officer, the President of the Na- Greenergy Box is an integrated modular system that can
tional Fire Association was contacted. A meeting, gathering offer a power from 50 to 500 kW with a storage capacity from
several Firefighter Officers and the members of the ad-hoc 0.2 to 2 MW h. Coupled with Renewable Energy Source, such
group was then organized in Paris to present a draft of the solution allows not only ensuring a partial building autonomy
standard. Key hydrogen-energy partnerships and demonstra- from 45 to 85% but also providing the function of backup
tion projects, hydrogen properties in comparison with other system for several hours at high power.
gases were presented in first place before bringing up more The Greenergy Box is a certified system that follows
specifically the standard itself. Very interesting interactions the European Regulations and state-of-the-art related stan-
related to hydrogen properties, safety of hydrogen systems and dards. The safety measures of the complete hydrogen chain is
fire safety aspects in buildings took place during the meeting. recapitulated into several parts i.e. leak suppression and
The National Fire Association found a real interest to continue control, prevention of formation of flammable or over-
this collaborative work, and, to do so, it was decided to organize oxygenated atmospheres, suppression/reduction of ignition
three other meetings before the publication of the standard. sources, protection against overpressures, emergency and
safety shutdown and security of the installation.
4.4. Social acceptance of hydrogen The first Greenergy Box is going to be installed in a Chil-
drens Leisure Centre. Despite the lack of regulation related to
Public acceptance regarding hydrogen is a strategic factor for the installation of hydrogen system in Public Building Regu-
the successful implementation of the hydrogen project. A lation, the implementation requirements were defined by
public conference and a press publication were organized for analogy to cogeneration system in the Public Building Regu-
the Science Day. A whole afternoon was dedicated to present lation. An agreement by principle was given by Local and
and discuss about hydrogen as a future energy carrier, National Fire Authorities before the final presentation to the
hydrogen technologies, the project and the safety aspects of National Public Building Safety Commission.
the hydrogen chain. A small model of a hydrogen energy The involvement of the Fire Authorities has been a key fact
storage system and a remote controlled hydrogen powered car not only for the pre-validation of the Greenergy Box instal-
were displayed in use during the conference to familiarize lation within the Childrens Leisure Centre but also to develop
people with hydrogen technologies. further collaboration for the standard on-going French stan-
Safety treatment of the hydrogen chain and the imple- dard NF M58-003 Installation of hydrogen system.
mentation of the Greenergy Box within the Childrens Lei- Communication of the project was made during a Public
sure Centre were also presented. From a safety point of view, conference and through in a press report. No strict opposition
the key messages delivered during the presentation were that: to the hydrogen chain installation projects was observed. The
collaborative involvement of the Fire Authorities for such
- Hydrogen behaviour is well known and perfectly handled hydrogen innovative projects gives more credibility and
from the safety point of view, reassurance to the public perception regarding the safety of
- The Greenergy Box is a certified product that follows the project. Their involvement is then central not only for the
the European Regulations and state-of-the-art related permitting process from a safety point of view but also for
standards, hydrogen public acceptance.
8060 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 3 8 ( 2 0 1 3 ) 8 0 5 3 e8 0 6 0

references [4] Molkov V, Makarov D, Bragin M. Physics and modelling of


under-expanded jets and hydrogen dispersion in atmosphere.
In: XXIV international conference on interaction of intense
energy fluxes with matter 2009. Elbrus, Kabardino-Balkaria,
[1] www.greenergybox.com.
Russia.
[2] http://www.helion-hydrogen.com/indexuk.php.
[5] http://www.helion-hydrogen.com/uk/our-solutions/
[3] Verbecke F. Formation and combustion of non-uniform
index.php.
hydrogen-air mixtures. PhD thesis. University of Ulster; 2009.

You might also like