ADAM POPE, Gas Detection Lead and FGDS Marketing Manager, Dräger

When clean energy comes up as the topic of conversation, the usual suspects have included electricity, solar and wind. However, today, hydrogen (H₂) has a solid claim to a space at that table.

It could even be suggested that as an efficient fuel for transportation, H₂ should be the topic of conversation. Oxygen’s partner in water (H₂) is attracting a lot of positive attention these days for several important reasons, such as its unique production process, how it works with fuel cells as a sustainable source and the fact that H₂ is a clean fuel with nearly no emissions (aside from water at its point of use).

It should come as no surprise that the growing interest in clean H₂ is building an entire industry to produce, store and transport the fuel. As of 2021, the world’s demand for H₂ reached 94 million tons (MMt) and could easily reach 115 MMt by 2030.¹

While H₂ can boast the benefit of having low emissions at its point of use, it also has the unique ability to burn in a way that is nearly invisible to the human eye. This is an interesting feature, but one that poses a safety risk to those working in the H₂ production, storage and transportation.

Mitigating risks while working with H₂. It is no secret that the risk of a fire is present whenever working around a fuel source, but when it is a fire that cannot be seen and the fuel cannot be smelled, it presents a unique challenge to keeping everyone safe on the worksite.

If you cannot see a H₂ fire burning in the daytime with your own eyes, you need a tool that can detect the danger quickly before it spreads and becomes a larger hazard. And no, the classic broom test developed by NASA is not the preferred method.² This is a job for a flame detector.

A flame detector is a type of sensor that can see and detect fires quickly and raise an alarm so your team can take immediate steps to suppress it, and when you are dealing with potentially unseen H₂ fires that can easily spread undetected by human sight alone, a flame detector is crucial for keeping everyone safe. Your flame detector should be:

• Responsive and accurate
• Reliable in all conditions
• Energy efficient
• Easy to operate.

Solutions that deliver efficiency and performance. Thankfully, advancements in H₂ detector technology have helped create new devices that provide high reliability against false alarms while maintaining good measurement performance even at extreme temperatures^a.

To be efficient in workplaces with extreme hot or cold weather conditions, your H₂-based fire detector must be robust to remain operational and should feature a weatherproof casing or some other form of protection from the elements.

Speed should also be a key factor when selecting your H₂ fire detector, as it is especially important in helping to maximize safety and reduce the risk of worker injury. Every second counts when a H₂ fire happens, and the best devices today can detect a H₂ fire 1 meter in size and up to 40 meters away in just 5 seconds.

Finally, the importance of having a H₂ flame detector which is compatible and integrates easily into your safety alarm system cannot be overstated. When your workers’ safety is at stake, the H₂ flame detector you choose should provide you with peace of mind, not cause for concern. H₂T

NOTES

^a Dräger Flame 1750 H₂

LITERATURE CITED

¹ International Energy Agency (IEA), “Global hydrogen review 2022: Executive summary,” 2022. Online: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-hydrogen-review-2022/executive-summary

² International Fire Protection, “Hydrogen fire detection – Broom test or flame detector?” June 2024. Online: https://ifpmag.com/hydrogen-fire-detection-broom-test-or-flame-detector/