Energy

Safety

There are still many doubts about the safety of this energy carrier, mainly because it is still scarcely known. Anyhow, a more careful analysis reduces the concept of hydrogen dangerousness. This gas is less inflammable than petrol (it has a higher self-ignition temperature). Hydrogen is the lightest element and therefore can be rapidly diluted and dispersed into the open space. It is almost impossible to make it explode, unless in a closed space (in order to find potentially dangerous concentrations, sensors are used to easily control suitable safety systems). Moreover, when it burns, hydrogen burns out very rapidly, always producing vertical flames. Instead materials like petrol, gas oil, LPG or natural gas are heavier than the air and, as they do not disperse, they remain dangerous for much longer. It was calculated that a petrol vehicle on fire burns for 20-30 minutes, while a hydrogen vehicle does not burn for more than 1-2 minutes. Moreover, with hydrogen flames, the surrounding materials may also be set on fire. In this way the duration of the fire is reduced even more, and the danger of toxic emissions is also reduced. Hydrogen, differently from fossil fuels, is not toxic, nor corrosive and any losses from the tanks do not provoke pollution on the soil or in aquifers.