13 Hydrogen Distribution Safety MANUS McHUGH III
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Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., P.O. Box 538, Allentown, PA 18105
99% of all hydrogen consumed in the U. S. is produced onsite by users in the chemicals and refinery industries. Ammonia
and methanol represent the greatest tonnage chemicals produced with on-site hydrogen. Other applications include metal processing,
production of plastics and solvents,
of fats and oils.
and
hydrogenation
Although representing less than 1% of current U. S. consumption, the liquid hydrogen industry is showing strong growth. This product is typically produced from a natural gas steam reforming facility, and it is cryogenically liquefied for ease of storage and delivery. In recent years, this maturing segment of
the hydrogen industry is finding alternate applications to tradi-
tional rocket fuel use.
On-site storage and vaporization of liquid hydrogen is finding growth in such applications as: reducing atmosphere, reducing agents, high purity gas in electronic industry, hydrogenation, glass and gem manufacture, and on-site back-up during plant turn around.
There are five tonnage production facilities in the U. S. and one planned for Sarnia, Canada (Figure 1). Linde, a division of Union Carbide, has two plants, a 30 ton/day at Ontario, California, and a 17 ton/day at Ashtabula, Ohio. Airco has a 6 ton/day plant
at
Pedricktown,
New Jersey.
Air Products
and Chemicals
has two plants, a 60 ton/day at New Orleans, Louisiana (Figure 2) and a 30 ton/day at Long Beach, California; and also, a 15 ton/ day planned for Sarnia, Canada.
The industry has developed a safe and reliable system for the distribution of liquid hydrogen. Although Linde trans-ships by approximately
30,000 gallon
railcars
and the
government
uses
barges, the ultimate mode of transportation is by vacuum insulated
tank trucks. The tank trucks range in size from 8 to 16 thousand gallons. Each complies with criteria established by the U. S. Department of Transportation. The industry has enjoyed an
enviable safety record in the transport of liquid hydrogen. This is the result of attention paid to tanker design, testing, filling 0-8412-0522-l/80/47-116-253$05.75 © 1980 American Chemical Society In Hydrogen: Production and Marketing; Smith, W., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1980.
254
HYDROGEN: PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
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