Author: Ulrich Schmidtchen

Research Priorities Workshop held in Berlin

22 October 2012
Ulrich Schmidtchen
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Categories: Latest News

On October 16-17, 2012, by the IA HySafe in the framework of its Research Committee activity and in cooperation with JRC IET Petten, a two-day workshop dedicated to Hydrogen Safety Research Priorities was held. The workshop was organized back-to-back with IA HySafe General Assembly (October 15, 2012) and was hosted by BAM in Berlin, Germany.

HySafe workshop on Research Priorities in Berlin

The main idea of the Workshop was to bring together stakeholders who can address the existing knowledge gaps in the area of the hydrogen safety, including identification and prioritization of such gaps from the standpoint of scientific knowledge, both experimental and theoretical as well as numerical.
The experience highlighting these gaps which was obtained during both practical applications (industry) and risk assessment should serve as reference point for further analysis.

The Workshop, which is essentially a meeting between scientists and industry representatives, included 16 invited lectures covering different aspects of the contemporary status in industrial and research demands.

The program logically included two sections:

  • knowledge gaps as they are addressed by industry
  • knowledge gaps and state-of-the-art by research.

The presentations are available for download:

  1. DeVaal – Smarter Solutions for a Clean Energy Future
  2. Ruban – Knowledge Gaps Industry Perspectives
  3. Kirchner – Hydrogen Activities of TOTAL Germany
  4. Oyama and Kamiya – Commercialization Barriers and Issues for Large Scale Hydrogen Infrastructures
  5. Jordan – Transferring Scientific Results into Engineering Correlations
  6. LaChance – Information Needed to Support Hydrogen Codes and Standards
  7. Hooker – Hydrogen Ignition and Light up Probabilities Part 1
  8. Hooker – Hydrogen Ignition and Light up Probabilities Part 2
  9. Baraldi-Onboard-Compressed-Hydrogen-Storage-Fast-Filling
  10. Paraschivoiu – Simulation of Hydrogen Release from Reservoirs with Irregular and Variable Openings
  11. Baraldi-Notional-Nozzle-Models-for-Hydrogen-Releases-from-High-Pressure-Systems
  12. Middha – Release and Dispersion Perspectives from GexCon
  13. Kessler Kinetics of AlH3 decomposition and subsequent Al oxidation Hydrogen Jetfires
  14. Kotchourko – Recent advances and knowledge gaps in hydrogen combustion
  15. Vaagsaether – DDT and Detonations – knowledge gaps
  16. Molkov – Progress and gaps in hydrogen safety science and engineering
  17. Ekoto – R&D Needs for Reduced Order H2 Release and Ignition Behavior Models – The SNL Perspective

The workshop achieved its objective and was a success and brought significant value to its participants and organizers. Next key step, as was discussed and agreed upon by the workshop participants, is the preparation of a comprehensive report that would serve as a guidance document for decision making authorities for funding of pre-normative research in hydrogen safety globally. The report itself then may serve as a platform for a topical lecture at the ICHS in Brussels, while thematically clustered presentations and discussions at the workshop will form foundation for contributed papers to ICHS2013 with their consecutive publication in one of the HySafe special issues of IJHE.

General Assembly of HySafe held in Berlin

21 October 2012
Ulrich Schmidtchen
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Categories: Latest News

The General Assembly of HySafe was held on October 15 in Berlin on the premises of BAM, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing which is one of the founder members.

One item of the agenda was the election of the committee chairs. The present chairmen were re-elected:

  • Hervé Barthélémy (Industry Relations)
  • Marco Carcassi (ICHS Conference)
  • Alexei Kotchourko (Research)
  • Ulrich Schmidtchen (PR and Dissemination)

 

Chairs
HySafe Committee Chairs; from left to right: H. Barthélémy, M. Carcassi, A. Kotchourko, U. Schmidtchen

One important topic in the work plan for the association for 2013 is the International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS) which will be held in Brussels in 2013 for the 5th time. It is co-organized by HySafe and JRC (Joint Research Centre) IET of the European Commission. Another is the progress towards an international magazine on hydrogen safety. There is a cooperation with the International Association for Hydrogen Energy which publishes the International Journal for Hydrogen Energy. Some issues will be entirely devoted to the topic of safety in regular intervals.

The Association set the course for expanding its strategic relations with JRC IET, US DoE, IEA HIA and relevant Japanese organizations as well as its research coordination, knowledge dissemination and industry relations activities.

It is planned to hold the next General Assembly in conjunction with the ICHS in September 2013 in Brussels.

 

Register now for HySafe Hydrogen Safety Training in October

11 July 2012
Ulrich Schmidtchen
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Categories: Latest News

A training course on hydrogen safety will be held in October in Berlin in conjunction with the annual meeting of the HySafe members.

Read more and register here

Detailed program etc. will be published here as soon as possible.

HySafe safety workshop held in Toronto

19 June 2012
Ulrich Schmidtchen
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Categories: Latest News

An international workshop on hydrogen safety was held on June 3 in Toronto in conjunction with the World Hydrogen Energy Conference (WHEC). Participants from Europe, the Americas, and Asia got useful information about safe laboratories, filling stations, and general handling of hydrogen.

Tchouvelev
Going ahead: HySafe chairman Andrei Tchouvelev, one of the speakers during the recent HySafe safety workshop in Toronto, just before the opening

Education is one of the fields of activity of HySafe. The association will continue to prepare events like this. Come back occasionally to this website to learn more about dates and locations.

Preparations for Safety Conference 2013 progressing well

6 May 2012
Ulrich Schmidtchen
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Categories: Latest News
Charlemagne
The Charlemagne Building in Brussels, near Place Schuman, venue of the ICHS 2013

HySafe is making good progress with the preparations for the 5th International Conference on Hydrogen Safety which will be held from September 9 to 11, 2013, in Brussels. A two-day meeting of the Scientific and Organisational Committees was held on May 3 and 4 in Brussels to discuss scope, budget, technical matters and more. Included was a visit to the venue, the Charlemagne building. The European Commission, host of the ICHS 2013, provided the space for the conference. A member of the EU PR department showed the HySafe officials around and explained the meeting rooms, technical equipment, spaces available for coffee breaks and press conferences, and much more.

The participants left Brussels with the well-founded feeling that this conference as well will be successful and thus form another link of the chain which started in 2005 in Pisa with the first ICHS.

Inside Charlemagne
HySafe delegation visiting the Charlemagne building. HySafe chairman Andrei Tchouvelev (left) gets explanations about installations and technical equipment of one of the smaller meeting rooms in the building.

HySafe presence on the Hannover Fair 2012

28 April 2012
Ulrich Schmidtchen
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Categories: Latest News
Seeing is believing! Ulrich Schmidtchen (left) and vice president Thomas Jordan from the HySafe board in Hannover

For the second time in sequence HySafe was an exhibitor on the this year on the Group exhibit “Hydrogen and Fuel Cells” in the framework of the Hannover Fair 2012. The group exhibit, held for the 18th time this year, is a unique forum for the whole field of hydrogen technology, and of course safety relevant issues are associated with many of the products or processes presented there. The HySafe booth served as a contact point for people interested in these.

Read more about the show on http://www.h2fc-fair.com

HySafe to hold safety workshop in Toronto

12 January 2012
Ulrich Schmidtchen
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Categories: Dissemination, Education, Events
HySafe safety workshop San Francisco 2011
HySafe safety workshop San Francisco 2011

A workshop on safety basics will be held by HySafe in Toronto on Sunday, June 3rd in conjunction with the World Hydrogen Energy Conference (WHEC). This will be the second time that HySafe organizes such an event together with a major conference; the first was in conjunction with the International Conference on Hydrogen Safety held in September 2011 in San Francisco (see photo).

The course is intended for students and all professionals who have to do with hydrogen in their work and would like to know more about safely handling it.

Please find details about program and registration here.

We look forward to meeting you in Toronto.

Press Release: HySafe Announces Date for the 5th ICHS

6 October 2011
Ulrich Schmidtchen
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Categories: Conference

The 5th International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS2013) will be held on September 9-11, 2013 in Brussels (Belgium). HySafe, the international association for hydrogen safety, announced this just two weeks after the successful conclusion of the 4th conference in this series which was held in San Francisco in September (ICHS2011).

The focus of the conference in Brussels will be on the role of hydrogen energy in the energy mix of the global markets. The Institute for Energy and Transport of the Joint Research Centre (JRC-IET) of the European Commission will host the event. Marc Steen, Head of the Cleaner Energy Unit of the institute, said: “The Institute for Energy and Transport of the Joint Research Centre (JRC-IET) is very pleased and honoured to host ICHS2013.”

The International Energy Agency Hydrogen Implementing Agreement (IEA HIA) endorsed ICHS2011 and welcomes participation in ICHS2013.

Based on the success of the recent ICHS2011 the representatives of HySafe are very optimistic about that of ICHS2013. HySafe president Andrei Tchouvelev said: “If only the amount of excellent hydrogen safety research done recently in Europe, in particular in the framework of EU programs, is an indication, the conference is simply bound to be successful. We have good reason to expect that the number of participants will exceed any of the previous conferences.”

Marco Carcassi from the University of Pisa, scientific head of the conference organisation, looks forward to a good turnout of submitted papers. He said: “From conference to conference we have seen an increase not only in the number of papers but also in their quality; assuming this trend remains, the conference in Brussels will be an event not to be missed.”

Details about venue, contact, conference website etc. will be announced by HySafe in due time.

 

About ICHS

The objective of the International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS) is to improve public awareness and trust in hydrogen technologies by communicating a better understanding of both the hazards and risks associated with hydrogen and their management.

The conferences have now been held in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011 in Pisa (Italy), San Sebastian (Spain), Ajaccio (France), and San Francisco (California, USA), respectively. Their success showed that the matter of hydrogen safety is of interest to the public and to the scientific and engineering community.

 

About HySafe

HySafe is the global focal point for all hydrogen safety related issues. Founded in 2009, it is an association under Belgian Law with seat in Brussels. Its purpose is to promote the safe use of hydrogen as energy carrier. The association facilitates the networking for the further development and dissemination of knowledge and for the coordination of research activities in the field of hydrogen safety. So it supports cost effective hydrogen safety research, enables innovative technologies and engineering, and provides education and training on a professional level. Based on its leading position in hydrogen safety research and development, HySafe determines the state-of-the-art in hydrogen safety and continuously develops further the associated strategic research agenda.

 

Media contact:

Dr. Ulrich Schmidtchen
BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing
Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 (30) 8104-4402; Fax: -343

Mail: com-pr@hysafe.info

Press Release: HySafe General Assembly sets an ambitious plan for the future

23 September 2011
Ulrich Schmidtchen
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Categories: Association life

HySafe, the international association for hydrogen safety, held its annual General Assembly on September 15 in San Francisco (California, USA). It gave the vote of confidence to the Executive Board by re-electing all four core Board members without votes against them:

  • Andrei Tchouvelev (Canada), president
  • Thomas Jordan (Germany), vice president
  • Iñaki Azkarate (Spain), treasurer
  • Benno Weinberger (France), secretary.

The chairpersons of the four permanent committees of the board were not up for re-election; their term ends at the General Assembly next year. They are:

  • Hervé Barthélémy (France), industry relations
  • Marco Carcassi (Italy), International Conference on Hydrogen Safety
  • Alexei Kotchourko (Germany), research
  • Ulrich Schmidtchen (Germany), PR and dissemination.
HySafe Board
The Board of HySafe

HySafe president Andrei Tchouvelev thanked the members for their trust in the Executive Board and announced a rather ambitious program of activities for the time to come. One key activity is the preparation of the next International Conference on Hydrogen Safety to be held in Brussels in September 2013. Another is the publication of a series of hydrogen safety issues of the International Journal on Hydrogen Energy with a goal of developing a scientific journal devoted to hydrogen safety together with the International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE). HySafe will also be represented at important events like the Hannover Fair in April 2012 and the World Hydrogen Energy Conference in June 2012 in Toronto, and will organize and co-host a number of workshops on various aspects of hydrogen safety, including in collaboration with the IEA Hydrogen Implementing Agreement Task 31.

Representatives of the US Department of Energy and of the European Commission who were present as guests emphasized a great value in having an international organisation that devotes itself entirely to this important area critical to commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

 

About HySafe

HySafe is the global focal point for all hydrogen safety related issues. Founded in 2009, it is an association under Belgian Law with seat in Brussels. Its purpose is to promote the safe use of hydrogen as an energy carrier. The association facilitates the networking for the further development and dissemination of knowledge and for the coordination of research activities in the field of hydrogen safety. So it supports cost effective hydrogen safety research, enables innovative technologies and engineering, and provides education and training on a professional level. Based on its leading position in hydrogen safety research and development, HySafe determines the state-of-the-art in hydrogen safety and continuously develops further the associated strategic research agenda.

 

Media contact:

Dr. Ulrich Schmidtchen
BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing
Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 (30) 8104-4402; Fax: -3433

Mail: com-pr@hysafe.info

Press Release: HySafe successfully concludes 4th International Conference on Hydrogen Safety ICHS2011

23 September 2011
Ulrich Schmidtchen
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Categories: Conference

The 4th International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS2011) adjourned in San Francisco (California, USA) on September 15 after three full days of technical sessions. Experts from the Americas, Europe, and Asia exchanged the latest scientific results and other information about safe handling of this energy vector of the near future. The ICHS conferences are held under the auspices of HySafe, the international association for hydrogen safety; ICHS2011 was the first of its kind in North America and was hosted by Sandia National Laboratories. The US Department of Energy, NASA, Siemens, Hexagon Composites, FM Global, the Italian region of Tuscany and the University of Pisa supported it financially.

HySafe organizers

Both the local organizers and HySafe representatives were impressed by the success of the conference. Jay Keller of Sandia National Laboratories, head of the local organizing committee, could find no fault: the plenary sessions were a success, the topical presentations were, and the whole setting was; he said that the organizers received a lot of compliments for the success of their work.

The number of submitted and presented papers rose to a new peak of 120; three parallel sessions instead of traditional two were necessary. There were 185 registered participants. The target to reach the attendance of the conference held in 2009 in France was missed by a narrow margin which can be easily explained by the fact that the majority of the HySafe members are based in Europe and that not so many students were present this time.

HySafe president Andrei Tchouvelev from Canada was impressed, however, by the high calibre of the participants, in particular those from the USA. Leading representatives of the US Department of Energy hydrogen and fuel cells program underlined in their presentations that the matter of safety is critical for the success of commercialization of hydrogen technologies; the consumer will never accept a technology which is associated with unacceptable risks.

Marco Carcassi from Pisa (Italy), responsible for the scientific content of the conference since its foundation in 2005, thinks that the ICHS is now established as the key global event in the field. The next ICHS (ICHS2013) will be held in September 2013 in Brussels (Belgium).

 

About ICHS

The objective of the International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS) is to improve public awareness and trust in hydrogen technologies by communicating a better understanding of both the hazards and risks associated with hydrogen and their management. Since the ICHS 2011 was focused on safety issues and measures to encourage more extensive use of hydrogen-based technologies, its contents was different from other hydrogen conferences.
The conferences have now been held in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011 in Pisa (Italy), San Sebastian (Spain), Ajaccio (France), and San Francisco, respectively. Their success showed that the matter of hydrogen safety is of interest to the public and to the scientific and engineering community.
All information about the conference now finished can be found in the web under http://www.ichs2011.com/.

 

About HySafe

HySafe is the global focal point for all hydrogen safety related issues. Founded in 2009, is an association under Belgian Law with seat in Brussels. Its purpose is to promote the safe use of hydrogen as energy carrier. The association facilitates the networking for the further development and dissemination of knowledge and for the coordination of research activities in the field of hydrogen safety. So it supports cost effective hydrogen safety research, enables innovative technologies and engineering, and provides education and training on a professional level. Based on its leading position in hydrogen safety research and development, HySafe determines the state-of-the-art in hydrogen safety and continuously develops further the associated strategic research agenda.

 

Media contact:

Dr. Ulrich Schmidtchen
BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing
Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 (30) 8104-4402; Fax: -3433

Mail: com-pr@hysafe.info