Real fire testing and performance evaluation of fully loaded hydrogen storage systems for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles

The safety of automotive hydrogen storage systems is critical for the reliable operation of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs); however, real fire tests remain limited. To address this gap, a fire test was conducted on an onboard hydrogen storage and supply system comprising four parallel 35 MPa Type III high-pressure hydrogen storage cylinders and associated valves. The experiment consisted of two stages: localized fire and engulfing fire. The primary objective was to collect data on the hydrogen storage cylinders and analyze their behavior under over-temperature and over-pressure conditions, combustion, and the response of accessories such as thermally activated pressure relief devices (TPRDs). The results revealed that (1) hydrogen release pressure induces localized deformation in the release piping, (2) the parallel configuration of release piping for multiple hydrogen cylinders reduces venting efficiency.