Hydrogen Safety

Hydrogen tanks undergo extensive testing before they are certified by the U.S. Department of Transportation. In two of the more extreme tests, researchers from Lawrence Livermore Laboratory fired .30-caliber armor-piercing bullets at the tanks and exposed the tanks to bonfires. Even though the bullets entered the tanks and the fire charred the outsides of the tanks, neither experiment caused the tanks to explode.

Hydrogen’s lightness can be an advantage in case of a leak. Since hydrogen is 14 times lighter than air, it will float upward and disperse quickly if released outdoors, and it will seek a way out of an enclosed structure. Heavier fuels may pool at ground level.