Upcoming NFPA Hydrogen Safety Symposium (June 6-7, 2005, Las Vegas, NV)
by Carl Rivkin
Senior Chemical Engineer, National Fire Protection Association

Get up to speed on safety issues pertaining to the hydrogen economy at the Hydrogen Safety Symposium, being held at the NFPA World Safety Conference & Exposition. The entire hydrogen community is encouraged to attend this informative two-day symposium being held June 6-7 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Carl Rivkin, Senior Chemical Engineer with the National Fire Protection Association will start the symposium off on Monday, June 6 with a presentation that will provide an overview on hydrogen technology and safety. Among the topics Mr. Rivkin will discuss are the physical properties of hydrogen and its hazards, the general regulatory framework for hydrogen, and NFPA hydrogen codes and standards. Following Mr. Rivkin will be Earl Berry of Chevron Texaco Technology Ventures, LLC. Mr. Berry will present Chevron Texaco's experience in building a hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Anthony Eggert of the University of California at Davis and Dr. Monterey Gardiner of the California Fuel Cell Partnership will conclude Monday's program with a discussion on the unique safety challenges presented by hydrogen-fueled vehicles.

You are sure to find the second day of the symposium just as rewarding as the first. William Houf and Bob Schefer of Sandia National Laboratories will begin the day with their presentation on a combined experimental and modeling program being carried out at Sandia National Laboratories. This program characterizes and predicts the behavior of large-scale hydrogen releases from high-pressure hydrogen storage devices. Andrei Tchouvelev of Stuart Energy Systems Corporation will follow with a presentation on the results of CFD modeling of hydrogen releases. He will also relate how the results were applied to determine the appropriate clearance distances for venting of hydrogen storage. The University of California at Davis' Jonathan Weinert will then offer his presentation on the real world experience of building a hydrogen refueling station at Los Angeles International Airport. William Chernicoff of the Department of Transportation will bring the symposium to a close with his presentation concerning new demands the hydrogen economy will place on the transporting of hydrogen and first responder safety.

The Hydrogen Safety Symposium offers you compelling presentations by leading authorities in this emerging industry. Join your peers in Las Vegas to hear what's new in hydrogen research, codes and standar1ds, and infrastructure development at this highly anticipated event. For details on the Hydrogen Safety Symposium, and to register for the World Safety Conference & Exposition, log on to www.nfpa.org/wsce.