The Hydrogen Safety Engineering and Research Centre (HySAFER) was formally established in 2008 following the success of the European Network of Excellence “Safety of Hydrogen as an Energy Carrier” project.
The Centre carries out fundamental and industry-driven research, consultancy, knowledge and technology transfer in the area of safety science and engineering, primarily hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
HySAFER has experience in addressing knowledge gaps and technological bottlenecks in hydrogen safety research and research-led education. It is internationally recognised with external funding from prestigious research funding agencies.
Our aim
Our aim is to strengthen the internationally recognised standing of Ulster University in safety science and engineering of the emerging hydrogen economy, alternative fuels and related areas. In this context, we focus on the development of breakthrough safety strategies and innovative engineering solutions for hydrogen and other industries to underpin public safety.
Specifically, the focus of our research is on analytical and numerical methods, this is complemented by our extensive research collaboration with experimental centres globally. Research facilities include powerful processor computers and specialised software.
Areas of expertise include:
- release of expanded and under-expanded jets
- dispersion and ventilation
- spontaneous ignition
- free and impinging jet fires
- indoor well-ventilated and under-ventilated fires
- large-scale deflagrations
- deflagration-to-detonation transition, and detonations
- blast wave decay after high-pressure tank rupture
- fire resistance and thermal protection of high-pressure gaseous storage
- hazards from fireballs.
Research outcomes
Research outcomes are shared through different research-led education and training activities, for example the European e-Academy of Hydrogen Safety and “European summer school on hydrogen safety”.
HySAFER is co-founder of the International Association for Hydrogen Safety and participates in activities of the International Standardization Organisation ISO/TC197 “Hydrogen technologies.
The Centre is represented in the scientific organising committees of a number of international conferences and scientific journals.
The impact of HySAFER activities is through the establishment and advancement of the hydrogen safety engineering discipline and contributions to international regulations, codes and standards.