Hydrogen Energy Safety: From Fundamentals to Future Perspectives

• CAO Yang（曹旸）

  CAO Yang（曹旸）is an Assistant Professor in the School of Emergency Management and a Research Fellow at the Institute of Emergency Governance and Policy at Nanjing Tech University, China. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2015. Following three years as a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA and the University of Arizona, she joined the faculty at NanjingTech University in 2022. Prof. CAO's research spans hydrogen energy safety, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing technology, and wildfire risk assessment. She has led and contributed to numerous research projects, including those funded by the U.S. National ScienceFoundation and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology.Her publications on SERS sensing with carbon nanotubes,fire danger, and tropical cyclones have appeared in prestigious international journals. In the classroom, Prof. CAO teaches a wide range of subjects, including Urban Safety m HydrologicalDisaster Science,and The Beauty of Meteorology in Poetry.Her interdisciplinaryapproachtoteachingintegratesemergencymanagement and environmental science, earning her several teaching awards, including a province-level Teaching Award. She has also guided her undergraduate students to achieve first prizes in national and provincial competitions.

HydrogenEnergy Safety: From Fundamentals toFuturePerspectives is a monograph that systematically explores the safety issues of hydrogen energy. It analyzes the basic theory of hydrogen energy, its physical and chemical properties, and wide range of applications, while elaborating on safety technologies and management measures in key areas such as hydrogen production, storage and transportation, refueling, and fuel cells. At the same time,the monograph proposes scientific and effective prevention,control strategies, and precautionary measures against potential safety hazards, including hydrogen leakage, fire, explosion, equipment failure, and human factors. Additionally, the monograph also looks forward to the future directions for innovation in hydrogen energy safety technology, discussing the improvement and development of the hydrogen energy safety management system, as well as the far-reaching impact of hydrogen energy safety on sustainable societal development. Rich in content and logically rigorous,the monograph provides valuable references and guidance for professionals and researchers in the hydrogen energy field.

Amid the global push to combat climate change and accelerate green energy transformation, hydrogen energy, as one of the most promising clean energy sources, is experiencing unprecedented development opportunities. With abundant sources, high energy density, and zero carbon emissions, hydrogen energy plays an irreplaceable role in achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. As major economies worldwide release hydrogen energy development strategies, hydrogen technologies continue to make breakthroughs, the industrial chain becomes increasingly mature, and application scenarios expand — from transportation and industrial manufacturing to energy storage and grid regulation. Hydrogen energy is gradually becoming a core component of the modern orm production technologies are maturing, providing robust support for the construction of clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient energy systems, while injecting fresh momentum into the sustainable development of the global economy.

However, the development of the hydrogen energy industry also faces numerous challenges, among which safety is particularly critical. Given hydrogen's physical and chemical characteristics —— such as its tendency to leak, flammability, and explosiveness — ensuring safety across production, storage, transportation, and application is crucial for the healthy growth of the entire industry. As the scale of hydrogen energy projects expands, global attention to hydrogen safety is increasing, prompting the ongoing improvement of relevant standards, regulations, and technical guidelines. In this context, strengthening hydrogen safety research, enhancing risk prevention and control capabilities, and building scientific and efficient safety management systems are not only essential for safeguarding lives, property, and social stability but also strategically important for promoting the high-quality development of the hydrogen energy industry and achieving the green transformation of the global energy landscape.

This monograph, Hydrogen Energy Safety: From Fundamentals to Future Perspectives, addresses safety issues throughout the hydrogen energy life cycle. It comprehensively analyzes the physicochemical properties of hydrogen, production processes and their associated safety concerns, and thoroughly explores safety design and risk control strategies for storage and transportation technologies, refueling infrastructure, and hydrogen fuel cell systems. Additionally, it provides an overview of hydrogen leakage detection, safety assessment models, and intelligent warning systems, proposing preventive and control measures against potential hazards such as fire, explosion, equipment failures, and human error. Building on this foundation, the monograph also looks ahead to future trends in hydrogen safety technology, paths for improving safety management systems, and their critical roles in achieving carbon neutrality. It aims to provide both theoretical support and practical guidance for professionals in hydrogen technology research, safety management, and policy development.

Finally, the successful completion of this monograph owes a great deal to the support and guidance of many experts and scholars, as well as to the team's years of experience and dedication in the field of hydrogen safety. Given the broad scope and complexity of this work, some oversights may be unavoidable, and we warmly invite readers to share their valuable feedback and suggestions via ycao@njtech.edu.cn.