Safety Program for the Ballard Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus

摘要

In an effort to bring to market the first commercially viable hydrogen fueled zero-emission vehicle, the automotive industry is currently developing hydrogen fuel cell engine technology. A Vancouver based company, Ballard Power Systems Inc. (Ballard), has become an industry leader in this effort. In association with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and British Colombia Transit (BCT), Ballard is currently engaged in a hydrogen fuel cell transit bus demonstration project. The purpose of this project is to develop and demonstrate the operation of six hydrogen fuel cell powered buses in a public transit environment. Since hydrogen fuel cell buses have never been used by US or Canadian public transit agencies, the operational and safety issues associated with hydrogen have not been yet fully investigated. Safety regulations and standards for operating hydrogen fueled vehicles do not exist at this time. Consequently, Ballard placed the highest priority on the system safety process implemented to ensure the safety of passengers, transit property staff, and the general public. This paper will discuss the safety program implemented by Ballard to ensure the safe design, operation, and maintenance of the fuel cell bus demonstration project. Specifically, this paper will discuss: 1. The System Safety Program Plan for the gaseous hydrogen transit bus 2. The safety analyses prepared to evaluate bus and facilities designs 3. The reviews performed to convert diesel facilities to hydrogen facilities 4. The testing and certification program used to verify the safety of on-board hydrogen fuel tanks. In addition, this paper will investigate the paradigm shift required in the transit property's safety culture to ensure safe maintenance and operations of hydrogen fueled vehicles.