Hydrogen Fuel Cell taxi: Safety analysis experiences

A hydrogen fuel cell powered London Taxi prototype is being developed by a consortium of partners. This paper presents the authors´ experiences from safety analysis of the above prototype vehicle so far, with particular emphasis on the onboard hydrogen storage and fuel cell system. The paper begins with an introduction of the prototype vehicle that is being developed by the consortium. An overview is then presented about the difference between hydrogen and conventional fuels and the safety implications of these differences. The paper then explores the suitability of current automotive standards for such projects and discusses Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Standards that are currently being developed around the world. The rest of the paper discusses the safety analysis approach to this project so far. Some of the completed tasks such as System Description, Hazard Identification and Analysis, Risk Analysis and Safety Requirements Generation are discussed and the pros and cons experienced are also presented.