UW Research Group Publishes Two Articles on Hydrogen Infrastructure

A University of Wyoming research group led by Chengyi "Charlie" Zhang, an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, recently published two comprehensive academic articles about mitigating risks and analyzing safety compliance for the rapidly evolving hydrogen energy sector.

Saksham Timalsina, a native of Sindhupalchowk, Nepal, served as lead author of both articles alongside Zhang. Key research and writing contributions were provided by graduate research assistants Uttam Pal, of Chainpur, Nepal; Shristi Neupane, of Butwal, Nepal; and Merina Giri, of Itahari, Nepal, all representing the UW Construction Research and Innovation Lab.

The first article, titled "Quantifying reliability and uncertainty in hydrogen infrastructure through integrated incident analysis" and published in the April edition of the Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, addresses the complex safety, reliability and uncertainty challenges inherent in hydrogen energy infrastructure due to its unique physical and chemical properties. Rather than relying purely on theoretical hazard models, the study uses real-world empirical data by analyzing past incidents recorded in the H2Tools database.

The second article, titled "Legal Risk Mitigation in Hydrogen Pipeline Transport through Corrective Action Order Analysis," was published in the Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction and evaluates the enforcement patterns of the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to understand how federal oversight evolves and responds to regulatory priorities.

Based on their findings, the authors conclude that commercial infrastructure developers and operators can successfully anticipate, navigate and clear future hydrogen regulatory hurdles. This is achieved by systematically aligning modern contractual frameworks and standard operational safety provisions with the historical enforcement triggers identified across these two studies.

"With any new technology or innovation, safety is always a top priority," Zhang says. "These articles are able to assess existing empirical data to provide a clear picture about what risks are associated with hydrogen applications, allowing the industry to proactively mitigate exposures before deployment scale-up."

Funded through a competitive proposal process by the School of Energy Resources' Hydrogen Energy Research Center (H2ERC), the Construction Research and Innovation Lab has delivered several significant publications. The team's research spans both technical and economic analyses essential to establishing a viable hydrogen economy in Wyoming.

The lab's latest articles specifically integrate critical evaluations of infrastructure integrity and targeted risk mitigation strategies for these emerging technologies.

"Dr. Zhang and his team have been tremendous in taking a holistic approach to building a hydrogen industry in Wyoming," says H2ERC Director Eugene Holubnyak. "These most recent high-impact publications are a direct reflection of our ongoing Phase II commitment to thoroughly investigate, innovate and shape the ultimate future of clean hydrogen transportation and infrastructure on both a regional and national scale."