Progress in spontaneous ignition of hydrogen during high-pressure leakage with the considerations of pipeline storage and delivery

• Works on the spontaneous ignition of hydrogen were reviewed. • Presumed mechanisms of spontaneous ignition were compared. • Effects of pipe's length and diameter were analyzed and discussed. • Effects of the inner structure of pipe on autoignition were analyzed. • Effects of burst disk on autoignition were analyzed. High-pressure pipeline storage presents a promising method for widespread and efficient hydrogen transfer. However, challenges arise in mitigating pressurized hydrogen leakage due to hydrogen embrittlement issues associated with conventional pipeline materials. Experimental findings indicate that pressurized hydrogen is prone to spontaneous combustion, even at relief pressures as low as approximately 2 MPa - well below the permissible pipeline pressure in most countries. Despite this, there remains a lack of consensus regarding the mechanism of spontaneous ignition from high-pressure hydrogen leakage, and current research in this area is deemed insufficient. This study aims to analyze and discuss the presumed mechanisms of spontaneous ignition comparatively, review the progress in the study of spontaneous ignition of hydrogen in high-pressure leakage based on diffusion ignition theory, and statistically compare and discuss the influences of significant factors existing in pipelines (e.g., macro size factors and internal structure) and/or pipe failures (e.g., rupture factors) on spontaneous ignition. It is hoped that this article will provide scholars involved in the development of hydrogen energy and the theories of spontaneous combustion with a systematic understanding of these phenomena.