Mechanisms of high-pressure hydrogen gas self-ignition in tubes

This paper describes a numerical and experimental investigation of hydrogen self-ignition occurring as a result of the formation of a shock wave. The shock wave is formed in front of high-pressure hydrogen gas propagating in a tube. The ignition of the hydrogen–air mixture occurs at the contact surface of the hydrogen and oxidant mixture and is due to the temperature increase produced as a result of the shock wave. The required condition for self-ignition is to maintain the high temperature in the mixture for a time long enough for inflammation to take place. The experimental technique employed was based on a high-pressure chamber pressurized with hydrogen, to the point of a burst disk operating to discharge pressurized hydrogen into a tube of cylindrical or rectangular cross section containing air. A physicochemical model involving gas-dynamic transport of a viscous gas, detailed kinetics of hydrogen oxidation and heat exchange in the laminar approach was used for calculations of high-pressure hydrogen self-ignition. The reservoir pressure range, when a shock wave is formed in the air that has sufficient intensity to produce self-ignition of the hydrogen–air mixture, is found. An analysis of governing physical phenomena based on the experimental and numerical results of the initial conditions (the hydrogen pressure inside the vessel, and the shape of the tube in which the hydrogen was discharged) and physical mechanisms that lead to combustion is presented.     

Experimental investigation on shock waves generated by pressurized gas release through a tube

An experimental investigation on the flow structures and the strength of shock waves generated by high-pressure gas release through a tube into air was conducted. The results demonstrated that a leading shock wave was generated in front of the compressed gas jet and the shock wave speed increased firstly, then decreased and finally kept constant with an increase of the propagation distance in the tube. The experimentally measured Mach numbers of shock waves were close to those calculated from the theory of ideal shock tube flow. After spouting out of the tube, the normal shock quickly developed into a hemispherical shape. The Mach disk was observed in the under-expanded jet. For high-pressure combustible gas release, the concept of theoretical critical pressure of ignition was introduced and several theoretical critical pressures of common gaseous fuels were obtained.     

Numerical study on the spontaneous ignition of pressurized hydrogen release through a tube into air

Spontaneous ignition of pressurized hydrogen release through a tube into air is investigated using a modified version of the KIVA-3V CFD code. A mixture-averaged multi-component approach is used for accurate calculation of molecular transport. Autoignition and combustion chemistry is accounted for using a 21 step kinetic scheme. Ultra fine meshes are employed along with the Arbitrary Lagrangia–Eulerian (ALE) method to reduce false numerical diffusion. The study has demonstrated a possible mechanism for spontaneous ignition through molecular diffusion.

In the simulated scenario, the tube provided additional time to achieve a combustible mixture at the hydrogen–air contact surface. When the tube was sufficiently long under certain release pressure, autoignition would initiate inside the tube at the contact surface due to mass and energy exchange between low temperature hydrogen and shock-heated air through molecular diffusion. Following further development of the hydrogen jet downstream, the contact surface became distorted. Turbulence plays an important role for hydrogen/air mixing in the immediate vicinity of this distorted contact surface and led the initial laminar flame to transit into a stable turbulent flame.     

Self-ignition and explosion during discharge of high-pressure hydrogen

The phenomenon of self-ignition and explosion during discharge of high-pressure hydrogen was investigated. To clarify the ignition conditions of high-pressure hydrogen jets, rapid discharge of the high-pressure hydrogen was examined experimentally. A diaphragm was used to allow rapid discharge of the high-pressure hydrogen. The burst pressure was varied from 4 to 30 MPa. The downstream geometry of the diaphragm was a flange and extension pipes, with the pipe length varying from 3 to 300 mm. The diameter of the nozzle was 5 or 10 mm. When short pipes were used, the hydrogen jet did not ignite. However, the hydrogen jet showed an increasing tendency to ignite in the pipe as the length of the pipe became longer. At higher burst pressures, a diffusion jet flame was formed from the pipe. The blast wave from the fireball formed on self-ignition of the hydrogen jet resulted in an extremely rapid pressure rise.     

Numerical analysis of hydrogen deflagration mitigation by venting through a duct

This paper presents a model and simulation results for the mitigation of a hydrogen–air deflagration by venting through a duct. A large eddy simulation (LES) model, applied previously to study both closed-vessel, and open atmosphere hydrogen–air deflagrations, was developed further to model a hydrogen–air explosion vented through a duct. Sub-grid scale (SGS) flame wrinkling factors were introduced to model major phenomena which contribute to the increase of flame surface area in vented deflagrations. Simulations were conducted to validate the model against 20% hydrogen–air mixture deflagrations (vent diameters 25 and 45 cm) and 10% hydrogen–air mixture deflagration (vent diameter 25 cm). There was reasonable correlation between the simulations and the experimental data. The comparative importance of different physical phenomena contributing to the flame wrinkling is discussed.     

Scale effects on hydrogen–air fast deflagrations and detonations in small obstructed channels

An experimental study of flame propagation, acceleration and transition to detonation in hydrogen–air mixture in 2-m-long rectangular cross-section channel filled with obstacles located at the bottom wall was performed. The initial conditions of the hydrogen–air mixture were 0.1 MPa and 293 K and stoichiometric composition (29.6% H₂ in air). The channel width was 0.11 m and blockage ratio was 0.5 in all experiments. The effect of channel geometrical scale on flame propagation was studied by using four channel heights H of 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.08 m. In each case, the obstacle height was equal to H/2 and the obstacle spacing was 2H.

The propagation of flame and pressure waves was monitored by four pressure transducers and four ion probes. The pairs of transducers and probes were placed at various locations along the channel in order to get information about the progress of the phenomena along the channel.

As a result of the experiments, the deflagration and detonation regimes and velocities of flame propagation in the obstructed channel were established.     

A methodology to predict shock overpressure decay in a tunnel produced by a premixed methane/air explosion

A methodology for estimating the blast wave overpressure decay in air produced by a gas explosion in a closed-ended tunnel is proposed based on numerical simulations. The influence of the tunnel wall roughness is taken into account in studying a methane/air mixture explosion and the subsequent propagation of the resulting shock wave in air. The pressure time-history is obtained at different axial locations in the tunnel outside the methane/air mixture. If the shock overpressure at two, or more locations, is known, the value at other locations can be determined according to a simple power law. The study demonstrates the accuracy of the proposed methodology to estimate the overpressure change with distance for shock waves in air produced by methane/air mixture explosions. The methodology is applied to experimental data in order to validate the approach.     

Large scale experiments to study fires following the rupture of high pressure pipelines conveying natural gas and natural gas/hydrogen mixtures

As part of the EC funded Naturalhy project, two large scale experiments were conducted to study the hazard presented by the rupture of high pressure transmission pipelines conveying natural gas or a natural gas/hydrogen mixture containing approximately 22% hydrogen by volume. The experiments involved complete rupture of a 150 mm diameter pipeline pressurised to nominally 70 bar. The released gas was ignited and formed a fireball which rose upwards and then burned out. It was followed by a jet fire which continued to increase in length, reaching a maximum of about 100 m before steadily declining as the pipeline depressurised. During the experiments, the flame length and the incident radiation field produced around the fire were measured. Measurements of the overpressure due to pipeline rupture and gas ignition were also recorded. The results showed that the addition of the hydrogen to the natural gas made little difference to radiative characteristics of the fires. However, the fraction of heat radiated by these pipeline fires was significantly higher than that observed for above ground high pressure jet fires (also conducted as part of the Naturalhy project) which achieved flame lengths up to 50 m. Due to the lower density, the natural gas/hydrogen mixture depressurised more quickly and also had a slightly reduced power. Hence, the pipeline conveying the natural gas/hydrogen mixture resulted in a slightly lower hazard in terms of thermal dose compared to the natural gas pipeline, when operating at the same pressure.     

Attenuation of a point blast shock wave in the dusty air

The behavior of the blast impulse initiated by a point blast in the dusty air is investigated theoretically. It is shown that the jumps of parameters at the shock front in the dusty air follow other regularities in comparison with the case of an ideal gas, beginning from the distance of three dynamic radii, so at ten dynamic radii the difference in overpressure exceeds 60%. When the air heterogeneity is taken into account, substantial gradual changes of wave profile come over and the total blast wave impulse can't be determined by the front overpressure only. The known far asymptotic law takes no place in the point blast flow at the volume dust densities ρ₂₀ > 3·10^?3 kg/m³. In contrast to the ideal gas, the shock front discontinuity vanishes in the dusty air at a finite distance from its origin and the blast wave eventually turns into a dispersive wave without discontinuity. The wave structure changing is studied in the process of the shock wave transformation into the dispersive wave.     

气体密度和初压对炸药爆炸压力衰减的影响*

为研究气体密度和初压对爆炸压力的影响,以球形装药为例,在LS-DYNA中模拟不同气体密度、环境初压和真空度条件的TNT炸药爆炸,分析空气冲击波的形成过程和衰减规律。研究结果表明:在爆炸初期冲击波的波阵面位于爆炸产物边界,产物压力与冲击波压力存在强耦合作用;随着爆炸产物自身压力下降,其膨胀速度减慢,冲击波开始与爆炸产物分离,当产物中心压力下降为环境初压时,冲击波与爆炸产物彻底分离,其后以空气冲击波的形式独立传播。降低气体密度可以通过抑制冲击波形成,大幅降低爆炸压力;减小环境初压则通过加快冲击波的衰减速度,也可以在一定程度上降低爆炸压力。相较于单独改变密度和压力,提高真空度对冲击波压力的减小效果更好;近真空环境下无法形成空气冲击波,爆炸压力衰减速度快。     

爆炸冲击波及高温耦合引起瓦斯二次爆炸特性研究

在煤矿安全事故中,破坏程度最严重的事故之一就是瓦斯爆炸,而瓦斯爆炸冲击波及火焰锋面可能会二次点爆其他位置积聚瓦斯,加速火焰锋面及冲击波传播,并能产生更高的超压,造成更大的人员伤亡及财产损失。借助详细反应机理GRI Mech 3.0,基于开源化学动力学软件Cantera,研究冲击波强度、瓦斯体积分数和冲击波及高温耦合条件下对瓦斯爆炸特性的影响。结果显示,冲击波诱导瓦斯爆炸中,点火延迟时间随着瓦斯体积分数的增大而出现增大现象,随冲击波强度的增大而降低;同时分析了二氧化碳、一氧化碳和一氧化氮致害物质的浓度随瓦斯体积分数、冲击波强度和冲击波及高温耦合条件下的变化情况。     

瓦斯爆炸在角联通风管网中的传播特性研究*

为研究真实通风工况下瓦斯爆炸冲击波在复杂管网内的超压演化规律及高温传播规律,采用数值模拟方法,研究角联通风管网模型中各个监测点在不同通风条件下对瓦斯爆炸冲击波超压及高温的影响规律,研究结果表明:瓦斯爆炸冲击波在角联管网传播过程中产生3个局部高压区域,高温气体主要在左、右通路内传播,斜角联分支内只受到微弱影响;管网入口风流的存在,使得爆炸初期冲击波超压经相同距离传播用时更短,峰值更大,破坏力更强;风流的存在使得管网内高温气体传播状态发生改变,斜角联分支与左通路尾部热量发生积聚,温度峰值更大。     

高压储氢系统泄漏爆炸事故的动力学演化

为研究燃料氢气泄漏、爆炸的特性和规律,预防高压储氢系统中氢气泄漏爆炸事故发生,以加氢站为背景,数值仿真45 MPa高压储罐氢气泄漏并引发爆炸事故,分析泄漏爆炸动力学性质以及爆炸波在非均匀氢气浓度中的传播机制。同时,基于泄漏爆炸事故演化的力学机理,开展氢气泄漏爆炸动态风险分析,针对氢气不同泄漏量,建立泄漏扩散形成的气云体积、气云爆炸产生的冲击波与空间x,z方向上危害距离之间关系。研究结果表明：氢气泄漏过程中,气云氢气浓度变化与流场雷诺数具有较好一致性;氢气扩散受到高压储氢罐周围装置影响,流场中氢气浓度分布不均匀;当发生燃烧爆炸事故时,冲击波参数和湍动能变化梯度大;得到复杂布局区域冲击波超压峰值与比例距离之间关系式,其相比于理论方法更精细、计算结果更准确。研究结果可为降低高压储氢系统泄漏爆炸事故后果、采取有效防护措施提供一定依据。     

Estimation of pressure distribution for shock wave through the bend of bend laneway

Propagation of the air shock wave caused by explosion via the bend of a bend laneway has obvious nonlinear characteristics, compared with its propagation in a straight laneway. These characteristics are important bases to analyze the accident of gas explosion in underground mines and to estimate the blast resistance of underground structures in mines. In this work, the rule of the shock wave propagation via the laneway bend and the pressure distribution are studied by means of the numerical simulation approach. Theoretical results show that attenuation of the peak overpressure with distance does not obey exponent law when the air shock wave goes through the laneway bend. At some locations within the bend zone, the overpressures are higher than ones around those locations, the front of original plane wave bends in the bend of the laneway and after passing through the bend, it gradually returns to the state of plane wave propagation. There is a span dependent on the cross section dimension of laneway and the bend angle and increasing with the bend angle, in which the peak overpressure of shock wave does not uniformly attenuate with distance. When the bend angle is equal to 135°, this span is about five times as long as the corresponding equivalent diameter of the laneway. Additionally, the impulse of air shock wave attenuates uniformly via the laneway bend. On the end section of the complicated pressure distribution area in the bend, it is 66.65–98.7% of that in the straight laneway at the same scaled distance.     

Hazard evaluation of hydrogen–air deflagration with flame propagation velocity measurement by image velocimetry using brightness subtraction

Deflagration phenomena in hydrogen–air mixtures initially filled in 1.4 m³ spherical latex balloons were measured using a high-speed digital video camera and pressure transducers. The image velocimetry using brightness subtraction was introduced to eliminate the background effects for obtaining accurate time evolution records of flame propagation velocity. The maximum flame propagation velocity of about 100 m/s was observed with maximum overpressure 15 kPa at 1 m from ignition point. According to the detailed flame propagation velocity records, there were long deceleration durations. The observed maximum overpressure was smaller than the overpressure estimated by the basis of the observed maximum flame propagation velocity and the pressure wave theories of spherical flames. A new blast curve plot of scaled overpressure vs. distance was tentatively proposed.     

两相射流促进细水雾灭火技术发展

压缩气体射流与水射流混合后所产生的气-水两相射流,可获得连续、高速喷射的细水雾,水滴粒径小,穿入火焰的能力强,可沿水平方向射入火焰中,比喷淋方式水雾灭火可节省90%的用水量,缩短了灭火时间,发挥了细水雾的灭火优势,是细水雾灭火技术的最新发展。所制成的便携式、车载式、固定式的两相射流细水雾灭火装置,可扑灭多种类型的火灾,尤其适合用于扑灭有人存在的空间的火灾。以涡喷发动机为喷射动力的气-水两相射流喷射系统,制成了超大功率的喷射雾状水的消防装备,大幅度提高了控制油、气大火火势的能力和灭火效率。气-水两相射流还有稀释、吹散泄漏出的可燃性气体,防止其点燃的功能,适合于在天然气和有毒有害气体泄漏事故抢险救援中使用。将压缩气体和泡沫液按比例混和后喷射的压缩空气泡沫喷射系统,产生了喷射“干泡沫”的消防车,使灭火用水的利用率提高了8倍,被称为是世界最先进的泡沫灭火技术。气-水两相射流促进了灭火技术革命性的发展,新型的气-水两相射流消防装备不断涌现,展示出了广阔的应用前景。     

Behavior of buoyancy and momentum controlled hydrogen jets and flames emitted into the quiescent atmosphere

As an effort to improve the prediction of hydrogen dispersion in the atmosphere, effects of buoyancy acting on the hydrogen jets formed by releasing from high pressure vessels are investigated analytically and experimentally. For the analytical study, an integral analysis for buoyant jets and flames is carried out to yield the closed formula describing the jet and flame shapes, including their trajectory and horizontal and vertical lengths corresponding to the critical concentrations. Because the density of hydrogen after releasing from high pressure storage conditions is much close to that of helium than that of hydrogen at room temperature, helium is used as the hydrogen surrogate for the buoyant jet experiments, which were performed by visualizing the jet dispersing in the atmosphere up to the jet Reynolds number Re ～ 2400. The trajectories obtained by the integral analysis and experiments agree relatively well until the transition to turbulence occurs. A further estimate for jets and flames is made by using the integral analysis as a preliminary design to the experiments involving a much greater hydrogen release. Once the comparative investigation of the larger scale experiments with the integral analysis, we anticipate that a more universal hydrogen jet and flame data can be obtained, which perhaps leads to a better safety distance of hydrogen stations.     

Numerical study on the spontaneous ignition of pressurized hydrogen during its sudden release into the tube with varying lengths and diameters

Fuel cell vehicles (FCV) and other hydrogen systems with pressurized hydrogen has a safety hazard of spontaneous ignition during its sudden release into the tube. Tube parameter is a key factor affecting the spontaneous ignition of pressurized hydrogen. In this paper, a numerical study on the spontaneous ignition of pressurized hydrogen during its sudden release into the tube with varying lengths and diameters is conducted. The models of Large Eddy Simulation (LES), Eddy Dissipation Concept (EDC), Renormalization Group (RNG), 10-step like opening process of burst disk and 18-step detailed hydrogen combustion mechanism are employed. 6 cases are simulated based on the previous experiments. Numerical results show that the possibility of spontaneous ignition of pressurized hydrogen increases inside the longer and thinner tubes, which agrees with the experimental results. The increasing of tube length has little influence on the shock wave formation and propagation inside the tube. However, there exists critical tube lengths for the generation of Mach disk and the normal shock wave: the maximum and minimum distances for the generation of the Mach disk in 10 mm diameter tube are 7.8 and 6.7 mm, respectively. As for the normal shock wave, these critical values are 22.1 and 19.4 mm, respectively. In addition, the formation times and initial positions of Mach disk and normal shock wave are delayed inside the thicker tube. Due to the shock-affected time increases with the increasing of tube length, the temperature could rise to the critical ignition temperature and triggers the spontaneous ignition due to the sufficient tube length even though the less hydrogen/air mixture and the contact surface with lower temperature is produced inside the thicker tube. Finally, a simple time scale analysis is conducted.     

基于激波理论的新兴煤矿煤与瓦斯突出事故研究

通过分析新兴煤矿煤与瓦斯突出事故,发现在事故中由于煤与瓦斯突出事故诱发了激波的生成,瞬间产生的巨大超压,引起风流逆向,大量瓦斯随逆向风流从突出地点扩散传播至二水平,接触卸载巷电机车架空线所产生的电火花,从而引发瓦斯爆炸事故。提出了突出激波对事故的影响并分析了突出激波的形成及其破坏作用,研究了影响突出激波破坏作用的影响因素,得出参与突出的瓦斯量和瓦斯压力是影响激波强度的关键因素。有助于了解突出后的气流动力演化规律,并为煤与瓦斯突出事故的防灾、救灾措施的制定以及提高矿井的抗灾能力提供了参考。     

Pressure characteristics and dynamic response of coal mine refuge chamber with underground gas explosion

Coal mine refuge chambers are new devices for coal mine safety which can provide basic survival conditions after gas explosion. In order to simulate the propagation of underground methane/air mixture blast wave, and check structural safety of coal mine mobile refuge chamber, an underground tunnel model and a refuge chamber model have been established based on explicit nonlinear dynamic ANSYS/LS-DYNA 970 program. Results show that the reflected wave pressure on the impact surface was about two times higher than that on the incident one. The relationship between the pressure fields of the chamber was analyzed. The maximum pressure of gas explosion reached about 0.71 MPa, and the pulse width was 360 ms. The maximum absolute displacement and stress occurs at the main door center and the connection of stiffeners and the front plate, respectively. The entire coal mine mobile refuge chamber was in elastic state and its strength and stiffness meet the safety requirements. The cabin door, the front plate and the connecting flange at cabin back as well as the stiffeners on each side were the most critical components. Suggestions were put forward for the refuge chamber.