Prediction of state property,flow parameter and jet flame size during transient releases from hydrogen storage systems

The accidental leakage of high-pressure gas storage systems including tank, pipe, etc. can lead to hazardous jet fires resulting in a serious of disastrous events. With the isentropic process assumption on the high-pressure gas leakage or release, the ideal gas equation of state is firstly used to solve the gas transfer problem, and then the Abel-Noble equation of state (AN-EOS) is adopted for the effect of gas molecule volume. Given both the molecule volume and intermolecular attraction should not be ignored for the high-pressure gas, this paper attempts to build the high-pressure gas leakage process model based on the van der Waals equation of state. Together with the available notional nozzle model and the flame size model, the gas leakage process model is used to calculate the gas state property and flow parameter of hydrogen tank leakage and its subsequent jet flame height. The predicted gas mass flow rate, flame height, and gas pressure and temperature are compared to the experimental measurements for validation and the predictions of the model based on ideal gas equation of state and AN-EOS. It is found that the proposed model can give more encouraging results compared to the previous models. The proposed theoretical model shows a great implication for the calculation of other gas tank leakage and can help to predict the thermal radiation field of jet fires.     

Prediction of the failure probability of the overhead power line exposed to large-scale jet fires induced by high-pressure gas leakage

A thermal failure model (TFM) is proposed to predict the failure probability of Aluminum Conductor Steel-Reinforced (ACSR) typed power line close to a large-scale jet fire of leaked high-pressure gases. It introduces a newly developed method for heat transfer from jet fires and a distribution model for conductor failure probability via IEEE Standard 738–2012. Comparisons covering van der Waals equation, jet flame length correlations (Chamberlain, Schefer, Molkov and Bradley) and thermal radiation models (point source, multi-point source and line source) were made to illustrate priority with respect to experimental measurement of large hydrogen and natural gas jet fires. Results show that a theoretical framework incorporating van der Waals equation, Molkov's correlation for jet flame length, radiative fraction model and point source model is adequately precise to predict high-pressure leakage process, total flame length and received radiant heat flux (far-field). Predicted total flame lengths of a large jet fire for nearby power lines within 50–200 m to the accident site correspond well to reported results and the conservative hazard ranges are predicted based on harm criteria of wood and Probit equations. In simulations, an acceptable safety distance for power line carrying 907 A and below is determined to be 150 m.     

Predictions of free jet fires from high pressure, sonic releases

A numerical model for predicting jet fires resulting from high pressure, sonic releases of natural gas is described. The model is based on solutions of the density-weighted forms of the fluid flow equations. It is capable of accurately resolving the near-field shock structure that occurs in these flows through the use of a compressibility corrected version of the k-? turbulence model, and also includes sub-models for the flame lift-off height and a prescribed probability density function/laminar flamelet model of the turbulent non-premixed combustion process. Radiation heat transfer is described using an adaptive version of the discrete transfer method, with solutions of the radiation heat transfer equation obtained using a statistical narrow band approach. The complete model is demonstrated to yield plausible predictions of the structure of both the near-field non-reacting and subsonic combusting zones within wind blown fires, and to provide realistic predictions of flame lift-off heights, mean temperatures, trajectories and the radiation fluxes received about a number of field-scale jet fires.     

Predicting radiative characteristics of hydrogen and hydrogen/methane jet fires using FireFOAM

A possible consequence of pressurized hydrogen release is an under-expanded jet fire. Knowledge of the flame length, radiative heat flux as well as the effects of variations in ground reflectance is important for safety assessment. The present study applies an open source CFD code FireFOAM to study the radiation characteristics of hydrogen and hydrogen/methane jet fires. For combustion, the eddy dissipation concept for multi-component fuels recently developed by the authors in the large eddy simulation (LES) framework is used. The radiative heat is computed with the finite volume discrete ordinates model in conjunction with the weighted sum of grey gas model for the absorption/emission coefficient. The pseudo-diameter approach is used in which the corresponding parameters are calculated using the formulations of Birch et al. [24] with the thermodynamic properties corrected by the Able-Noble equation of state. The predicted flame length and radiant fraction are in good agreement with the measurements of Schefer et al. [2], Studer et al. [3] and Ekoto et al. [6]. In order to account for the effects of variation in ground surface reflectance, the emissivity of hydrogen flames was modified following Ekoto et al. [6]. Four cases with different ground reflectance are computed. The predictions show that the ground surface reflectance only has minor effect on the surface emissive power of the smaller hydrogen jet fire of Ekoto et al. [6]. The radiant fractions fluctuate from 0.168 to 0.176 close to the suggested value of 0.16 by Ekoto et al. [6] based on the analysis of their measurements.     

Generalization of the radiative fraction correlation for hydrogen and hydrocarbon jet fires in subsonic and chocked flow regimes

The radiative fraction is one key parameter to characterize the jet flame combustion dynamics and to calculate the thermal radiant heat emitted from jet fire. A theoretical analysis is conducted to clarify the key parameters that dominate the radiative fraction of jet fires, with discussion of the limitation of previous radiative fraction correlations. A completely new dimensionless group, consisting of the mass fraction of fuel at stoichiometric conditions, the density ratio of fuel gas to ambient air and the flame Froude number, is proposed to correlate the radiative fraction of jet fires. The current up-to-date experimental data are used to build the radiative fraction correlation that covers orifice exit diameters from one to hundreds of millimeter, hydrogen, methane and propane fuels, vertical and horizontal jets, buoyance- and momentum-controlled releases, subsonic, sonic and supersonic jets. It is found that the source Froude number can fit the radiative fraction of a particular fuel jet fire. However, the new dimensionless group can correlate the radiative fractions of fuel-different jet fires. The predictive capability of the new correlation exceeds that of previously published work based on the source Froude number only or the global residence time with/without correction factors.     

Visualization of hydrogen jet using deformation of the laser beam profile

Hydrogen has the widest flammable range, the fastest flame propagation speed, and the lowest ignition energy, so its safety needs special attention before the wide application of hydrogen energy. The main objective of this work is to propose a new method to evaluate hydrogen jet pressure by using a Helium–Neon laser through the jet. A mathematical model was proposed, which describes the deformation of the laser beam profile passing through an axisymmetric circular hydrogen jet pressure flow field in detail. This research attempts to apply the expression of density Gaussian distribution, ideal gas equation, and Gladstone Dale equation to disclose the deformation of laser beam profile under different outlet conditions. The experimental uncertainty is about 3 × 10^?3. A non-contact optical experimental system is established to visually measure the density gradient distribution of the gas jet. Our findings show that the hydrogen jet can be regarded as a gas-phase lens, and the deformation of the laser beam profile in the horizontal direction increases linearly with jet pressure. Finally, the preliminary results of calculations of the spot area with the theoretical model were presented and compared with the images of the laser beam profile passing through the jet in the experiment. The theoretical model gave similar results and the overall agreement with the experiment was satisfactory. Our technology exhibits high sensitivity in the measurement of hydrogen leakage pressure, providing a theoretical basis for non-contact, non-damaged, high-response, and high-sensitivity detection of hydrogen leakage.     

Evaluation of flame emission models combined with the discrete transfer method for combustion system simulation

This article considers the application of flame emission models used for predicting the thermal radiation fluxes from flames and fires within a computational fluid dynamic framework, used in conjunction with the discrete transfer method. The flame emission models differ in their generality, sophistication, accuracy and computational cost, and are assessed in terms of their ability to predict radiation transfer in idealised situations, as well as flames in tubes representative of burner systems, laboratory-scale jet flames and wind-blown jet fires. It is concluded that the implementation of simple flame emission models, based on the grey gas assumption, must be treated with caution due to convergence problems. The key problem occurs when the grey absorption coefficient is based on a length scale linked to the size of the control volume. This issue is well known in the radiation modelling community, but not so in the combustion modelling community. Use of models based on the banded mixed grey gas, TTNH, wide and narrow band approaches yield satisfactory results for all the simulated flames and fires considered, typically being within 20% of the measured radiation heat flux.     

Evaluation of the safe separation distances of hydrogen-blended natural gas pipelines in a jet fire scenario

The desire for sustainable development in various countries has increased the use of hydrogen energy. Considering cost and time savings, the introduction of hydrogen into existing natural gas pipelines is an excellent option, and the failure consequences of hydrogen blending in natural gas pipelines should be considered. In this study, a solid flame model is used to calculate the thermal radiation intensity of a hydrogen-blended natural gas jet fire. A method is proposed to modify the calculation of the view factor in the near field, and parameters such as the specific heat capacity and calorific value of pure gas are replaced by the parameters of the mixed gas. The data of the Thornton and modified models are compared with the experimental results, and the modified model result is found to be more accurate. Using the modified model, the variations in different hydrogen blending ratios, internal pressures, and pipe diameters with the safe separation distance of the thermal radiation intensity in a pipeline accident are investigated, and the relationships between them are analyzed.     

Numerical study on unsteady characteristics of high-pressure hydrogen jet ejected from a pinhole

The aim of this study was to delineate the unsteady fluid dynamics of the high-pressure hydrogen jet to clarify the relationship between the forced ignition position and the flame development characteristics in a high-pressure hydrogen jet leaking from a pinhole. The Navier–Stokes equation for a compressible multi-component gas was used to simulate a high-pressure (82 MPa stagnation pressure) unsteady hydrogen jet ejected into the atmosphere through a pinhole (diameter = 0.2 mm). The results indicated that the flapping jet at the base of the jet formed a cloud of highly concentrated hydrogen that flowed downstream. A correlation was observed between the spatio-temporal distribution of hydrogen concentration and velocity was observed. The unsteady high-pressure hydrogen jet obtained by simulation will be used in subsequent studies focusing on flame development under forced ignition.     

Numerical study of hydrogen/methane buoyant fires using FireFoam

Hydrogen/methane buoyant fires with various hydrogen volume fractions ranging from 0% to 20% were numerically studied in this paper. The modified eddy dissipation concept combustion model for multi-fuels in the large eddy simulation (LES) framework was employed for combustion, and especially the infinitely fast rate based on “global” concept was improved. Combined with the weighted sum of gray gas model for emission/absorption coefficient, the finite volume discrete ordinates model was used to compute the radiative heat transfer. The predicted centerline temperature, velocity, and flame height are in good consistence with the measured data. Furthermore, the detailed analysis was conducted on the dependency of the parameters such as centerline temperature and velocity, flame height, and soot volume fraction on hydrogen volume concentration.     

Analysis of jet flames and unignited jets from unintended releases of hydrogen

A combined experimental and modeling program is being carried out at Sandia National Laboratories to characterize and predict the behavior of unintended hydrogen releases. In the case where the hydrogen leak remains unignited, knowledge of the concentration field and flammability envelope is an issue of importance in determining consequence distances for the safe use of hydrogen. In the case where a high-pressure leak of hydrogen is ignited, a classic turbulent jet flame forms. Knowledge of the flame length and thermal radiation heat flux distribution is important to safety. Depending on the effective diameter of the leak and the tank source pressure, free jet flames can be extensive in length and pose significant radiation and impingement hazard, resulting in consequence distances that are unacceptably large. One possible mitigation strategy to potentially reduce the exposure to jet flames is to incorporate barriers around hydrogen storage equipment. The reasoning is that walls will reduce the extent of unacceptable consequences due to jet releases resulting from accidents involving high-pressure equipment. While reducing the jet extent, the walls may introduce other hazards if not configured properly. The goal of this work is to provide guidance on configuration and placement of these walls to minimize overall hazards using a quantitative risk assessment approach. The program includes detailed CFD calculations of jet flames and unignited jets to predict how hydrogen leaks and jet flames interact with barriers, complemented by an experimental validation program that considers the interaction of jet flames and unignited jets with barriers.     

Thermal radiation from cryogenic hydrogen jet fires

The thermal hazards from ignited under-expanded cryogenic releases are not yet fully understood and reliable predictive tools are missing. This study aims at validation of a CFD model to simulate flame length and radiative heat flux for cryogenic hydrogen jet fires. The simulation results are compared against the experimental data by Sandia National Laboratories on cryogenic hydrogen fires from storage with pressure up to 5 bar abs and temperature in the range 48–82 K. The release source is modelled using the Ulster's notional nozzle theory. The problem is considered as steady-state. Three turbulence models were applied, and their performance was compared. The realizable k-ε model showed the best agreement with experimental flame length and radiative heat flux. Therefore, it has been employed in the CFD model along with Eddy Dissipation Concept for combustion and Discrete Ordinates (DO) model for radiation. A parametric study has been conducted to assess the effect of selected numerical and physical parameters on the simulations capability to reproduce experimental data. DO model discretisation is shown to strongly affect simulations, indicating 10 × 10 as minimum number of angular divisions to provide a convergence. The simulations have shown sensitivity to experimental parameters such as humidity and exhaust system volumetric flow rate, highlighting the importance of accurate and extended publication of experimental data to conduct precise numerical studies. The simulations correctly reproduced the radiative heat flux from cryogenic hydrogen jet fire at different locations.     

Effect of heat transfer through the release pipe on simulations of cryogenic hydrogen jet fires and hazard distances

Jet flames originated by cryo-compressed ignited hydrogen releases can cause life-threatening conditions in their surroundings. Validated models are needed to accurately predict thermal hazards from a jet fire. Numerical simulations of cryogenic hydrogen flow in the release pipe are performed to assess the effect of heat transfer through the pipe walls on jet parameters. Notional nozzle exit diameter is calculated based on the simulated real nozzle parameters and used in CFD simulations as a boundary condition to model jet fires. The CFD model was previously validated against experiments with vertical cryogenic hydrogen jet fires with release pressures up to 0.5 MPa (abs), release diameter 1.25 mm and temperatures as low as 50 K. This study validates the CFD model in a wider domain of experimental release conditions - horizontal cryogenic jets at exhaust pipe temperature 80 K, pressure up to 2 MPa ab and release diameters up to 4 mm. Simulation results are compared against such experimentally measured parameters as hydrogen mass flow rate, flame length and radiative heat flux at different locations from the jet fire. The CFD model reproduces experiments with reasonable for engineering applications accuracy. Jet fire hazard distances established using three different criteria - temperature, thermal radiation and thermal dose - are compared and discussed based on CFD simulation results.     

Prediction of turbulence radiation interactions of CH4H2/air turbulent flames at atmospheric and elevated pressures

Predicting thermal radiation for turbulent combustion highlights the significance of turbulence radiation interactions (TRI). Thermal radiation behaviors of methane/hydrogen flames under elevated pressures are investigated numerically using the developed TRI module integrated into CFD codes. The updated non-gray weighted sum of gray gases model is used to calculate the radiative properties of participating media. TRI effects have been analyzed with 0%–50% volumetric fraction of hydrogen in the methane/hydrogen blended fuels under 1–5 atm working pressures. Employing the radiation model considering TRI achieves closer predicted consistency to the experimental data. Only thermal radiation makes the flame temperature dropped about 60–140 K, while the predicted radiative source term calculated with TRI is higher than that without TRI, which results in a colder flame (approximately 13–60 K lower). The impact of TRI on the radiation behavior is enhanced in hydrogen-enriched high-pressure flame as the predicted radiation heat flux and radiative source term are increased above 25% than that without TRI. On account of TRI effect, the net radiative heat loss increases almost 50% at elevated pressure. The strong radiation of participating media in methane/hydrogen flames under elevated pressures emphasizes the importance of TRI effect on accurate predictions of thermal radiation and NO emission.     

Predicting radiative heat fluxes and flammability envelopes from unintended releases of hydrogen

The prediction of the radiative heat flux from a turbulent-jet flame issuing from a damaged, high-pressure hydrogen storage system is an issue of importance for the safe use of hydrogen. Information about the variation of the thermal radiation exposure with distance from the hydrogen jet flame as well as the length and duration of the flame is important in determining safe distances for the handling and storage of hydrogen. An equally important issue is the determination of the concentration decay of an unignited hydrogen jet in the surrounding air, and the envelope of locations where the concentration falls below the lower flammability limit for hydrogen.     

Leakage and diffusion behavior of a buried pipeline of hydrogen-blended natural gas

Buried pipelines are one method of conservation transfer for widely used gases such as natural gas and hydrogen. The safety of these pipelines is of great importance because of the potential leakage risks posed by the flammable gas and the special properties of the hydrogen mixture. Estimating the leakage behavior and quantifying the diffusion range outside the pipeline are important but challenging goals due to the hydrogen mixture and presence of soil. This study provides essential information about the diffusion behavior and concentration distribution of underground hydrogen and natural gas mixture leakages. Therefore, a large-scale experimental system was developed to simulate high-pressure leaks of hydrogen mixture natural gas from small holes in three different directions from a pipeline buried in soil. The diffusion of hydrogen-doped natural gas in soil was experimentally measured under different conditions, such as different hydrogen mixture ratios, release pressures, and leakage directions. The experimental results verified the applicability of the gas leakage mass flow model, with an error of 6.85%. When a larger proportion of a single component was present in the hydrogen-doped natural gas, the leakage pressure showed a greater diffusion range. In addition, the diffusion range of hydrogen-doped natural gas in the leakage direction was larger at 3 o'clock than that at 12 o'clock. The hydrogen blend carried methane and diffused, which shortened the methane saturation time. Moreover, a quantitative relationship between the concentration of hydrogen-doped natural gas and the diffusion distance over which the hydrogen-doped natural gas reached the lower limit of the explosion was obtained by quantitative analysis of the experimental data.     

聚合物火焰辐射的通风影响

根据通风条件不同，受限燃烧可分为燃料控制和通风控制两种燃烧状况。通风对于受限燃烧的火焰辐射有重要影响，尤其在通风控制燃烧时。本文以火焰中热量和炭颗粒的生成规律为基础，提出了描述通风影响的聚合物燃烧火焰辐射近似模型。针对几种典型聚合物计算了其火焰辐射放热分数和火焰平均辐射温度，并讨论了通风条件、燃烧构成和燃烧尺度的影响、以及火焰辐射放热分数与燃料烟点之间的关系。进而，在改进的基础上，以ｄｅ Ｒｉｓ和     

A numerical simulation of the suppression of hydrogen jet fires on hydrogen fuel cell ships using a fine water mist

In this paper, in order to evaluate the reliability of a fine water mist for the suppression of fires on hydrogen fuel cell ships, the fire dynamics simulator (FDS) software was used to simulate the jet fire process and the action of a fine water mist on a fire caused by a hydrogen leakage in the hydrogen storage tank areas of hydrogen fuel cell ships. The fire scenario was classified into vertical or horizontal jet fires according to the location of the leakage in the hydrogen storage tank area, and the suppression effects of a fine water mist on hydrogen jet fires under a different droplet size, spray velocity, and ambient wind speed were compared and analyzed. The results indicate that a fine water mist is not effective in extinguishing hydrogen jet fires; however, by selecting suitable parameters (a spray velocity of 30 m/s and average droplet size of 30 μm), it can effectively reduce the fire field temperature of hydrogen jet fires and prevent the fire from developing further. Increasing the average droplet size of the fine water mist results in a gradual degradation of the suppression effect, while a higher spray velocity of the mist enhances the suppression effect to a certain extent. The ambient wind speed is an important factor that influences the suppression effect of a fine water mist on hydrogen jet fires, and when this speed is less than 4 m/s, a fine water mist with a higher spray velocity and smaller average droplet size is still a superior way of suppressing fires.