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Vented Confined Explosions Involving Methane-Hydrogen Mixtures.pdf (226.13 kB)

Vented confined explosions involving methane/hydrogen mixtures

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journal contribution
posted on 2014-07-02, 13:15 authored by Barbara J. Lowesmith, Christopher Mumby, Geoff Hankinson, J.S. Puttock
The EC funded Naturalhy project is assessing the potential for using the existing gas infrastructure for conveying hydrogen as a mixture with natural gas (methane). The hydrogen could then be removed at a point of use or the natural gas/hydrogen mixture could be burned in gas-fired appliances thereby providing reduced carbon emissions compared to natural gas. As part of the project, the impact on the safety of the gas system resulting from the addition of hydrogen is being assessed. A release of a natural gas/hydrogen mixture within a vented enclosure (such as an industrial housing of plant and equipment) could result in a flammable mixture being formed and ignited. Due to the different properties of hydrogen, the resulting explosion may be more severe for natural gas/hydrogen mixtures compared to natural gas. Therefore, a series of large scale explosion experiments involving methane/hydrogen mixtures has been conducted in a 69.3 m3 enclosure in order to assess the effect of different hydrogen concentrations on the resulting explosion overpressures. The results showed that adding up to 20% by volume of hydrogen to the methane resulted in a small increase in explosion flame speeds and overpressures. However, a significant increase was observed when 50% hydrogen was added. For the vented confined explosions studied, it was also observed that the addition of obstacles within the enclosure, representing congestion caused by equipment and pipework, etc., increased flame speeds and overpressures above the levels measured in an empty enclosure. Predictions of the explosion overpressure and flame speed were also made using a modified version of the Shell Global Solutions model, SCOPE. The modifications included changes to the burning velocity and other physical properties of methane/hydrogen mixtures. Comparisons with the experimental data showed generally good agreement.

History

School

  • Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering

Department

  • Chemical Engineering

Published in

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY

Volume

36

Issue

3

Pages

2337 - 2343 (7)

Citation

LOWESMITH, B.J. ... et al., 2011. Vented confined explosions involving methane/hydrogen mixtures. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 36 (3), pp. 2337 - 2343.

Publisher

© International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Version

  • AM (Accepted Manuscript)

Publication date

2011

Notes

This article was published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy [© International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd.] and the definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2010.02.084

ISSN

0360-3199

Language

  • en

Location

Ajaccio-Corsica, FRANCE

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