Physics of spontaneous ignition of high-pressure hydrogen release and transition to jet fire

The aim of this study is to gain an insight into the physical phenomena underlying the spontaneous ignition of hydrogen following a sudden release from high-pressure storage and transition to sustained jet fire. The modelling and large-eddy simulation (LES) of the spontaneous ignition dynamics in a tube with a non-inertial rupture disk separating the high-pressure hydrogen storage and the atmosphere is described. Numerical experiments confirmed that due to the stagnation conditions a chemical reaction first commences in the tube boundary layer, and subsequently propagates throughout the tube cross-section. The dynamics of flame formation outside the tube, simulated by the LES model, has reproduced the combustion patterns, including vortex induced "flame separation", which have been experimentally observed by high-speed photography. It is concluded that the LES model can be applied for hydrogen safety engineering, e.g. for the development of innovative pressure relief devices. (c) 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.