1. As of January 2024, we are not aware of any public data on incidents or investigations where a hydrogen fired steam boiler exploded.
2. The potential for detonations within a boiler tube would depend on both the equivalence ratio of the hydrogen present and the diameter of the boiler tube.
a. At a minimum, if the circumference of the tube is…
Yes, these would be ignitable mixtures. In this case, it does not appear complicated geometry is involved, so 1200 psig pipe should be more than adequate to protect against internal deflagration. The most likely scenario is a "backfire," similar to a car, where ignition occurs too soon and shoots out the open end of the pipe. Consider using an inline deflagration flash arrestor on the…
Several organizations published a paper together on this topic in 2017 (see attached). Based on comparisons with tests and CFD simulations, the following conclusions were drawn:
There are two parts for such a system to be effective. First, the system would have to activate quickly enough to establish a water mist throughout the region of interest (i.e., region occupied by a flammable gas mixture) before it could be ignited. This is challenging in terms of timing, and the impact of spraying water inside an enclosure filled with equipment not designed to get wet can be…
Explosion testing with hydrogen should be utilized only where there is not an established alternative and then only by personnel experienced in such testing.
Testing with hydrogen is always a challenge and needs to be approached carefully due to significant differences in properties between hydrogen and propane. Hydrogen can develop significantly higher overpressures and preliminary…
The Panel has not received such inquiries. Section 14.2 of NFPA 69 Standard for Explosion Prevention Systems covers foam and mesh requirements. NFPA 69 states in 14.3.4 that the tests shall be conducted with a flammable gas/air mixture with a fundamental burning velocity representative of the burning velocities of flammable vapors expected in the intended applications.
I am communicating with a company that is exploring this technology for an application involving a mixture of flammable gases, including hydrogen.
No, but it is always necessary to determine the possibility of an adverse chemical reaction with the particular material being used for the mesh.
There is limited published research on the effect of water sprays on hydrogen deflagrations and deflagration-to-detonation transition, and more extensive data on water spray effects on hydrocarbon gas explosions. The results show the benefits, where there are benefits, to be highly scenario dependent. For example, Carlson et al. (Atomics International report, 1973) described hydrogen…
The lesson learned (LL) article referenced in the question cites an incident that occurred in December 1969. While there may have been other accidents, the HSP does not have any other LL articles on alkaline water electrolysis explosions. In the LL article that was updated in 2017, the technology described employs a potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte solution. The KOH electrolyte is held by…
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