Comparing hybrid method simulations to hydrogen dispersion and explosion tests
Juliana F. Roos A and Madhat Abdel-jawad A *A
In her role as Senior Project Manager in Research and Development at Advanced Analysis Australia, Dr Juliana Roos actively engages with exploCFD, a robust tool facilitating comprehensive consequence analysis and risk management. Driven by collaboration and team-oriented problem-solving, Dr Roos is committed to optimising processes, mitigating risks, and achieving safety goals. Dr Roos has an extensive background in Research and Development, where she led a team of researchers and developers in the medical applications of engineering tools. She is a former academic in Pharmacy and holds a PhD from the University of Queensland, Australia. Email: juliana@advanalysis.com |
Dr Madhat Abdel-jawad is a gas dynamics expert specialising in shock waves and explosions with over 20 years as an engineering consultant and researcher. He currently leads Advanced Analysis Australia which specialises in accident investigations, CFD analysis of gas dispersion fires and explosions, gas. His client list includes nearly all the major oil and gas operators worldwide. He also leads product development for several software products including the IChemE award winning explosion modelling software exploCFD. Dr. Abdel-jawad, has for several years, worked on developing a fundamental understanding of accidental releases, fires and explosions, particularly in relation to high temperature gas dynamics, chemical kinetics, and hybrid modelling methodology. He continues to lecture to students and professionals worldwide and continues to supervise postgraduate students, publish and review for several journals. He holds a PhD from the Centre for Hypersonics at the University of Queensland, Australia. Email: madhat@advanalysis.com |
Abstract
With an increase in the production and storage of hydrogen, it is likely that an increased number of explosions in which hydrogen plays a central role will occur unless a step change increase in safety is seen. Modelling releases of hydrogen and explosions arising from the delayed ignition of premixed gas clouds of hydrogen is carried out today using analytical and numerical approaches and most recently, using a hybrid methodology with the commercially available software exploCFD. Hybrid simulation methodology relies on the calculation of an analytically derived source term which is then used as an input for a 2D numerical simulation. In this paper we further our earlier validation work and test the ability of the hybrid methodology to predict flammable gas dispersion and subsequent explosions arising from hydrogen releases. Hydrogen has some particularly unique properties; it is the lightest of fuels – meaning masses involved are very small, and it has the highest laminar burning velocity – an order of magnitude greater than most hydrocarbons. The hybrid methodology is compared against previously documented 3D corner tests and dispersion tests. Excellent agreement between overpressure prediction and the reported experimental data for explosion against equivalence ratio is observed. The data from the hydrogen jet release simulations also compare extremely well to the previously reported experimental data. The results show that it is difficult to justify the use of far more laborious, time and cost-intensive purely numerical methods, or the use of largely uncertain more crude methods still widely used today.
Keywords: CFD, computational fluid dynamics, dispersion modelling, explosion consequence analysis, gas explosion, hydrogen release tests, hydrogen-air explosion.
In her role as Senior Project Manager in Research and Development at Advanced Analysis Australia, Dr Juliana Roos actively engages with exploCFD, a robust tool facilitating comprehensive consequence analysis and risk management. Driven by collaboration and team-oriented problem-solving, Dr Roos is committed to optimising processes, mitigating risks, and achieving safety goals. Dr Roos has an extensive background in Research and Development, where she led a team of researchers and developers in the medical applications of engineering tools. She is a former academic in Pharmacy and holds a PhD from the University of Queensland, Australia. Email: juliana@advanalysis.com |
Dr Madhat Abdel-jawad is a gas dynamics expert specialising in shock waves and explosions with over 20 years as an engineering consultant and researcher. He currently leads Advanced Analysis Australia which specialises in accident investigations, CFD analysis of gas dispersion fires and explosions, gas. His client list includes nearly all the major oil and gas operators worldwide. He also leads product development for several software products including the IChemE award winning explosion modelling software exploCFD. Dr. Abdel-jawad, has for several years, worked on developing a fundamental understanding of accidental releases, fires and explosions, particularly in relation to high temperature gas dynamics, chemical kinetics, and hybrid modelling methodology. He continues to lecture to students and professionals worldwide and continues to supervise postgraduate students, publish and review for several journals. He holds a PhD from the Centre for Hypersonics at the University of Queensland, Australia. Email: madhat@advanalysis.com |
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