Effect of hydrogen blending on ammonia/air explosion characteristics under wide equivalence ratio

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effect of mixing hydrogen on the explosive characteristics of ammonia, this work explored the evolution of explosion overpressure and flame propagation characteristics of ammonia/hydrogen/air mixture under different hydrogen blending ratios in closed pipelines through experimental research. Experimental results show that as the hydrogen blending ratio increase, the instability of flame increases, and flame surface changes from smooth to wrinkled. Flame propagation undergoes the evolution of jellyfish-shaped/near-spherical, finger-shaped, plane-shaped, irregularly protruding flame and tulip flame. Flame surface area is constantly changing, accompanied by violent flame tip velocity pulsations. The maximum explosion pressure and the maximum explosion pressure rise rate are consistent with the evolution law of adiabatic flame temperature. They first increase and then decrease with increase of the equivalence ratio, and their peak value appears near the equivalence ratio of 1.1. On the contrary, the explosion duration and rapid combustion period first decrease and then increase with increase of equivalence ratio, and decrease monotonically with increase of hydrogen blending ratio. The conclusions obtained in this work will contribute to the structural design of flame arresters and the formulation of explosion venting strategies during the preparation, transportation and utilization of ammonia/hydrogen mixtures.