Investigation on synergistic suppression of hydrogen explosion behaviors by ethylene and carbon dioxide

Abstract

Hydrogen is getting more and more attention, but hydrogen safety is the foundation of the hydrogen economy. In this paper, 1.5% ethylene cooperates with carbon dioxide to suppress hydrogen explosions at normal temperature and pressure in a spherical container. The purpose of this paper is to solve the problem of the large amounts of traditional suppression materials needed to suppress hydrogen explosions. The experimental and simulation results show that 1.5% ethylene quenched active free radicals by cutting off chain reactions and suppressing hydrogen explosions with the endothermic and oxygen dilution effects of carbon dioxide. Even though 1.5% ethylene initially enhanced lean hydrogen explosions, the final experimental results showed that the synergistic effect of 1.5% ethylene and carbon dioxide demonstrated better performance, and the addition of carbon dioxide was reduced by up to 28%. This strategy offers new ideas for enhancing the capabilities of traditional suppression materials and preventing hydrogen explosions.