Numerical study on the influence mechanism of different types of burst disc on high pressure hydrogen spontaneous combustion in tube

Abstract

High-pressure transportation and storage are the current main methods for storing hydrogen. Burst discs, which are common in high-pressure storage devices, can cause hydrogen leaks to ignite and create serious accidents when certain conditions are met. To investigate this, this paper studies the effect of different blasting slot shapes on the spontaneous combustion of leaked high-pressure hydrogen. Numerical simulations, using LES, EDC model, Ten-Step Burst Disc Opening Method and 19-Step Detailed Hydrogen Combustion Mechanism, were conducted to analyze the spontaneous combustion of hydrogen with annular grooves, star grooves, cross grooves and grooveless burst discs. The results of the study show that the shape of the groove in the bursting disc will significantly affect the shock wave structure and spontaneous combustion time of leaked high pressure hydrogen in the tube. Among the four types of bursting discs, the order of spontaneous combustion in the tube is annular groove (approximately 90 μs), star groove (approximately 110 μs), cross groove (approximately 120 μs), and grooveless bursting disc (approximately 130 μs). Secondly, the double spherical shock waves produced by annular groove bursting disc collide with each other, resulting in a higher rising speed of pressure and temperature in the tube than with other bursting discs. Finally, the spontaneous combustion time of the leaked hydrogen is proportional to the open area of the bursting disc. When the opening area is the same, the smaller the exit shape coefficient is, the shorter the spontaneous combustion time is. The research results can provide some reference for the design and application of bursting disc in high pressure hydrogen storage equipment.