Research on the Dynamic Leaking and Diffusion Law of Hydrogen-Blended Natural Gas under the Soil–Atmosphere Coupled Model

Abstract

With the breakthrough in mixing hydrogen into natural gas pipelines for urban use, the widespread application of hydrogen-blended natural gas (HBNG) in energy delivery is imminent. However, this development also introduces significant safety concerns due to notable disparities in the physical and chemical properties between methane and hydrogen, heightening the risks associated with gas leaks. Current models that simulate the diffusion of leaked HBNG from buried pipelines into the atmosphere often employ fixed average leakage rates, which do not accurately represent the dynamic nature of gas leakage and diffusion. This study uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD) 2024R1 software to build a three-dimensional simulation model under a soil–atmosphere coupling model for HBNG leakage and diffusion. The findings reveal that, in the soil–atmosphere coupling model, the gas diffusion range under a fixed leakage rate is smaller than that under a dynamic leakage rate. Under the same influencing factors in calm wind conditions, the gas primarily diffuses in the vertical direction, whereas under the same influencing factors in windy conditions, the gas mainly diffuses in the horizontal direction.