Jet Flame Research Articles

Study on ignition mode transition of methanol pre-chamber jet ignition system controlled by boundary condition parameters

Optimizing boundary condition parameters is an effective means to substantially improve the combustion performance of methanol pre-chamber turbulent jet ignition systems. In this study, an optically accessible constant-volume combustion chamber was employed to delve deeply into the impacts of critical boundary condition parameters on the combustion performance of the pre-chamber jet ignition system. The findings suggest that adjusting the pre-chamber boundary condition parameters can lead to various jet ignition modes, including jet flame ignition, jet direct ignition, jet delayed ignition, jet wake ignition, and dual jet ignition. Different jet ignition modes result in variations in ignition timing, ignition location, combustion rate, and lean burn limits. Under identical initial temperature and pressure conditions, compared to jet flame ignition with the lowest combustion velocity and jet wake ignition with almost no lean burn capability, dual jet ignition can reduce the combustion duration by about 50% and elevate the lean burn limit by more than double. Unlike the patterns observed in traditional spark ignition systems, within the range of experimental tests, lowering the temperature and increasing the pressure significantly improved the lean combustion limit of the pre-chamber system and reduced the probability of jet wake ignition. This performance enhancement is attributed to the increase in the density of the mixture in the main combustion chamber.

Computational insights into flame development and emission formation in an ammonia engine with hydrogen-assisted pre-chamber turbulent jet ignition

Ammonia, as a promising green fuel for achieving carbon neutrality and zero-carbon emissions, encounters obstacles in practical engine applications due to its intrinsic combustion properties like low burning velocity and high autoignition temperature. Hydrogen-assisted pre-chamber turbulent jet ignition (TJI) technology has recently demonstrated great potential in extending the lean limits and enhancing the stability of ammonia combustion. As such, this study conducts a comprehensive analysis on the flame development and emission formation processes under the active pre-chamber TJI mode fueled with ammonia and hydrogen using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling integrated with detailed chemical kinetics, particularly focusing on the effects of hydrogen energy ratio and spark timing. It is found that the active ammonia-hydrogen TJI engine is typically characterized by four primary physical processes involving H2 mixture preparation in the pre-chamber, flame kernel formation and development within the pre-chamber, the formation and ejection of hot jet across the orifices, and the turbulent flame initiation and propagation in the main chamber. Hydrogen injection holds a scavenging effect on the residuals in the pre-chamber while forms fuel stratification near the spark plug, enhancing the ignition stability. Besides, the current combustion mode is commonly characterized by two-stage heat release in the main chamber, but exhibits a three-stage heat release as increasing the premixed H2 ratio. The first stage is dominated by a hot jet flame, the second stage is characterized by turbulent flame propagation or autoignition, and the third stage is induced by a secondary jet ejected from the pre-chamber, which becomes more prominent as the H2 ratio increases. Hydrogen blending could not only facilitate the turbulent flame propagation of NH3-air mixture in the main chamber but also enhance the initiation of flame kernel in the pre-chamber, thereby promoting the overall combustion process and potentially improving the thermal efficiency. The N2O emission is produced in two distinct stages, wherein N2O is generated and undergoes conversion during the main combustion phase, while unburned crevice gases mix with burned gases and convert into N2O during the expansion stroke. Increasing the premixed hydrogen ratio leads to an increased in-cylinder temperature, which in turn facilitates a reduction in N2O emissions and mitigates unburned ammonia. Furthermore, optimization of the spark timing is required after implementing the hydrogen addition into the intake manifold to achieve desirable combustion phasing and further improve the thermal efficiency. Finally, a novel combustion concept, denoted as TJI assisted compression ignition mode, is proposed for achieving high thermal efficiency in ammonia engines via adopting high compression ratio and premixed ammonia-hydrogen charge under the TJI strategy.

Investigation of the effect of HHO-assisted flame-jet ignition on in-cylinder combustion, engine performance, and environmental indicators in a propane-fueled SI engine

In this paper, a spark ignition (SI) engine is modified to operate by flame-jet ignition using oxy-hydrogen (HHO) gas in a small pre-combustion chamber (PCC) at partial load. The air-propane mixture in the main combustion chamber was ignited with an HHO-assisted flame jet, and the effects on in-cylinder combustion, engine performance, and environmental factors were investigated. In experimental studies, the SI engine was operated at 2300 rpm with a throttle opening of 1/2 at 24 different operating points generated by combining six different mixtures (λ = 0.9–1.4) and four different HHO flow rates (HHO = 0–1.0 l.min−1). The situation in which the HHO gas is not injected into the PCC is passive, while the situation in which it is injected is active. The findings showed that operating conditions with active PCC at λs significantly improved engine performance and environmental impact. The effect of active PCC was greater with lean mixtures (λ = 1.3–1.4) and decreased as the mixture shifted towards the rich (λ = 0.9). In addition, the effect of active PCC at all λs slowed down after 0.7 l.min−1 HHO flow rate. At λ = 1.4 and 1.0 l.min−1 HHO flow rate, where the highest effect occurs, Pmax and IMEP with active PCC are 76.09 % and 58.9 % increased, respectively; ISFC decreased by 38.3 % and ηt reached by 37 %; mfb’s of 0–10 %, 10–90 %, and 90–100 % 38.27, 20.83 %, and 47.62 % shorten, respectively; COVIMEP decreased by 6043 units; HC decreased by 95.18 %; CO2 and NOx emissions increased by 44.6 % and 24 %, respectively. In addition, at λ = 1.4, ΣE&SC decreased up to 164.5 €.kWh−1 which is 11 % lower than the lowest value of 183.5 €.kWh−1 obtained at passive PCC.

Combustion regimes stability based on liftoff and blow-off measurements of oxy-fuel flames in an internal recirculation combustion chamber

The effect of dilution on the static stability of turbulent oxy-methane flames was evaluated in an equivalence ratio range of 0.6 to 1.0 with CO2 mole fraction ranging from 0% to 71.8%. A set of experiments was carried out in a lab scale combustor with internal recirculation. The anchored flame, lifted flame, and MILD regimes were established keeping the bulk velocity of the O2/CO2 mixture stable at 30 m/s. Measurements of the reaction zone were carried out by OH∗ chemiluminescence. The anchored flame presented a jet flame macrostructure stabilized at the burner’s nozzle with CO2 mole fraction varying from 0% to 42.9% at stoichiometric conditions. The lifted flame exhibited oscillations in terms of the topology and of the liftoff height in the range of 42.9% to 60% CO2 mole fraction. The MILD regime occurred from 60% to blow-off occurred at 71.9% CO2 mole fraction. In the MILD regime, the chemical reactions were uniformly distributed inside the combustion chamber, in addition to a considerable reduction in OH∗ intensity. The maximum OH∗ intensity in the MILD regime decreased by 89% when compared to the anchored flame case. Liftoff and blow-off were assessed in the equivalence ratio range of 0.6 to 1.0. Regardless of the equivalence ratio, both phenomena exhibited a correlation with the laminar flame speed rather than the adiabatic flame temperature. Such a correlation suggests that laminar flame speed is a representative parameter of changes in species transport and chemical kinetics caused by dilution.

Release of high-pressure hydrogen from type III tank in a fire scenario: Analysis and prediction of jet flame length and thermal response characteristics

In this paper, the thermal response and jet flame behaviour of a typical type III high-pressure hydrogen storage tank with nominal working pressure (NWP) and volume of 70 MPa and 48 L were analysed at fire scenarios. The tank was discharged at a critical internal pressure 77.4 MPa, which was ca. 110 % of NWP. The pressure drop rates of type III tanks were greater than 1 MPa/s during the initial 15 s after venting. The length and width of jet flame were 4.93 and 1.65 m at the critical moment, which fluctuated downward over time. A thermokinetic model was employed to predict the variation of hydrogen gas state parameters and the maximum length of jet flame. The calculation results indicated that the maximum flame length of hydrogen released from a valve of 2 mm was around 2–6.5 m under a pressure range of 10–80 MPa. The error between the predicted results and the experimental values was less than 5 %. It was found that the flame length was enlarged by an increase of aperture. The length of flame increased by 6 m after the aperture changed from 2 to 5.08 mm at the equivalent pressure.

Effects of O2 concentration of O2/CO2 co-flow on the flame stability of non-premixed coaxial jet flame

Greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced to stop the advance of global warming. Oxy-fuel combustion is one of the methods to reduce CO2 emissions. This paper aims to study the stabilization of CO2-diluted oxy-methane non-premixed jet flames and compare this with the results of methane-air flames. The lower the co-flow velocity and the higher the oxygen concentration in the co-flow, the higher the stability. If the flame stability is strong enough to withstand flame shape changes from the over-ventilated flame to the under-ventilated flame, the flammable range without blowout increases significantly under the under-ventilated flame. Otherwise, by decreasing the liftoff flame stability, the over-ventilated flame cannot change to the under-ventilated flame and blows out near the globally stoichiometric condition. The flame stability of a CO2-diluted oxy-fuel flame can differ from that of methane-air flames due to the properties of CO2 and N2. The effective velocity proposed by Guiberti et al. shows a good collapse of the dimensionless liftoff height among the O2/CO2 co-flow, but the dimensionless liftoff height under the air co-flow is not on the same line with the O2/CO2 co-flow. This study suggests a modified dimensionless liftoff height equation considering the fuel and co-flow mixture kinematic viscosity instead of the fuel kinematic viscosity and the ratio of the thermal diffusivity of the mixture. The thermal diffusivity ratio does not affect the result of the air co-flow. Additionally, the new coefficient β and turbulent Schmidt number are suggested because these numbers are factors depending on the burner geometry. The modified effective velocity using new coefficients and the modified dimensionless liftoff height show a good collapse for not only O2/CO2 co-flows but also air co-flow. Also, the modified effective velocity shows the possibility of the critical liftoff velocity prediction.

Composite combustion behaviors of tubular flame and central jet flame in a reduced-diameter vortex combustor

The characteristics of the tubular flame and the flow field mixing mechanism in a reduced-diameter vortex combustor are investigated by varying the fuel flow rate and equivalence ratio through experiments and numerical simulations. Single-layer tubular flame and double-layer composite tubular flame are found in the combustor under the coupling effect of the cyclone and the central jet. The composite tubular flame will be formed when the air in the combustor is more abundant (Ф>1.00), and the center flame frequency is linearly and positively correlated with the Reynolds number of the central jet air. When the Reynolds number exceeds 2000, the double-layer composite flame tends to stabilize, with the center flame frequency higher than 9 Hz. The turbulence of the central jet air promotes the mixing of reactants by enhancing the recirculation near the nozzle, guaranteeing the central flame's stable combustion. Through analysis of the burn rate of methane at the outlet and the emission species of CO and CO2, it is evident that the double-layer flame achieves the methane burn rate exceeding 95 %, while also exhibiting lower CO emissions compared to the single-layer flame.

Effects of Partial Premixing and Coflow Temperature on Flame Stabilization of Lifted Jet Flames of Dimethyl Ether in a Vitiated Coflow Based on Stochastic Multiple Mapping Conditioning Approach

The Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS)-based stochastic multiple mapping conditioning (MMC) approach has been used to study partially premixed jet flames of dimethyl ether (DME) introduced into a vitiated coflowing oxidizer stream. This study investigates DME flames with varying degrees of partial premixing within a fuel jet across different coflow temperatures, delving into the underlying flame structure and stabilization mechanisms. Employing a turbulence k-ε model with a customized set of constants, the MMC technique utilizes a mixture fraction as the primary scalar, mapped to the reference variable. Solving a set of ordinary differential equations for the evolution of Lagrangian stochastic particles’ position and composition, the molecular mixing of these particles is executed using the modified Curl’s model. The lift-off height (LOH) derived from RANS-MMC simulations are juxtaposed with experimental data for different degrees of partial premixing of fuel jets and various coflow temperatures. The RANS-MMC methodology adeptly captures LOH for pure DME jets but exhibits an underestimation of flame LOH for partially premixed jet scenarios. Notably, as the degree of premixing escalates, a conspicuous underprediction in LOH becomes apparent. Conditional scatter and contour plots of OH and CH2O unveil that the propagation of partially premixed flames emerges as the dominant mechanism at high coflow temperatures, while autoignition governs flame stabilization at lower coflow temperatures in partially premixed flames. Additionally, for pure DME flames, autoignition remains the primary flame stabilization mechanism across all coflow temperature conditions. The study underscores the importance of considering the degree of premixing in partially premixed jet flames, as it significantly impacts flame stabilization mechanisms and LOH, thereby providing crucial insights into combustion dynamics for various practical applications.

Furnace MILD combustion versus its open counterpart in hot coflow

The open jet flame in hot co-flow (JHC) has been frequently utilized for fundamental investigations of Moderate or Intense Low-oxygen Dilution (MILD) combustion due to its controllable conditions and relatively easy measurement capabilities. However, practical MILD combustion must take place within a combustor that is enclosed. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the similarity and disparity of combustion characteristics between two flame configurations. This issue is addressed currently. Specifically, we investigate the flow mixing, ignition, and combustion, as well as emission characteristics of non-premixed and premixed JHC and cylindrical furnace (FUR) flames at various values of the environmental temperature (Te) and central jet Reynolds number (Re). For the open non-premixed flames, we employ both previous single-tube JHC (SJHC) combustor and presently modified JHC (MJHC) one that uses the same nozzle configuration as the FUR burner. It is revealed that significant differences occur in flow, combustion and emission characteristics between the SJHC and FUR cases. On the other hand, both non-premixed and premixed MJHC configurations exhibit high similarity to the corresponding FUR cases in terms of upstream flow mixing and combustion features. Moreover, different CO and NOx emissions result from open JHC and close furnace flames due to different post-combustion configuration and residence time. Accordingly, future experiments on non-premixed MJHC and premixed JHC flames are highly recommended for better understanding practical MILD combustion.

Experimental investigation on the combustion characteristics of electrolyte jets containing flame retardant tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate

Abstract It is critical to well understand the combustion characteristics of the electrolytes inside lithium-ion batteries for safety concerns, particularly the electrolyte jet flames after thermal runaway. An electrolyte jet fire setup is developed in this study to investigate the combustion characteristics of electrolyte jets with the flame-retardant additive tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) under high-temperature circumstances. Jet and ignition delay times and flammability are defined to characterize the flame-retardant effects. The fundamental parameters of self-extinguishing time and propagation rate are also measured for a comprehensive comparison. The experimental results show that the propagation of electrolyte flame at ambient temperature can be entirely stopped with 40 wt % of TCEP additives and 50 wt % can make the electrolyte nonflammable. Owing to the high boiling temperature and vaporization enthalpy of TCEP, more heat is required for the decomposition of electrolytes and TCEP mixtures, resulting in lower decomposition reaction rates and heat release rates. Thus, both the jet delay times and the ignition delay times significantly increase with the TCEP additives. Moreover, analyses on the spectrum of electrolyte jet flame reveal that the suppressing effects of TCEP on the combustion of electrolyte jets are operated by scavenging the OH radical and heat release.

Research on the Ignition Strategy of Diesel Direct Injection Combined with Jet Flame on the Combustion Character of Natural Gas in a Dual-Fuel Marine Engine

In large-bore two-stroke diesel/nature gas dual-fuel marine engines, a certain quantity of diesel is injected into the cylinder to satisfy the full-power output engine rated power of the gas mixture. However, the ignition and flame propagation process based on the injection strategy of diesel direct injection combined with diesel jet flame on the ignition and combustion of natural gas is unclear, which directly affects the power and the thermal efficiency of engine and emissions. Therefore, this work numerically investigates the flame propagation characteristic under the strategy of the main and pilot diesel modes. The influence of the injection timing and proportion of diesel on combustion and emission performance are further analyzed. The results show that the influence of the injection timing of main diesel (MDIT) on the combustion process and emission performance is more obvious than that of the injection timing of pilot diesel (PDIT). The results indicate that the MDIT increased from −2°CA to −8°CA, the power increased by 316 kW, and the thermal efficiency improved by 1.5%. However, the CO2 emissions increased by 10.5 g/kWh, and the NOx emissions increased by 0.7 g/kWh. Additionally, an early PDIT is not conducive to the rapid organization of combustion, resulting in decreased engine power and thermal efficiency. Furthermore, it was found that the power improved by 50 kW and the thermal efficiency improved by 0.6%, with a decrease in the main diesel ratio (MDR) from 100% to 90%. Meanwhile, the CO2 emissions decreased by 4 g/kWh, although there was no obvious change in NOx emissions with the advance of MDR.

Flame-retardant wire burning behavior by jet flame heating: Ignition, charring, and secondary flame spread

This research presents an in-depth examination of the combustion characteristics of flame-retardant electrical wires, contrasting behavior with non-flame-retardant counterparts under jet flame heating. The study systematically investigates the pyrolysis process, ignition patterns, charring behavior, and the development of secondary flames in wires with different core diameters and insulation materials. Findings indicate the heightened susceptibility of thinner wires to rapid heating, pyrolysis and charring, leading to faster ignition and more intense secondary flame development. This insight is crucial for tailoring flame-retardant formulations to specific wire dimensions. The research also delves into the thermal dynamics within the wires, highlighting how the core diameter influences axial heat conduction and, consequently, the overall flame spread behavior and pyrolysis rate. A critical discovery is the relationship between heating duration and flame sustainability, establishing a specific range of heating times for sustaining secondary flames in flame-retardant wires. Theoretical models used in the study explained the critical heat flux heating time for wire ignition, offering insights into improved fire prevention strategies, particularly in prolonged heat exposure scenarios. These findings not only advance our understanding of flame-retardant wire behavior under fire conditions but also provide guidance for selecting and using electrical wires, thereby optimizing fire safety in diverse applications.

Morphological Characteristics of Propane–Hydrogen Diffusion Flame: Experiments and Correlations

ABSTRACT This study investigated the flame height and liftoff height of turbulent diffusion jet flames of the Propane–Hydrogen mixed gas. A series of experiments have been conducted to examine their flame height and liftoff height with different concentrations of propane and hydrogen. The experimental results show that the flame height decreases with the increase in hydrogen concentration. The accuracy of the Froude number for the prediction of flame height has been verified. The liftoff height is proportional to the propane flow rate, while it was inversely proportional to the hydrogen concentration due to the increased laminar flame speed. A theoretical model incorporating laminar flame speed, heat release rate, and fuel exit velocity has been obtained. These investigations are crucial for enhancing safety in hydrogen-enriched pipeline systems, which is helpful for the use of hydrogen in energy systems and global sustainability efforts.

Effect of Obstacle Gradient on the Deflagration Characteristics of Hydrogen/Air Premixed Flame in a Closed Chamber

In this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation is employed to analyze and discuss the effect of obstacle gradient on the flame propagation characteristics of premixed hydrogen/air in a closed chamber. With a constant overall volume of obstacles, the obstacle blocking rate gradient is set at +0.125, 0, and −0.125, respectively. The study focuses on the evolution of the flame structure, propagation speed, the dynamic process of overpressure, and the coupled flame–flow field. The results demonstrate that the flame front consistently maintains a jet flame as the obstacle gradient increases, with the wrinkles on the flame front becoming increasingly pronounced. When the blocking rate gradients are +0.125, 0, and −0.125, the corresponding maximum flame propagation speeds are measured at 412 m/s, 344 m/s, and 372 m/s, respectively, indicating that the obstacle gradient indeed increases the flame propagation speed. Moreover, the distribution of pressure is closely related to changes in the flame structure, with the overpressure decreasing in the obstacle channel as the obstacle gradient increases. Furthermore, the velocity vector and vortex distribution in the flow field are revealed and compared. It is found that the obstacle tail vortex is the main factor inducing flame evolution and flow field changes in a closed chamber. The effect of the blocking rate gradient on flow velocity is also quantified, with instances of deceleration occurring when the blocking rate gradient is −0.125.

Large-eddy simulation investigation on the effects of inlet swirl/Reynolds number and fuel heating value on a turbulent kerosene spray flame

To progress toward the high efficiency and low emission aviation engine technology, it is mandatory to understand the complex phenomena including kerosene spray atomization, evaporation, turbulent mixing and combustion in the engine combustor. Nowadays with the rapid growth of computational capacity over the world, large-eddy simulation (LES) performs a more and more important role in understanding the complex multi-phase combustion process of kerosene fuels in aviation engine configuration. In the present work, LES is employed to investigate a swirling kerosene spray jet flame in a model combustor, which has been studied experimentally. The turbulent combustion is modeled by the flamelet generated manifold (FGM) approach with a 3-component surrogate kerosene skeletal mechanism. The averaged gas velocity and temperature predicted by LES generally agrees well with the experimental measurements. Local extinction is observed at the inner shear layer of the swirling spray flame, due to droplet-turbulence-flame interactions. A parametric study with 11 cases is then performed to investigate the effects of inlet swirl/Reynolds number and fuel heating value on the kerosene flame. As the swirl number increases, the enhanced turbulent mixing between kerosene fuel and air facilitates the combustion process, but combustion instabilities may occur if the swirl number is too high. A higher Reynolds number can promote the turbulent combustion via a stronger recirculation zone, but it also has strong dilution effects on the combustion field. Variations in the fuel heating value directly impact the temperature field, but the flow field, major species concentrations and droplet phase statistics are only slightly affected. These LES results give clues to achieve optimal combustion performance in realistic aviation engine configurations via better arrangements of fuel and air injections.

Experimental study on hydrogen-enriched natural gas jet fire hazards: Assessment of the flame geometrical parameters

In the future, hydrogen will be more frequently injected into natural gas networks for storage and transportation purposes. A diffusion jet flame forms when gaseous fuel leakage occurs during the transportation or utilization of hydrogen-enriched natural gas, and the fuel is ignited by an ignition source in still air. In the study, methane was chosen to simulate natural gas. Experiments with the hydrogen addition fraction reaching up to 20% were performed to study the effects of the initial flame angle (θ = 90°, 60°, 30°, 0°, and −30°), variable nozzle diameter (de = 3.15, 4, 4.94, 5.65, and 6 mm) and a multitude of fuel flow rates (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 L/min) on the morphological parameters of the gas jet flames. The geometrical features of the jet flame were determined via video processing for each experiment. The geometrical parameters of hydrogen-enriched natural gas were quantified under different conditions. The experimental results indicate that a dimensionless prediction model was established for the flame height of hydrogen-enriched natural gas by modifying the flame Froude number (Frf) for vertical jet flames. For upward jet flames, the normalized flame horizontal projection length (Lx) of hydrogen-enriched natural gas is well correlated with Q∗. A global prediction model for inclination angles of 0° ≤ θ ≤ 60° and 2000 < Q∗<20,000 was proposed based on the experimental data. For downward jet flames, the normalized horizontal projection length and downward extension length (Ld) of the hydrogen-enriched natural gas jet flame are correlated with Q∗, with powers of 2/5 and 3/5, respectively. Dimensionless prediction models for the horizontal projection length and downward extension length are given by modifying the flame Froude number. Quantitative results were proposed in order to gain insight into the development of the key parameters and the effects on the environment, from which extinguishing concepts and safety areas can be directly derived.

Numerical investigation of methane-air jet flame with hydrogen addition in industrial kiln burners

Emission reduction and decarbonisation in the industry are crucial for low-carbon industry and energy transition at the global level. Replacing traditional fossil fuel with clean energy is an effective approach to reduce carbon emissions and optimize energy efficiency in manufacturing processes. Industrial kiln, which requires high natural gas fuel consumption, typically releases amounts of harmful combustion products. In this paper, the objective is to study the influence of hydrogen addition into methane-air jet flame in industrial kiln burners. The industrial burner analysed in this study is a cylinder vessel with axial orifices and swirl turbulent co-flow air jets in the fuel-air inlet structure. A more recent reduced chemical kinetic mechanism for methane-hydrogen combustion is utilized in the present flame simulation and validated in benchmark flames. The chemical mechanism involves 45 reactions and 18 species. Various methane-hydrogen blending fuels are studied in the jet flame, where flame structure and flame characteristics including chemical species, temperature, and velocity are predicted.

Experimental and theoretical investigations into overpressure during confined space explosions of methane-hydrogen mixture

This study aimed to deeply explore combustion and explosion behaviors within confined spaces fueled by methane-hydrogen blends. By experimenting in a 55 m³ chamber, it examined how different hydrogen mixing ratios (5%, 10%, 15%, and 30%) affect flame spread and overpressure buildup at an equivalence ratio of 1.1. Results showed that two main flame patterns emerge during venting: mushroom clouds and jet flames. Higher hydrogen percentages cause mushroom clouds to form earlier and grow larger; notably, a 30% blend produces a cloud 12% quicker than a 10% blend, reaching a maximum radius of about 2.7 m. Three types of overpressure were identified: Popen (venting structure opening), Pext (external explosion), and Phel (Helmholtz oscillations). Both Pext and Phel rise with increasing hydrogen content. At each blend level, Pext peaks at 1.87–6.42 kPa, while Phel ranges from 5.86 to 20.65 kPa. Pext plays a crucial role in peak overpressure during venting, particularly relevant for ventilation design considerations. To predict Pext, the study tested three engineering models and found that Taylor's spherical piston theory provided the closest match to experimental data, with a maximum error under 30% compared to other models. In summary, this research offers essential theoretical knowledge and practical evidence for designing safer ventilation and explosion relief systems for facilities handling methane-hydrogen mixtures in the process industry.

Uneven exposure of compressed natural gas (CNG) and hydrogen (H2) cylinders: Fire and extinguishment tests

Vehicles that are powered by gaseous fuel, e.g., compressed natural gas (CNG) or hydrogen (H2), may, in the event of fire, result in a jet flame from a thermally activated pressure relief device (TPRD), or a pressure vessel explosion. There have been a few incidents for CNG vehicles where the TPRD was unsuccessful to prevent a pressure vessel explosion in the event of fire, both nationally in Sweden and internationally. If the pressure vessel explosion would occur inside an enclosure such as a road tunnel, the resulting consequences are even more problematic. In 2019 the authors investigated the fire safety of CNG cylinders exposed to localized fires. One purpose of the tests conducted in 2021 reported in this paper is to investigate whether extinguishment with water, e.g., from a tunnel deluge system, may compromise the safety of vehicle gas cylinders in the event of fire. Steel cylinders handles the situation with localizde fire and/or cooling with water well. Composite tanks can rupture if the fire exposure degrades the composite material strength, and the TPRD is not sufficiently heated to activate, e.g., if the fire is localized or if the TPRD is being cooled by water, which prevents its activation.

Numerical study of HTJI on combustion characteristics of neat ammonia engine under atmospheric intake conditions

Low-carbon life is spreading to every corner of the world, but also offers new challenges to the internal combustion engine (ICE). Ammonia (NH3), as a hydrogen carrier and carbon-free fuel, is the key for ICE to being zero-carbon. Hydrogen turbulent jet ignition (HTJI) is thought as an optimal method to overcome the poor combustion performance of ammonia. In this study, the combustion characteristics of a neat ammonia engine with HTJI are numerically studied by addressing the orifice diameter and pre-chamber reactivity. The results show that an optimal orifice diameter is needed to maximize the promoting effect of HTJI on ammonia combustion. The jet flame quenches under small orifice conditions, and no jet flame products under large orifice conditions. When considering the pre-chamber reactivity, the scavenging process leads to a low degree of H2 in the pre-chamber during the compression, which results in low-efficiency ammonia combustion. By increasing the pre-chamber reactivity (hydrogen quantity) of the pre-chamber, the jet flame is advanced and much stronger, resulting in better engine performance. For nitrogen-based emissions, the unburned NH3 emissions mainly depend on combustion efficiency, while NO emissions show an opposite trend. The current results can help find the optimization method of the ammonia engine with HTJI.