• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.165-173
• /
• 2016

On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale and subsequent 10-.14 m waves struck the Fukushima Daiichi (FD) Nuclear Power Plant. The main and backup electric power was damaged preventing the cooling system from functioning. Fuel rods overheated and led to hydrogen explosions. If heat in the fuel rods is not dissipated, the nuclear fuel coating material (e.g., Zircaloy) reacts with water vapor to generate hydrogen at high temperatures. This hydrogen is released into the containment area. If the released hydrogen burns, the stability of the containment area is significantly impacted. In this study, researchers performed an explosion analysis in a high-risk explosion area, analyzing the hydrogen distribution in a containment building [1] and the effects of a hydrogen explosion on containment safety. Results indicated that a hydrogen explosion was possible throughout the containment building except the middle area. If an explosion occurs at the top of the containment building with more than 40% of the hydrogen collected or in the bottom right or left side of the of containment building, safety of the containment building could be threatened.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.61-70
• /
• 2023

This study presents an analytical study of investigating the effect of shock waves generated by the hydrogen detonation and damage to structures for the safety evaluation of hydrogen storage facilities against detonation. Blast scenarios were established considering the volume of the hydrogen storage facility of 10 L to 50,000 L, states of charge (SOC) of 50% and 100%, and initial pressures of 50 MPa and 100 MPa. The equivalent TNT weight for hydrgen detonation was determined considering the mechanical and chemical energies of hydrogen. A hydrogen detonation model for the converted equivalent TNT weight was made using design equations that improved the Kingery-Bulmash design chart of UFC 3-340-02. The hydrogen detonation model was validated for overpressure and impulse in comparison to the past experimental results associated with the detonation of hydrogen tank. A parametric study based on the blast scenarios was performed using the validated hydrogen detonation model, and design charts for overpressure and impulse according to the standoff distance from the center of charge was provided. Further, design charts of the three-stage structural damage and standoff distance of adjacent structures according to the level of overpressure and impact were proposed using the overpressure and impulse charts and pressure-impulse diagrams.

• Explosives and Blasting
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.19-32
• /
• 2022

Hydrogen is a fuel having the highest energy compared with other common fuels. This means hydrogen is a clean energy source for the future. However, using hydrogen as a fuel has implication regarding carrier and storage issues, as hydrogen is highly inflammable and unstable gas susceptible to explosion. Explosions resulting from hydrogen-air mixtures have already been encountered and well documented in research experiments. However, there are still large gaps in this research field as the use of numerical tools and field experiments are required to fully understand the safety measures necessary to prevent hydrogen explosions. The purpose of this present study is to develop and simulate 3D numerical modelling of an existing hydrogen gas station in Jeonju by using handheld LiDAR and Ansys AUTODYN, as well as the processing of point cloud scans and use of cloud dataset to develop FEM 3D meshed model for the numerical simulation to predict peak-over pressures. The results show that the Lidar scanning technique combined with the ANSYS AUTODYN can help to determine the safety distance and as well as construct, simulate and predict the peak over-pressures for hydrogen refueling station explosions.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.21-27
• /
• 2022

For carbon neutrality, interest in R&D and infrastructure construction for hydrogen energy, an eco-friendly energy source, is growing worldwide. In particular, for hydrogen stations installed in downtown areas, underground hydrogen infrastructure are being considered to increase a safety distance from hydrogen tank explosions to adjacent structures. In order to design an appropriate location and depth of the underground hydrogen infrastructure, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of the explosion of the underground hydrogen infrastructure on adjacent structures. In this paper, a numerical model was developed to analyze the effect of the underground hydrogen infrastructure explosion on adjacent structures, and the over pressure of the hydrogen tank was evaluated using the equivalent TNT (Trinitrotoluene) model. In addition, parametric analysis was performed to estimate the stability of adjacent structures according to the construction conditions of the underground hydrogen infrastructure.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.605-612
• /
• 2021

Amid growing global damage due to abnormal weather caused by global warming, the introduction of eco-friendly cars is accelerating to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from internal combustion engines. Accordingly, many studies are being conducted in each country to prepare for the explosion of hydrogen fuel in semi-closed spaces such as tunnels and underground parking lots to ensure the safety of hydrogen-electric vehicles. As a result of predicting the explosion pressure of the hydrogen tank using the equivalent TNT model, it was found to be about 1.12 times and 2.30 times higher at a height of 1.5 meters, respectively, based on the case of 52 liters of hydrogen capacity. A review of the impact on the human body and buildings by converting the predicted maximum explosive pressure into the amount of impact predicted that all predicted values would result in lung damage or severe partial destruction. The predicted degree of damage was applied only by converting the amount of impact caused by the explosion, and considering the additional damage caused by the explosion, it is believed that the actual damage will increase further and safety and disaster prevention measures should be taken.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.25-36
• /
• 2021

Hydrogen in hydrogen-electric vehicles has a wide range of combustion and explosion ranges, and is a combustible gas with a very fast flame propagation speed, so it has the risk of leakage, diffusion, ignition, and explosion. The fuel tank has a Thermally active Pressure Relief Device (TPRD) to reduce the risk of explosion and other explosions, and in the event of an accident, hydrogen inside the tank is released outside before an explosion or fire occurs. However, if an accident occurs in a semi-closed space such as an underground parking lot, the flow of air flow is smaller than the open space, which can cause the concentration of hydrogen gas emitted from the TPRD to accumulate above the explosion limit. Therefore, in this study, the leakage rate and concentration of hydrogen over time were analyzed according to the diameter of the nozzle of the TPRD. The diameter of the nozzle was considered to be 1 mm, 2.5 mm and 5 mm, and ccording to the diameter of the nozzle, the concentration of hydrogen in the underground parking lot increases in a faster time with the diameter of the nozzle, and the maximum value is also analyzed to be larger with the diameter of the nozzle. In underground parking lots where air currents are stagnant, hydrogen concentrations above LFL (Lowe Flammability Limit) were analyzed to be distributed around the nozzle, and it was analyzed that they did not exceed UFL (Upper Flammability Limit).

• Explosives and Blasting
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.85-94
• /
• 2003

발파후에 2차연소 또는 폭발(이하, 2차연소라 한다. )이 일어났다는 사실은 폭약이 폭발후에 어떤 가연성가스가 발생하고 그 가연성가스가 잔존하는 폭발열 또는 기타의 점화원에 의해 연소되었음을 의미한다. 폭약이 폭발하였을 때, 발생 가능한 가연성물질은 유리탄소, 일산화탄소, 수소 등으로 추정할 수 있는데 실험결과에서는 가연성물질의 주성분이 수소인 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구에서는 에멀존계 함수폭약이 산소평형, 알루미늄함량, 알루미늄형태와 크기 그리고 포장지의 두께에 따라 수소가 발생되는 양을 가스크로마토그라피를 이용하여 측정하였다. 상기의 열거한 요인들은 모두 수소발생량과 관계가 있는데, 이중에서도 가장 중요한 요인은 산소평형과 알루미늄의 함량인 것으로 나타났다. 한 예로 알루미늄이 15%가 포함되고 산소평형이 -10인 에멀존계 함수폭약은 폭발후에 19.4%의 수소를 함유하고 있는 후가스를 발생시켰으며 이 가스를 포집하여 공기중에 방출시키면서 성냥불을 가까이 하였더니 연소가 되었다. 따라서 에너지를 높이기 위하여 알루미늄의 함량을 높이고 산소평형을 지나치게 마이너스로 설계한다면, 2차연소는 언제든지 발생할 가능성이 있다고 판단된다. 알루미늄의 함량을 가능한 적게, 산소평형을 가능한 0에 가깝게 설계해야 만이 2차연소 현상을 방지할 수 있을 것이며 ㄸ한 최적의 설계뿐만이 아니라 정확한 제조와 품질검사도 2차연소 현상을 방지하는데 중요한 몫을 할 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.517-534
• /
• 2021

Hydrogen fuel is emerging as an new energy source to replace fossil fuels in that it can solve environmental pollution problems and reduce energy imbalance and cost. Since hydrogen is eco-friendly but highly explosive, there is a high concern about fire and explosion accidents of hydrogen fueled vehicles. In particular, in semi-enclosed spaces such as tunnels, the risk is predicted to increase. Therefore, this study was conducted on the applicability of the equivalent TNT model and the numerical analysis method to evaluate the hydrogen explosion pressure in the tunnel. In comparison and review of the explosion pressure of 6 equivalent TNT models and Weyandt's experimental results, the Henrych equation was found to be the closest with a deviation of 13.6%. As a result of examining the effect of hydrogen tank capacity (52, 72, 156 L) and tunnel cross-section (40.5, 54, 72, 95 m²) on the explosion pressure using numerical analysis, the explosion pressure wave in the tunnel initially it propagates in a hemispherical shape as in open space. Furthermore, when it passes the certain distance it is transformed a plane wave and propagates at a very gradual decay rate. The Henrych equation agrees well with the numerical analysis results in the section where the explosion pressure is rapidly decreasing, but it is significantly underestimated after the explosion pressure wave is transformed into a plane wave. In case of same hydrogen tank capacity, an explosion pressure decreases as the tunnel cross-sectional area increases, and in case of the same cross-sectional area, the explosion pressure increases by about 2.5 times if the hydrogen tank capacity increases from 52 L to 156 L. As a result of the evaluation of the limiting distance affecting the human body, when a 52 L hydrogen tank explodes, the limiting distance to death was estimated to be about 3 m, and the limiting distance to serious injury was estimated to be 28.5~35.8 m.

• Fire Science and Engineering
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.63-69
• /
• 2012

Explosion limit is one of the major combustion properties used to determine the fire and explosion hazards of the flammable substances. In this study, the lower explosion limit (LEL) and upper explosion limit (UEL) of organic halogenated hydrocarbons were predicted by using the heat of combustion and chemical stoichiometric coefficients. The calculated explosion limits by the proposed equations agreed with literature data within a few percent. From the given results, using the proposed methodology, it is possible to predict the explosion limits of the other organic halogenated hydrocarbons.

• Explosives and Blasting
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.1-18
• /
• 2022

Due to the advent of the hydrogen economy era, various studies are being conducted to transport and store hydrogen, and the risk of hydrogen explosion is emerging. In order to figure out the new technology related to hydrogen energy, it is necessary to figure out the overall research trends related to various hydrogen energy at home and abroad. In this study, a bibliometric analysis using VOSViewer for the papers published in the international journal was conducted. From the analysis in different time period using the keywords including hydrogen explosion, hydrogen pipeline, and hydrogen storage, it was found that there were frequent paper publications using numerical analysis simulation. It is also found that more and more researches on safety and hydrogen explosion in hydrogen storage and hydrogen pipeline transportation have been conducted in 2011-2022 compared to those in 2000-2010.