Integrated safety strategies for onboard hydrogen storage systems

本提案主要针对氢动力汽车尚未解决的主要技术安全问题，即车载储氢装置的耐火性。在英国每年大约有15500起意外的汽车火灾（火灾统计）。英国，2010-2011)。最广泛用于汽车的4型油箱是由碳纤维增强聚合物（CFRP）制成的，在火灾发生前可以承受长达6.5分钟的时间。为了“防止”储罐在火灾中发生灾难性故障，它配备了温度激活减压装置（TPRD），目前典型的孔直径约为5毫米。这种TPRD从70兆帕的储罐中释放出来，产生长达15米的火焰，分离距离达到70摄氏度的“无害”标准约50米。此外，由于所谓的压力峰值效应，一个典型的车库将在1-2秒内被这种释放（约300- 400g /s）摧毁。这种车载存储设备的使用不包括将人员从车内疏散或由急救人员从车内保护人员。为了减少通过TPRD的质量流量和减少火焰喷射长度，需要将4型坦克的耐火性水平从现在的1-7分钟提高到大约或超过30分钟。该项目旨在为车载氢存储开发新的安全策略和工程解决方案。这一目标将通过实现以下目标（工作包，指明主要合作伙伴）来实现：-危险识别研究和风险评估（金斯顿大学）-对当前安全策略和工程解决方案的关键分析（阿尔斯特大学）-对道路或停车场上邻近车辆（包括汽油车）的潜在火灾攻击进行数值参数研究（KU）。-利用CFD技术对不同设计和防火程度的储罐进行火灾耦合传热数值参数研究；包括阿尔斯特大学的现场IP (UU)-参数化有限元分析，以模拟不同设计的储罐对外部火灾的反应(KU)-原型设计的实验研究，以提高不带PRD和带PRD的车载储罐的耐火性(UU)-数值模拟，以评估提高气缸耐火性（KU）所能实现的质量流率降低。-新型储存和安全解决方案，包括用于班轮的材料（巴斯大学）-开发罐故障的工程标准，以制定测试协议（UU）的要求-安全策略和新型工程解决方案对氢经济（UU）社会经济方面的影响。研究将从危害识别研究开始，评估潜在风险。数值模拟（火灾动力学CFD和结构分析FEM）将在提出的提高圆柱耐火性能的基础上进行，以评估可实现的质量流率降低。将进行实验测试以验证数值模拟。在数值研究和实验研究的基础上，制定了车载储罐耐火性测试方案。该研究还将包括使用高效储氢材料作为储罐内衬。社会经济研究将对项目成果进行评估，将工程安全策略和解决方案，如更高的防火性能、更低的通过珠三角的质量流量、更短的分隔距离、提供生命安全和财产保护，转化为经济等价物，如土地使用成本、保险成本等。这个多学科项目的成果将旨在告知更广泛的公众，以支持对氢氟烃技术的接受。该项目是对EPSRC SUPERGEN氢和燃料电池中心的补充。该项目的合作伙伴包括来自英国、美国、法国、中国、韩国等世界各地的领先领域专家和组织。

This proposal is focused at the main unresolved technological safety issues for hydrogen-powered vehicles, i.e. the fire resistance of onboard hydrogen storage. There are about 15,500 accidental car fires in Great Britain annually (Fire statistics. Great Britain, 2010-2011). The most widespread for car use Type 4 tanks are made of carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) and can stand in fire up to 6.5 minutes before catastrophic failure. To "prevent" catastrophic failure of tank in a fire it is equipped by temperature-activated pressure relief device (TPRD) with currently typical orifice diameter of about 5 mm. A release from 70 MPa storage tank from such TPRD produces a flame of up to 15 m long and separation distance to "no harm" criteria of 70 C of about 50 m. Moreover, due to so-called pressure-peaking effect a typical garage will be destroyed by such a release (about 300-400 g/s) in 1-2 seconds. Use of such onboard storage excludes evacuation of people from the car or safeguarding of people from the car by first responders. To reduce mass flow rate through TPRD and reduce flame jet length would require increased level of fire resistance of Type 4 tanks from today's 1-7 minutes to about or more than 30 minutes.The project aims to develop novel safety strategies and engineering solutions for onboard storage of hydrogen. This aim will be achieved through realisation of the following objectives (work packages, leading partner is indicated):- Hazard identification study and risk assessment (Kingston University (KU))- Critical analysis of current safety strategies and engineering solutions (University of Ulster (UU))- Numerical parametric study of potential fire attacks from adjacent vehicles (including gasoline vehicles) on road or in car parks (KU). - Numerical parametric study of conjugate heat transfer from fire to storage tanks of different design and extent of fire protection by CFD technique, including IP of the University of Ulster in the field (UU)- Parametric finite element analysis to simulate response of tanks of different design to external fire (KU)- Experimental study of prototype designs to increase fire resistance of onboard storage without and with PRD (UU)- Numerical simulations to evaluate the reduction in mass flow rate achievable with the proposed increase of cylinder fire resistance (KU). - Novel storage and safety solutions, including materials for a liner (University of Bath)- Development of engineering criteria of tank failure to formulate requirements to testing protocol (UU)- Effect of safety strategies and novel engineering solutions on socio-economical aspects of hydrogen economy (UU).The research will start with hazard identification study to assess the potential risks involved. Numerical simulations (fire dynamics CFD and structural analysis FEM) will be conducted on the basis of the proposed enhancement of cylinder fire resistance to evaluate the achievable reduction in mass flow rate. Experimental testing will be undertaken for validation of numerical simulations. Based on numerical and experimental studies the testing protocol for fire resistance of onboard storage tanks will be developed. The research will also include the use of materials efficient for hydrogen storage as a tank liner. Socio-economical study will crown the project outputs, translating the engineering safety strategies and solutions, such as higher fire resistance, lower mass flow rate through TPRD, shorter separation distance, provisions of life safety and property protection, into economical equivalents, e.g. cost of land use, insurance cost, etc. The output of this multi-disciplinary project will aim to inform wider public to underpin acceptance of HFC technologies. The project is complimentary to the EPSRC SUPERGEN Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Hub. Collaborators on this project include leading in the field experts and organisations from all over the globe: UK, USA, France, China, Korea.