Numerical Modeling of Accidental Release of Liquid Hydrogen

Liquid hydrogen (LH2), generated from renewable energy sources, is now a significant business to industries around the world. Control of the hazards is the key ingredient for ensuring the safety of hydrogen systems and thus becomes the main content of the safety requirements for storage and transportation of LH2 standards. This paper presents our ongoing work of developing a new methodology for 3D multiphase study in thermal and thermodynamics by using an open-source CFD code, OpenFOAM. In order to validate this model, simulations are evaluated with the comparison with the NASA LH2 experimental data set [4]. LH2 flows downward from the release point. After the heating of the air and the ground, part of the LH2 evaporates rapidly, and part of it forms an LH2 pool on the ground. The early stage is the diffusion of heavy gas, and then it becomes a buoyant mixed gas, which moves downwind and upward under the action of wind and buoyancy. Currently, we use the solver in OpenFOAM. The detailed settings, including boundary conditions, geometry, etc., are explained in detail. The simulation and experiment are compared in detail, and the most critical is the comparison with NASA's sixth experiment at the hydrogen concentration at 20.94 s. Through various comparisons, the validity of the simulation has been verified. Overall, the comparison of the hydrogen concentration profiles in experiments and simulations shows good agreement. Finally, the initial process of LH2 leakage is analyzed based on simulations.