New Experimental Approaches for the Determination of Flammability Limits in Methane-Hydrogen Mixtures with CO2 Inertization Using the Spark Test Apparatus

This study presents a novel experimental method to determine the flammability limits and the minimum oxygen concentration in methane-hydrogen mixtures using the spark test apparatus (STA), by incorporating CO2 as an inert compound. The proposed methodology allows for the more accurate and efficient assessment of the safety of these flammable mixtures, which is crucial for industrial applications where hydrogen-enriched fuels are used. When comparing the literature data, the differences between methods are not significant, although the procedure, apparatus, and test conditions influence the results. Then, the proposed method is experimentally validated in the STA. Methane is enriched with hydrogen at different concentrations (10, 20, 30, and 50%). The results in the STA show good alignment with the literature data. Furthermore, literature data analysis allows for the generation of an empirical curve that shows the influence of hydrogen addition in methane-air mixtures. The theoretical flammability intervals are also presented as a result. Such representations, after method validation, are the base of the flammability interval test in the STA. The capability of the STA to define flammability ranges in ternary diagrams provides an innovative graphical approach to control explosive atmospheres and facilitates its application in the prevention of industrial accidents.