Safety aspects of large-scale combustion of hydrogen

Recent hydrogen-safety investigations have studied the possible large-scale effects from phenomena such as the accumulation of combustible hydrogen-air mixtures in large, confined volumes. Of particular interest are safe methods for the disposal of the hydrogen and the pressures which can arise from its confined combustion. Consequently, tests of the confined combustion of hydrogen-air mixtures were conducted in a 2100 m/sup 3/ volume. These tests show that continuous combustion, as the hydrogen is generated, is a safe method for its disposal. It also has been seen that, for hydrogen concentrations up to 13 vol %, it is possible to predict maximum pressures that can occur upon ignition of premixed hydrogen-air atmospheres. In addition information has been obtained concerning the survivability of the equipment that is needed to recover from an accident involving hydrogen combustion. An accident that involved the inadvertent mixing of hydrogen and oxygen gases in a tube trailer gave evidence that under the proper conditions hydrogen combustion can transit to a detonation. If detonation occurs the pressures which can be experienced are much higher although short in duration.