The simulation and analysis of leakage and explosion at a renewable hydrogen refuelling station

Abstract The number of hydrogen refuelling stations (HRSs) is steadily growing worldwide. In China, the first renewable hydrogen refuelling station has been built in Dalian for nearly 3 years. FLACS software based on computational fluid dynamics approach is used in this paper for simulation and analysis on the leakage and explosion of hydrogen storage system in this renewable hydrogen refuelling station. The effects of wind speed, leakage direction and wind direction on the consequences of the accident are analyzed. The harmful area, lethal area, the farthest harmful distance and the longest lethal distance in explosion accident of different accident scenarios are calculated. Harmful areas after explosion of different equipments in hydrogen storage system are compared. The results show that leakage accident of the 90 MPa hydrogen storage tank cause the greatest harm in hydrogen explosion. The farthest harmful distance caused by explosion is 35.7 m and the farthest lethal distance is 18.8 m in case of the same direction of wind and leakage. Moreover, it is recommended that the hydrogen tube trailer should not be parked in the hydrogen refuelling station when the amount of hydrogen is sufficient.