Blast wave after hydrogen storage tank rupture in a tunnel fire

Hydrogen-powered vehicles are already on roads including tunnels. The data shows that 35% of CNG vehicle tanks rupture in a fire is due to pressure relief device failure. Rupture of onboard storage tank of hydrogen-powered vehicle in a fire poses a serious threat to life and property. The situation is even more hazardous if the accident takes place in confined space like a tunnel. Consequences of such event, e.g. a blast wave, could be devastating depending on amount of stored hydrogen and tunnel dimensions. To formulate prevention and mitigation strategies the phenomenon should be understood first. This study aims to understand a blast wave dynamics after a hydrogen tank rupture in a tunnel based on a conservative scenario, i.e. tunnel with one of smallest cross-section area and one of the highest amount of onboard hydrogen storage in a vehicle. The results of simulations allow to assess a harm of propagating blast wave on humans in a tunnel.