Hydrogen-methane blends: Critical diameters and flame stability curves for non-premixed turbulent flames

Mina Kazemi; Sile Brennan; Vladimir Molkov

doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.01.345

Hydrogen-methane blends: Critical diameters and flame stability curves for non-premixed turbulent flames

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

373 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Blending hydrogen with natural gas in the existing gas network is recognised as a step towards decarbonising the gas grid. To ensure the inherently safer transition to the hydrogen economy, understanding the behaviour of hydrogen-methane blends is essential. Stability of flames can inform safety provisions for hydrogen-methane blends, underpinning the safer decarbonisation of gas networks. The critical diameter represents the minimum leak diameter through which a jet flame will remain stable at all driving pressures. For leak diameters below the critical diameter, the flame may blow-out or be sustained depending on pressure. A flame stability curve depicts the relationship between leak diameter and operating pressure. Critical diameters for hydrogen-methane blends and the corresponding stability curves have been predicted numerically and are presented here for the first time. As the percentage of hydrogen in the blend increases, critical diameter decreases.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	693-700
Number of pages	8
Journal	International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Volume	105
Early online date	26 Jan 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.01.345
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 4 Mar 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025

Funding

The authors are grateful to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) of the UK for support through the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Hydrogen \u201CSusHy\u201D, Tier 2 High-Performance Computing resources provided by the Northern Ireland High-Performance Computing (NI-HPC) facility and the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE) funded through the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland's Green Innovation Challenge Fund and aims to transform the sustainable energy sector through business research.

Funders
Department of Education, Northern Ireland
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

Critical diameter
Driving pressure
Flame blow-out
Hydrogen-methane blends
Non-premixed turbulent flames
Sustained flame

Access to Document

10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.01.345Licence: Unspecified

1-s2.0-S036031992500388X-mainFinal published version, 3.87 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Hydrogen-methane blends: Critical diameters and flame stability curves for non-premixed turbulent flames",

abstract = "Blending hydrogen with natural gas in the existing gas network is recognised as a step towards decarbonising the gas grid. To ensure the inherently safer transition to the hydrogen economy, understanding the behaviour of hydrogen-methane blends is essential. Stability of flames can inform safety provisions for hydrogen-methane blends, underpinning the safer decarbonisation of gas networks. The critical diameter represents the minimum leak diameter through which a jet flame will remain stable at all driving pressures. For leak diameters below the critical diameter, the flame may blow-out or be sustained depending on pressure. A flame stability curve depicts the relationship between leak diameter and operating pressure. Critical diameters for hydrogen-methane blends and the corresponding stability curves have been predicted numerically and are presented here for the first time. As the percentage of hydrogen in the blend increases, critical diameter decreases.",

keywords = "Critical diameter, Driving pressure, Flame blow-out, Hydrogen-methane blends, Non-premixed turbulent flames, Sustained flame",

author = "Mina Kazemi and Sile Brennan and Vladimir Molkov",

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year = "2025",

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day = "4",

doi = "10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.01.345",

language = "English",

volume = "105",

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journal = "International Journal of Hydrogen Energy",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Hydrogen-methane blends: Critical diameters and flame stability curves for non-premixed turbulent flames

AU - Kazemi, Mina

AU - Brennan, Sile

AU - Molkov, Vladimir

PY - 2025/3/4

Y1 - 2025/3/4

N2 - Blending hydrogen with natural gas in the existing gas network is recognised as a step towards decarbonising the gas grid. To ensure the inherently safer transition to the hydrogen economy, understanding the behaviour of hydrogen-methane blends is essential. Stability of flames can inform safety provisions for hydrogen-methane blends, underpinning the safer decarbonisation of gas networks. The critical diameter represents the minimum leak diameter through which a jet flame will remain stable at all driving pressures. For leak diameters below the critical diameter, the flame may blow-out or be sustained depending on pressure. A flame stability curve depicts the relationship between leak diameter and operating pressure. Critical diameters for hydrogen-methane blends and the corresponding stability curves have been predicted numerically and are presented here for the first time. As the percentage of hydrogen in the blend increases, critical diameter decreases.

AB - Blending hydrogen with natural gas in the existing gas network is recognised as a step towards decarbonising the gas grid. To ensure the inherently safer transition to the hydrogen economy, understanding the behaviour of hydrogen-methane blends is essential. Stability of flames can inform safety provisions for hydrogen-methane blends, underpinning the safer decarbonisation of gas networks. The critical diameter represents the minimum leak diameter through which a jet flame will remain stable at all driving pressures. For leak diameters below the critical diameter, the flame may blow-out or be sustained depending on pressure. A flame stability curve depicts the relationship between leak diameter and operating pressure. Critical diameters for hydrogen-methane blends and the corresponding stability curves have been predicted numerically and are presented here for the first time. As the percentage of hydrogen in the blend increases, critical diameter decreases.

KW - Critical diameter

KW - Driving pressure

KW - Flame blow-out

KW - Hydrogen-methane blends

KW - Non-premixed turbulent flames

KW - Sustained flame

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85215947990

U2 - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.01.345

DO - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.01.345

M3 - Article

SN - 0360-3199

VL - 105

SP - 693

EP - 700

JO - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

JF - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

ER -

Hydrogen-methane blends: Critical diameters and flame stability curves for non-premixed turbulent flames

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Stability of non-premixed gaseous fuel flames

Cite this

Hydrogen-methane blends: Critical diameters and flame stability curves for non-premixed turbulent flames

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Student theses

Stability of non-premixed gaseous fuel flames

Cite this