F2010A091
Research on the Diffusion Characteristics of the Hydrogen Gas for the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle in the Closed Space
Key words: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle, Hydrogen Gas Leakage, Fire, Explosion
Abstracts: Auto makers have been trying to develop the eco-friendly vehicles. The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle (HFCV) is one of the countermeasures to solve the energy crisis and the emission problems of vehicles. Governments of various countries and Nongovernmental organizations like ISO and SAE are trying to establish the safety regulations and standards on the HFCV. In the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (UN/ECE/WP.29) the development of Global Technical Regulations (GTRs) for HFCV is actively being discussed. UN/ECE/WP.29 aims to develop the GTRs in the field of environment, crashworthiness and electrical safety in the first phase till 2010.
Korea has started the research program on the development of the regulations for the HFCVs. The regulations on the HFCV for the future development of HFCVs are planned to be added in the Korean motor vehicle safety standard (KMVSS). In addition to the vehicle regulations, the regulations or the standards on the garage or the indoor parking lot need to be established for removing the possible risk due to the hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas can leak and diffuse more rapidly and then the fire or the explosion breaks out due to the ignition of the leaked gas.
In this study, the experiments to understand the diffusion characteristics of the hydrogen gas have been carrying out. As shown in the photo, the apparatus to conduct the experiments has set up. From the experiments, the diffusion characteristics of the hydrogen gas such as the elapsed time to reach the dangerous environment and the aspect to spread of the gas will be investigated in the closed space like the garage and the indoor parking lot. Considering the diffusion characteristics, the guidelines on the installation of the ventilation system at the closed space to prevent the fire or the explosion due to the leakage of the hydrogen gas are planned to be established.
This abstract is supplemented by a PDF, which can be viewed here.
Poster presentation: Environmentally friendly vehicles