Review on the Hydrogen Dispersion and the Burning Behavior of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

Hao Lan (), Guiyun Wang, Kun Zhao, Yuntang He and Tianlei Zheng ()
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Hao Lan: China Automotive Technology & Research Center Co., Ltd., Tianjin 300300, China
Guiyun Wang: Automotive Data of China Co., Ltd., Beijing 100000, China
Kun Zhao: CATARC New Energy Vehicle Test Center (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., Tianjin 300300, China
Yuntang He: China Automotive Technology & Research Center Co., Ltd., Tianjin 300300, China
Tianlei Zheng: China Automotive Technology & Research Center Co., Ltd., Tianjin 300300, China

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-13

Abstract: The development of a hydrogen energy-based society is becoming the solution for more and more countries. Fuel cell electric vehicles are the best carriers for developing a hydrogen energy-based society. The current research on hydrogen leakage and the diffusion of fuel cell electric vehicles has been sufficient. However, the study of hydrogen safety has not reduced the safety concerns for society and government management departments, concerning the large-scale promotion of fuel cell electric vehicles. Hydrogen safety is both a technical and psychological issue. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of fuel cell electric vehicles’ hydrogen dispersion and the burning behavior and introduce the relevant work of international standardization and global technical regulations. The CFD simulations in tunnels, underground car parks, and multistory car parks show that the hydrogen escape performance is excellent. At the same time, the research verifies that the flow, the direction of leakage, and the vehicle itself are the most critical factors affecting hydrogen distribution. The impact of the leakage location and leakage pore size is much smaller. The relevant studies also show that the risk is still controllable even if the hydrogen leakage rate is increased ten times the limit of GTR 13 to 1000 NL/min and then ignited. Multi-vehicle combustion tests of fuel cell electric vehicles showed that adjacent vehicles were not ignited by the hydrogen. This shows that as long as the appropriate measures are taken, the risk of a hydrogen leak or the combustion of fuel cell electric vehicles is controllable. The introduction of relevant standards and regulations also indirectly proves this point. This paper will provide product design guidelines for R&D personnel, offer the latest knowledge and guidance to the regulatory agencies, and increase the public’s acceptance of fuel cell electric vehicles.

Keywords: fuel cell electric vehicle; hydrogen safety; hydrogen dispersion; hydrogen burn; standardization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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