Numerical Simulation Study of Gas Stratification in Hydrogen-Enriched Natural Gas Pipelines

Tianlei Li, Jie Xiao, Honglin Zhang, Jinliang Cheng, Ke Li, Yaxi Wang and Yuanhua Lin ()
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Tianlei Li: State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
Jie Xiao: State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
Honglin Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
Jinliang Cheng: State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
Ke Li: Southwest Branch Company, China Petroleum Engineering Construction Corporation, Chengdu 610031, China
Yaxi Wang: Southwest Branch Company, China Petroleum Engineering Construction Corporation, Chengdu 610031, China
Yuanhua Lin: State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: Hydrogen blending in natural gas pipelines facilitates renewable energy integration and cost-effective hydrogen transport. Due to hydrogen’s lower density and higher leakage potential compared to natural gas, understanding hydrogen concentration distribution is critical. This study employs ANSYS Fluent 2022 R1 with a realizable k-ε model to analyze flow dynamics of hydrogen–methane mixtures in horizontal and undulating pipelines. The effects of hydrogen blending ratios, pressure (3–8 MPa), and pipeline geometry were systematically investigated. Results indicate that in horizontal pipelines, hydrogen concentrations stabilize near initial values across pressure variations, with minimal deviation (maximum increase: 1.6%). In undulating pipelines, increased span length of elevated sections reduces maximum hydrogen concentration while maintaining proximity (maximum increase: 0.65%) to initial levels under constant pressure. Monitoring points exhibit concentration fluctuations with changing pipeline parameters, though no persistent stratification occurs. However, increasing the undulating height elevation difference leads to an increase in the maximum hydrogen concentration at the top of the pipeline, rising from 3.74% to 9.98%. The findings provide theoretical insights for safety assessments of hydrogen–natural gas co-transport and practical guidance for pipeline design optimization.

Keywords: hydrogen–methane mixture; pipeline flow characteristics; hydrogen-natural gas blending; undulating pipelines (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: 2025
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