Experimental and Computational Analysis of Explosion Risks in Hydrogen-Enriched Fuel Mixtures for Industrial Safety Applications

The global energy system remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels, which continue to supply about 80% of global demand. While renewable energy is growing, combustion-based systems—such as gas turbines and engines—are expected to dominate for decades. This dependency contributes significantly to harmful emissions like CO and NO?. As a clean fuel with no carbon emissions at the point of use, hydrogen offers a promising alternative, but it introduces new technical challenges due to its high reactivity, which can cause combustion instability as flame flashback or blowout and increase NO? emissions.

This project investigates the laminar burning velocity (LBV) of hydrogen-enriched fuel blends under a wide range of equivalence ratios (lean, stoichiometric, and rich), temperatures, and dilution levels. LBV is a key indicator of flame speed, stability, and pollutant formation, and its measurement is essential for improving flame modeling and clean combustion system design.
Using the spherical flame method with high-speed imaging and the schlieren technique, the study will analyze flame structure, stretch, and instability. Results will support the development of predictive models and correlations, especially under elevated temperature, pressure, and turbulence. Ultimately, this work enables the safe, efficient integration of hydrogen into future combustion systems and advances clean energy transitions.

Faculty Supervisor:

Michael Pegg

Student:

Partner:

Technical University of Ostrava

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Energy and Utilities; Environmental Science and Technology; Green/Alternative Energy

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: