Effect of the Hydrogen Blending Ratio on Leakage Diffusion and Explosion Range of Above-Ground Natural Gas Pipelines

Hydrogen energy, as a clean and efficient secondary energy, has a broad application prospects under the global energy transition and carbon neutrality goals. Blending hydrogen into the natural gas pipeline is the most technologically viable and economically feasible approach for hydrogen transportation while resulting in more severe leakage consequences. The existing studies mainly focus on buried pipelines, while ignoring above-ground pipelines, which have a wider impact range due to the lack of soil resistance. In this study, the numerical simulation method is used to investigate the effect of the hydrogen blending ratio on leakage diffusion and explosion range of above-ground natural gas pipelines. The results show that the hydrogen blending ratio (HBR) has a small effect on the leakage diffusion range, but a significant effect on the explosion range and the leakage velocity. When the hydrogen blending ratio is less than 10%, the leakage diffusion range, the explosion range, and the leakage velocity are close to the natural gas condition. This study provide theoretical guidance for the selection of the hydrogen blending ratio for natural gas pipelines.