TY - JOUR A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - NICHOLHy - Novel insulation concepts for liquefied hydrogen storage tanks N2 - Liquefied Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier for the flexible import of energy to Europe. But, tanks in the relevant scale of 40 000 to 200 000 m³ do not exist yet. The upscaling of liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage tanks from the current largest tank of 4700 m³ requires a new concept for thermal insulation. NICOLHy studies novel concepts based on multiple layers of vacuum insulation panels (VIPs). Current LH2 tanks rely on the intactness of a single vacuum layer that covers the whole tank. The multilayered VIP systems offer redundancy and improve manufacturability. The Article describes the progress within the project. KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Tanks PY - 2026 UR - https://www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu/content/files/2025/12/EEI-Magazine---Winter-2025-Digital-Version-Spreads-2.pdf SN - 3049-5431 VL - 2026/1 SP - 33 EP - 33 PB - Pantograf Media Ltd. CY - London AN - OPUS4-65481 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Ustolin, Federico A1 - Zervaki, Anna A1 - Okpeke, Bright A1 - Harwege, Finn A1 - Tugnoli, Alessandro T1 - NICOLHy - 4th Stakeholder Advisory Board Meeting N2 - The NICOLHy project aims to develop a novel insulation concept based on Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP) that enables the safe, cost- and energy efficient storage of large quantities of LH2. Such large scale LH2 storage technology is necessary for establishing a hydrogen economy with dimensions between 40.000 m³ and more than 200.000 m³ of LH2. However, new design concepts are needed because the currently available technologies used in small and medium storages today are not suitable for up-scaling. The main problems prohibiting the up-scaling are the long production time due to the process chain, the low failure tolerance and the spherical shape, which reduces the payload in technical applications by up to 50% compared to other shapes. The novel concept will change these conditions by a system which is modular, open-form, time-and cost efficient while production, operation and service, multi-failure tolerant and applicable for onshore and offshore applications. The presentations shows details to the concept and presents several safety concerns the project has to deal with. T2 - NICOLHy 4th Stakeholder Advisory Board Meeting CY - Hamburg, Germany DA - 23.01.2026 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Life cycle assessment KW - Tank PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65437 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - Energy Transportation and Storage with Liquid Hydrogen N2 - Hydrogen is seen as a potential energy source that enables us to achieve our climate targets. Hydrogen can be well integrated into the electrical energy infrastructure, and its production and use is free of direct GHG emissions. However, tanks are needed for worldwide storage and transportation, which require further development and upscaling. In the EU-funded NICOLHy project, novel insulation concepts based on Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP) are being investigated. These aim to enable the safe, cost- and energy-efficient storage of large quantities of LH₂. Such large-scale LH₂ storage technology is necessary to build transport and stationary tanks with capacities ranging from 40,000 m³ to more than 200,000 m³ of LH₂, similar to current LNG applications. However, new design concepts are needed, as the technologies currently used for small and medium-sized storage are not suitable for upscaling. The main disadvantages of the current state of the art in terms of upscaling are long production times due to complex process chains, low failure tolerance, and the spherical shape of the tanks, which reduces payload in technical applications by up to 50% compared to other geometries. The novel concept aims to overcome these limitations by being modular, open-form, energy-efficient, time- and cost-efficient in production, operation, and maintenance, safe while being multi-failure tolerant, and suitable for both transport and stationary applications. To achieve these ambitious objectives, experts from all over Europe in the fields of thermodynamics, cryogenics, marine, chemistry, process, and safety engineering are working hand in hand. Within the NICOLHy project, several insulation concepts have been developed and will be benchmarked using a set of key performance indicators aligned with the overall project goals. During the development process, refined and detailed research questions were formulated, which are being addressed through ongoing theoretical and experimental studies. In this context, small to large-scale test rigs are being built to evaluate and quantify insulation materials and concepts. The presentation will showcase the NICOLHy project and its progress. NICOLHy will contribute to accelerating the integration of hydrogen into the European energy economy and industry—supporting the European Green Deal and fostering public trust in both policy and technology. T2 - Hydrogen Research and Innovation Days CY - Brussels, Belgium DA - 24.11.2025 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64829 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Sauer, Hannah A1 - Okpeke, Bright Ebikemefa A1 - Dzielendziak, Agnieszka Sylwia A1 - Batcke, Lars A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Ehlers, Sören T1 - Comparative life cycle assessment of different vacuum insulation panel core materials for cryogenic storage tanks – with a focus on glass bubbles as a novel core material N2 - Developing a sustainable hydrogen supply chain is important in facilitating the energy transition towards climate neutrality. Hydrogen in its free form can be stored and transported either as a gas or a liquid. Due to gaseous hydrogen's comparatively low energy density, liquefied hydrogen (LH 2) is often preferred, especially with regard to long-distance transportation and storage in bulk. A notable challenge associated with LH2 is the inherent requirement to preserve it at a low temperature of -253°C. Consequently, the utilisation of thermally insulated tanks is necessary to minimise LH 2 evaporation. There is a lack of literature on the environmental impacts of insulation materials and concepts for cryogenic storage tank applications in the hydrogen supply chain. Hence, this study investigates a novel concept, namely vacuum insulation panels (VIPs), focusing on their core materials, with a view to assessing their environmental sustainability and circularity. A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) model is employed to investigate six distinct VIP core materials, namely, silica aerogel, rigid polyurethane foam, expanded perlite, glass fibre, fumed silica, and glass bubbles (hollow glass microspheres), with a special focus on the latter. The LCA results show that polyurethane foam and silica aerogel rank low in environmental performance, making them less suitable as primary choice. Expanded perlite is the most environmentally friendly material option, followed by glass fibre, glass bubbles, and fumed silica. Improvements to the environmental impact of glass bubbles can be achieved via the implementation of closed-loop recycling in their life cycle. T2 - The World Hydrogen Technologies Convention 2025 CY - Dublin, Ireland DA - 21.10.2025 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Life cycle assessment PY - 2025 UR - https://www.whtc2025.com/conference-proceedings SP - 65 EP - 67 AN - OPUS4-64668 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Ustolin, Federico A1 - Zervaki, Anna A1 - Okpeke, Bright A1 - Harwege, Finn A1 - Tugnoli, Alessandro T1 - NICOLHy - 3rd Stakeholder Advisory Board meeting N2 - The NICOLHy project aims to develop a novel insulation concept based on Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP) that enables the safe, cost- and energy efficient storage of large quantities of LH2. Such large scale LH2 storage technology is necessary for establishing a hydrogen economy with dimensions between 40.000 m³ and more than 200.000 m³ of LH2. However, new design concepts are needed because the currently available technologies used in small and medium storages today are not suitable for up-scaling. The main problems prohibiting the up-scaling are the long production time due to the process chain, the low failure tolerance and the spherical shape, which reduces the payload in technical applications by up to 50% compared to other shapes. The novel concept will change these conditions by a system which is modular, open-form, time-and cost efficient while production, operation and service, multi-failure tolerant and applicable for onshore and offshore applications. The presentations shows details to the concept and presents several safety concerns the project has to deal with. T2 - NICOLHy 3rd Stakeholder Meeting CY - Online meeting DA - 27.06.2025 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Tanks PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63730 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar A1 - Otremba, Frank A1 - Camplese, Davide A1 - Scarponi, Giordano E. A1 - Cozzani, Valerio A1 - Seidlitz, Holger T1 - Repeatable testing of a cryogenic storage tank with variable insulation material in fire like conditions N2 - For decarbonizing the energy industry and transport, cryogenic energy carriers have great potential. The storage takes place in tanks with thermal super-insulations, which are in application for decades, but there is only limited knowledge about its behaviour in a fire scenario. This represents a major incident that may generate extraordinary loads on the tank and its insulation system, and that eventually lead to a sudden tank failure. This paper presents a test rig called the Cryogenic High Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (CHTTVC), which can be used to test typical thermal superinsulation’s under cryogenic and fire-like conditions in parallel. The test method makes it possible to measure the heat flow through the thermal superinsulation over time and to investigate the degradation behaviour of the insulation within a test. In the paper results from the first tests are presented. T2 - 18th Cryogenics 2025, IIR Conference CY - Prague, Czech Republic DA - 07.04.2025 KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Fire KW - Insulation KW - Safety PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.18462/iir.cryo.2025.0007 SP - 205 EP - 210 CY - Prag AN - OPUS4-63740 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Camplese, Davide A1 - Cozzolino, Chiara A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Otremba, Frank A1 - Cozzani, Valerio T1 - Safety Assessment of MLI Super-Insulation Systems for Cryogenic Liquid-Hydrogen Tanks in Fire Scenarios N2 - In the context of green energy transition, cryogenic tanks insulated by MLI and vacuum are emerging as a leading solution to store hydrogen in heavy-duty vehicles. However, the integrity of such tanks can be jeopardized by fire. In such a scenario, MLI materials degradation can occur, leaving the tank unprotected from the fire heat flux, with consequent rapid pressurization and a high risk of failure. This study presents a safety assessment of non-combustible MLI under fire exposure based on the estimation of the time to mechanical failure of the equipment. This is calculated through an innovative model that simulates the thermomechanical response of the tank, including the MLI thermal degradation and the pressure-relief valve (PRV) operation. The application to several case studies that consider a typical LH2 tank featuring a wide range of MLI configurations demonstrated the likelihood of failure in case of exposure to a hydrocarbon pool fire, providing also comprehensive insights into the impact of the insulation characteristics and operating conditions on the time to failure. T2 - Loss Prevention 2025 CY - Bologna, Italien DA - 09.06.2025 KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Fire KW - Insulation KW - Safety KW - Tank PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.3303/CET25116036 SN - 2283-9216 IS - 116 SP - 211 EP - 216 PB - AIDIC AN - OPUS4-63739 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Harwege, Finn A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - Testing of vacuum insulation panels for liquefied hydrogen storage tanks N2 - For the future use of liquefied hydrogen (LH2) as a green energy carrier, new concepts for storage tanks and in particular their insulation are necessary. The methodology applied in current LH2 tanks has some disadvantages while manufacturing and operation of large tanks that may be required in the future. While liquefied natural gas tanks exist in the necessary capacities, they are incompatible with LH2 due to its significantly lower storage temperature. In this paper, the possibility of using vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) as an alternative to the conventional double walled, powder filled vacuum insulation is presented. The two systems are introduced and compared on a conceptual level with a focus on the loss of vacuum failure mode. Furthermore, a test rig that enables the testing and quantification of thermal properties of VIP based insulations in ordinary and loss of vacuum conditions is presented. The test rig is a boil-off calorimeter using liquefied nitrogen and features a square cold surface with a side length of 3 m. An overview over the planned testing and its goals is given. KW - Liquefied Hydrogen KW - Insulation KW - Vacuum Insulation Panel KW - LH2 KW - Cryogenics PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.3303/CET2511612 SN - 2283-9216 VL - 2025 IS - 116 SP - 769 EP - 774 PB - AIDIC CY - Milano, Italy AN - OPUS4-63716 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - New concepts in liquid hydrogen storage N2 - On the way to the energy transition, cryogenic fluids such as Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) are very important. They enable the large-scale economic transport and storage of energy as well as they represent alternative fuels for energy-intensive mobile applications such as aircrafts, ships and HGVs. For the last one, the number of vehicles and fuel stations has increased rapidly in the last 10 years all over Europe. Does this also entail new risks, for instance from a BLEVE in case of fires? To answer this question, BAM has conducted several research projects over the last decades and intensified the research recently with several experimental, numerical, and empirical outcomes on how a tank with insulation behaves in a fire. The presentation shows an overview of this research. The findings are relevant for global standardization procedures and to improve the overall safety in chemistry and technics. T2 - Hydrogen Refueling Station Opening CY - Baruth/Mark, Germany DA - 03.07.2025 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Fire KW - LNG KW - Safety PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63628 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Giannakopoulos, Antonios E. A1 - Zisis, Athanasios A1 - Zervaki, Anna D. A1 - Dimopoulos, Christos D. A1 - Platypodis, Efstathios A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - Effective elastic moduli and failure mechanisms of a random assembly of thin walled glass microbubbles N2 - In this work a methodology is presented to estimate the elastic properties and failure mechanisms of an assembly of random, brittle microbubbles. The approach is based on the mechanics of frictionless micro-contact between hollow spherical shells by employing relations from classical shell theory and verified by two dimensional axisymmetric Finite Elements. The estimated values are in agreement with available experimental values. Moreover, a granular type analytical homogenization model provides an isotropic elastic constitutive law to be used for the macroscopic deformation of an assembly of glass micro-bubbles when it is compressed by external loads. In addition, approximate estimates are also proposed for two important micro-failure mechanisms of such assemblies that relate either to the splitting or to the buckling of a brittle spherical shell, prior its complete crushing. The results are novel and are expected to enhance the application of glass microbubbles directly in acute thermal insulation problems such as liquid hydrogen storage. KW - LH2 KW - Cryogenic Vessels KW - Insulation PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-634354 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2025.113528 SN - 0020-7683 VL - 320 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Elsevier BV CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-63435 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Camplese, Davide T1 - Safety assessment of MLI super-insulation systems for cryogenic liquid-hydrogen tanks in fire scenarios N2 - In the context of green energy transition, cryogenic tanks featuring MLI systems are emerging as a leading solution to store hydrogen in heavy-duty vehicles. However, the integrity of such tanks can be jeopardized by fire. In such a scenario, MLI materials degradation can occur, leaving the tank unprotected from the fire heat flux, with consequent rapid pressurization and a high risk of failure. This study presents an assessment of aluminum-based MLI for liquid hydrogen cryogenic tanks under fire exposure based on the estimation of the time to mechanical failure of the equipment. This is calculated through an innovative model that simulates the thermomechanical response of the tank, including the MLI thermal degradation and the pressure-relief valve (PRV) operation. The application to several case studies that consider a typical LH2 tank featuring a wide range of MLI configurations demonstrated the likelihood of failure in case of exposure to a hydrocarbon pool fire, providing also comprehensive insights into the impact of the insulation characteristics and operating conditions on the time to failure. T2 - 18th EFCE International Symposium on Loss Prevention and Safety Promotion in the Process Industries CY - Bologna, Italy DA - 08.06.2025 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Tanks KW - Fire KW - LNG PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63427 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Heßmann, Jennifer A1 - Werner, Jan A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Cozzani, Valerio A1 - Otremba, Frank T1 - Investigation of realistic fire scenarios involving cryogenic storage tanks N2 - The number of vehicles using or transporting cryogenic fuels such as Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) increases fast in the land transportation sector. Does this also entail new risks for instance from a BLEVE? A key to answer this question is to research representative fires by its characterization and its effect on the insulation. At BAM’s technical test side in Germany, a test series was started to answer this question among others. This paper presents results on a pool fire under a colorimeter, that simulates a tank. The investigation points out, that the full fire characterization approach allows to represent the fire. The findings are relevant for the investigation of a representative design fire that is applicable for the approval and improvement of tanks as well as to research accident scenarios and their consequences. T2 - 18th EFCE International Symposium on Loss Prevention and Safety Promotion in the Process Industries CY - Bologna, Italy DA - 08.06.2025 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Fire KW - Liquefied Natural Gas KW - Safety PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63425 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Camplese, Davide A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar A1 - Otremba, Frank A1 - Cozzani, Valerio T1 - Comparative performance assessment of multilayer insulation (MLI) systems for liquid hydrogen vessels in fire scenarios N2 - Multilayer Insulation (MLI) systems are a mature technology for cryogenic liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank thermal insulation. Recent tests evidenced that MLI materials may be damaged when exposed to fire, resulting in critical safety issues in the case of accidents. Thus, an innovative approach to the performance assessment of aluminum and polyester-based MLIs for LH2 tanks in fire scenarios was developed. A specific model integrating the hightemperature degradation of MLIs and the thermodynamic modeling of the tank lading was coupled to specific key performance indicators. Results of the analysis applied to a vehicle-scale tank equipped with 80 MLI layers indicate that MLI degradation and consequent tank failure may occur in less than 20 min for external shell temperatures above 1160 K in the presence of full engulfment, regardless of insulation used. Conversely, degradation does not occur earlier than 3600s below 603 and 928 K for polyester and aluminum-based MLI, respectively. KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Cryogenic storage tank KW - Fire KW - Insulation PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-630841 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.04.534 SN - 0360-3199 VL - 135 SP - 537 EP - 552 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-63084 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Harwege, Finn T1 - Testing of vacuum insulation panels for liquid hydrogen storage tanks N2 - Vacuum insulation panel (VIP) based insulation could present an alternative to the common double walled vacuum insulation for large liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) storage tanks. In this paper a brief introduction on VIPs and the envisioned design of VIP-based LH2-tank insulation is given. The design of a flat plate boil-off calorimeter for the testing of the insulation concept is shown, with regard to thermal design, mechanical design and instrumentation. Finally, an overview over the particular challenges for modelling VIP-based insulation and the proposed testing to be performed on the test rig is presented. T2 - 18th Cryogenics IIR International Conference CY - Prague, Czech Republic DA - 07.04.2025 KW - Liquefied Hydrogen KW - Insulation KW - Calorimeter KW - LH2 KW - VIP KW - Vacuum Insulation Panel PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62988 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - Repeatable Testing of a Cryogenic Storage Tank with Variable Insulation Material in Fire Like Conditions N2 - For decarbonizing the energy industry and transport, cryogenic energy carriers have great potential. The storage takes place in tanks with thermal super-insulations, which are in application for decades, but there is only limited knowledge about its behaviour in a fire scenario. This represents a major incident that may generate extraordinary loads on the tank and its insulation system, and that eventually lead to a sudden tank failure. This paper presents a test rig called the Cryogenic High Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (CHTTVC), which can be used to test typical thermal superinsulation’s under cryogenic and fire-like conditions in parallel. The test method makes it possible to measure the heat flow through the thermal superinsulation over time and to investigate the degradation behaviour of the insulation within a test. In the paper results from the first tests are presented. T2 - 18th Cryogenics 2025, IIR Conference CY - Prague, Czech Republic DA - 07.04.2025 KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Fire KW - Insulation PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62979 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Harwege, Finn A1 - Schmidt, Heiko A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - Testing of vacuum insulation panels for liquid hydrogen storage tanks N2 - Vacuum insulation panel (VIP) based insulation could present an alternative to the common double walled vacuum insulation for large liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) storage tanks. In this paper a brief introduction on VIPs and the envisioned design of VIP-based LH2-tank insulation is given. The design of a flat plate boil-off calorimeter for the testing of the insulation concept is shown, with regard to thermal design, mechanical design and instrumentation. Finally, an overview over the particular challenges for modelling VIP-based insulation and the proposed testing to be performed on the test rig is presented. T2 - 18th Cryogenics IIR International Conference CY - Prague, Czech Republic DA - 07.04.2025 KW - Liquefied Hydrogen KW - Insulation KW - Calorimeter KW - Vacuum Insulation Panel KW - LH2 PY - 2025 SN - 0151-1637 DO - https://doi.org/10.18462/iir.cryo.2025.0010 SN - 978-2-36215-053-1 VL - 2025 SP - 168 EP - 174 PB - ICCEX CY - Prag AN - OPUS4-62959 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Tugnoli, Alessandro A1 - Okpeke, Bright A1 - Campoari, Alessandro A1 - Zervaki, Anna T1 - NICOLHy - 2nd Stakeholder Advisory Board meeting N2 - The NICOLHy project aims to develop a novel insulation concept based on Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP) that enables the safe, cost- and energy efficient storage of large quantities of LH2. Such large scale LH2 storage technology is necessary for establishing a hydrogen economy with dimensions between 40.000 m³ and more than 200.000 m³ of LH2. However, new design concepts are needed because the currently available technologies used in small and medium storages today are not suitable for up-scaling. The main problems prohibiting the up-scaling are the long production time due to the process chain, the low failure tolerance and the spherical shape, which reduces the payload in technical applications by up to 50% compared to other shapes. The novel concept will change these conditions by a system which is modular, open-form, time-and cost efficient while production, operation and service, multi-failure tolerant and applicable for onshore and offshore applications. The presentations shows details to the concept and presents several safety concerns the project has to deal with. This document contains all presentations from NICOLHys second Stakeholder Meeting. T2 - NICOLHy 2nd Stakeholder Meeting CY - Athens, Greece DA - 22.01.2025 KW - Liquefied hydrogen KW - Insulation KW - Tanks PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62564 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - LH2 Tanks In Fire Incidents - The Cryogenic High Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber Enables In-Depth Insights N2 - Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) establish themselves as important energy carriers in the transport sector. Their storage requires tanks with thermal super-insulations to keep them at cryogenic conditions for a long time. These insulation systems have proven itself in various applications over a long time. However, these insulations are still new in land transportation, where accidents involving collisions, fires, and their combination are to be expected. This study summarizes the results of the ongoing research program in which insulations commonly used in industry were analysed through experimental and numerical studies under fire-like conditions. It was found that there are strong differences among the various insulation systems. Several safety concerns and research gaps exists for layered insulations, which are typically used in land transport. To further analyse these insulation systems, a new test concept called Cryogenic High Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (CHTTVC) was developed and manufactured. This concept enables the testing of large insulation samples under industrial conditions and the consideration of cryogenic conditions relevant for the investigation of various phenomena. The results are important for the evaluation of accident scenarios, the improvement of thermal super-insulations, and the development of emergency measures. T2 - IMECE 2024 CY - Portland, OR, USA DA - 17.11.2024 KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Fire KW - Insulation KW - Safety PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61752 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Cozzani, Valerio A1 - Otremba, Frank T1 - Lh2 Tanks In Fire Incidents - The Cryogenic High Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber Enables In-Depth Insights N2 - Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) establish themselves as important energy carriers in the transport sector. Their storage requires tanks with thermal super-insulations to keep them at cryogenic conditions for a long time. These insulation systems have proven itself in various applications over a long time. However, these insulations are still new in land transportation, where accidents involving collisions, fires, and their combination are to be expected. This study summarizes the results of the ongoing research program in which insulations commonly used in industry were analysed through experimental and numerical studies under fire-like conditions. It was found that there are strong differences among the various insulation systems. Several safety concerns and research gaps exists for layered insulations, which are typically used in land transport. To further analyse these insulation systems, a new test concept called Cryogenic High Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (CHTTVC) was developed and manufactured. This concept enables the testing of large insulation samples under industrial conditions and the consideration of cryogenic conditions relevant for the investigation of various phenomena. The results are important for the evaluation of accident scenarios, the improvement of thermal super-insulations, and the development of emergency measures. T2 - IMECE 2024 CY - Oregon, Portland, USA DA - 17.11.2024 KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Fire KW - Insulation KW - Safety PY - 2024 SN - 978-0-7918-8869-8 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - ASME AN - OPUS4-61751 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - Tanks For The Large-Scale Transport And Storage Of Liquefied Hydrogen N2 - Hydrogen is seen as a potential energy source that enables us to achieve our climate targets. Hydrogen can be well integrated into the electrical energy infrastructure, and its production and use is free of direct GHG emissions. However, tanks are needed for worldwide storage and transportation, which need to be further developed and up-scaled. In the EU-funded NICOLHy project, BAM investigates a novel insulation concept based on Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP) that enables the safe, cost- and energy-efficient storage of large quantities of LH2. Such large-scale LH2 storage technology is necessary to build tanks with capacities of 40.000 m³ to more than 200.000 m³ of LH2, as it is in application for LNG today. However, new design concepts are needed because the currently available technologies used in small and medium storages today are not suitable for up-scaling. The main problems prohibiting up-scaling are the long production time due to the process chain, the low failure tolerance, and the spherical shape of the tank, which reduces the payload in technical applications by up to 50% compared to other shapes. The novel concept will change these conditions by a system which is modular, open-form, time-and cost-efficient during production, operation and service, multi-failure tolerant and applicable for onshore and offshore applications. The NICOLHy consortium is ideally suited for this ambitious project. It brings together experts from the fields of thermodynamics, cryogenics, marine, chemistry, process, and safety engineering. Thereby, NICOLHy will accelerate the integration of hydrogen into the European energy economy and industry, which is necessary to be in line with the European Green Deal and to build trust of society in the policy and the technology. T2 - BAM Akademie H2 Safety - Colloquium CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 06.11.2024 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Liquefied Hydrogen KW - Tank PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61540 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - NICOLHy - 1st Stakeholder Advisory Board meeting N2 - The NICOLHy project aims to develop a novel insulation concept based on Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP) that enables the safe, cost- and energy efficient storage of large quantities of LH2. Such large scale LH2 storage technology is necessary for establishing a hydrogen economy with dimensions between 40.000 m³ and more than 200.000 m³ of LH2. However, new design concepts are needed because the currently available technologies used in small and medium storages today are not suitable for up-scaling. The main problems prohibiting the up-scaling are the long production time due to the process chain, the low failure tolerance and the spherical shape, which reduces the payload in technical applications by up to 50% compared to other shapes. The novel concept will change these conditions by a system which is modular, open-form, time-and cost efficient while production, operation and service, multi-failure tolerant and applicable for onshore and offshore applications. The presentations shows details to the concept and presents several safety concerns the project has to deal with. This document contains all presentations from NICOLHys first Stakeholder Meeting. T2 - NICOLHy 1st Stakeholder Meeting CY - Trondheim, Norway DA - 24.06.2024 KW - Liquefied hydrogen KW - Insulation KW - Tanks PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61393 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Camplese, Davide T1 - Modelling Fire Response of Cryogenic Liquid Hydrogen Tanks Equipped with Multilayer Insulation (MLI) Systems N2 - In the context of the growing global interest in hydrogen-based green energy, cryogenic tanks equipped with multi-layer insulation (MLI) are emerging as a leading solution for storing hydrogen in vehicles. The integrity of these systems might be threatened during fire exposure. This can trigger the degradation of the MLI materials and induce rapid pressurization of the tank with a high risk of catastrophic failure. In this work, a novel lumped model to simulate the thermal response of MLI-equipped cryogenic liquid hydrogen tanks is presented. The model integrates the accurate database “Coolprop” for hydrogen thermodynamic properties and sub-models for detailed simulation of MLI degradation, providing a realistic simulation of the experimental data obtained under normal operating conditions. The application of the model to several case studies considering different numbers of MLI layers and tank geometries demonstrates that aluminum-based MLI offers scarce protection in case of exposure to a hydrocarbon poolfire. T2 - CISAP 11 CY - Neapel, Italy DA - 15.09.2024 KW - Liquefied hydrogen KW - LNG KW - Fire KW - Insulation KW - MLI PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61389 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Camplese, Davide A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar A1 - Otremba, Frank A1 - Cozzani, Valerio T1 - Modelling Fire Response of Cryogenic Liquid Hydrogen Tanks Equipped with Multilayer Insulation (MLI) Systems N2 - In the context of the growing global interest in hydrogen-based green energy, cryogenic tanks equipped with multi-layer insulation (MLI) are emerging as a leading solution for storing hydrogen in vehicles. The integrity of these systems might be threatened during fire exposure. This can trigger the degradation of the MLI materials and induce rapid pressurization of the tank with a high risk of catastrophic failure. In this work, a novel lumped model to simulate the thermal response of MLI-equipped cryogenic liquid hydrogen tanks is presented. The model integrates the accurate database “Coolprop” for hydrogen thermodynamic properties and sub-models for detailed simulation of MLI degradation, providing a realistic simulation of the experimental data obtained under normal operating conditions. The application of the model to several case studies considering different numbers of MLI layers and tank geometries demonstrates that aluminum-based MLI offers scarce protection in case of exposure to a hydrocarbon poolfire. T2 - CISAP 11 CY - Neapel, Italy DA - 15.09.2024 KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Cryogenic storage tank KW - Insulation KW - MLI PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.3303/CET24111076 SN - 2283-9216 VL - 111 SP - 451 EP - 456 PB - AIDIC The Italian Association of Chemical Engineering AN - OPUS4-61384 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - Novel Insulation Concepts for Large Scale Liquefied Hydrogen Storages N2 - The NICOLHy project aims to develop a novel insulation concept based on Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP) that enables the safe, cost- and energy efficient storage of large quantities of LH2. Such large scale LH2 storage technology is necessary for establishing a hydrogen economy with dimensions between 40.000 m³ and more than 200.000 m³ of LH2. However, new design concepts are needed because the currently available technologies used in small and medium storages today are not suitable for up-scaling. The main problems prohibiting the up-scaling are the long production time due to the process chain, the low failure tolerance and the spherical shape, which reduces the payload in technical applications by up to 50% compared to other shapes. The novel concept will change these conditions by a system which is modular, open-form, time-and cost efficient while production, operation and service, multi-failure tolerant and applicable for onshore and offshore applications. The presentations shows details to the concept and presents several safety concerns the project has to deal with. T2 - ELVHyS - International Stakeholder's Seminars CY - Bologna, Italy DA - 30.09.2024 KW - LH2 KW - Insulation KW - Safety PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61208 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Scarponi, Giordano T1 - Numerical Simulation Of Cryogenic Liquid Hydrogen Tanks With Multilayer Insulation Exposed to Fire N2 - In the ongoing energy transition, hydrogen has emerged as a promising alternative energy carrier with a reduced environmental impact. Among the possible solutions to store hydrogen onboard vehicles, cryogenic tanks equipped with multilayer insulation (MLI) appear to be one of the most effective in ensuring high volumetric energy density. MLI systems consist of several layers of low-emissivity material (radiative layers), typically aluminum or aluminum-coated polyester, interleaved with low thermal conductivity spacers to avoid direct contact between the radiative layers. In cryogenic tank applications, these are enclosed within the vessel double-walled shell, working under high-vacuum conditions. Among the insulation systems available nowadays, MLI-based ones have the smallest volume requirements and the lowest weight. Thanks to these features, MLI appears as the preferable choice in sectors where space and weight constraints play a crucial role (e.g., in the transportation sector). The widespread deployment of LH2 new technologies poses also challenging questions related to the hazardous properties of hydrogen. The accidental loss of integrity of cryogenic LH2 tanks might lead to extremely dangerous phenomena, such as Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosions (BLEVE), Fireball, and Rapid Phase Transition (RPT). One potential scenario that could give rise to this situation is exposure to an external heat source such as a fire triggered by a road accident. Real-scale fire test results suggest that the insulation performance of MLI systems may undergo severe degradation when these are subjected to high temperatures, leaving the tank almost unprotected and leading to failure in a relatively short time. In this framework, the availability of models able to simulate the tank response to fire exposure is crucial to ensure a safe design and support emergency response planning. Several CFD and lumped models originally developed for pressurized and atmospheric tanks were extended to cryogenic vessels. However, these provide results in line with experimental data only if the insulation system's equivalent thermal conductivity is fine-adjusted to higher values with respect to normal operating conditions. These models do not integrate, in fact, the description of MLI thermal degradation as a result of fire exposure, which was demonstrated to play a crucial role in determining the response of the cryogenic liquid hydrogen tank. On the other hand, MLI heat transfer models currently available in the literature are suitable for normal operative conditions only and do not address the material behavior under fire exposure. This work presents an innovative lumped model to simulate the thermal response of MLI-insulated cryogenic hydrogen tanks in fire scenarios. In particular, the proposed approach enables the prediction of MLI loss of insulation performances due to fire-induced thermal degradation, overcoming the limitations of currently available models. The MLI degradation model is based on the well-established layer-by-layer approach and integrated with sub-models to estimate the material deterioration due to thermal load. Several sub-models were defined to account for different MLI materials. In particular, for polyester-based MLIs, the deterioration of each layer is defined by the apparent kinetic of thermal degradation retrieved from Thermo-Gravimetric-Analysis (TGA) tests. For aluminum-based MLI, each radiation layer is assumed to vanish when its temperature reaches the melting point of the material. The model was applied to several case studies addressing different types of MLI (i.e., both polyester-based and aluminum-based ones) and fire scenarios to assess the effect on the heating rate and pressure build-up of the tank lading. The analysis allowed for the performance comparison of the studied MLIs, providing valuable information to support the emergency management of accidental scenarios involving liquid-hydrogen cryogenic tanks. Moreover, the results obtained can be used to define mitigation measures to protect the integrity of cryogenic tanks equipped with MLI. T2 - Spring24+20thGCPS CY - New Orleans, Louisiana, USA DA - 24.03.2024 KW - Multilayer Insulation KW - Fire KW - Hydrogen KW - Liquefied Natural Gas KW - Insulation PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61078 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar A1 - Davide, Camplese A1 - Giordano, Emrys Scarponi A1 - Valerio, Cozzani A1 - Frank, Otremba T1 - Experimental investigation on the behavior of thermal super insulation materials for cryogenic storage tanks in fire incidents N2 - The number of vehicles using or transporting cryogenic fuels such as Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) increases fast in the land transportation sector. Does this also entail new risks? The storage of cryogenic fuels requires tanks with Thermal Super Insulations (TSI) to keep the fluid cold and limit the formation of boil-off gas. TSI has proven itself in some applications since the middle of the 20th century, but in the land transport sector they are still quite new, where accidents involving fires, collisions, and their combination are to be expected. This work focuses on investigating the behavior of different types of TSI while exposed to a heat source representing a fire. To this aim, a High-Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (HTTVC) was applied, which allows the thermal loading of a thermal insulation material in a vacuum and measuring the heat flow transported through the TSI in parallel. In this study, the results of 6 samples are presented regarding 3 types of MLI, rock wool, perlites, and microspheres. The thermal exposure caused different effects on the samples. In practice, this can be connected to the rapid release of flammable gases as well as to a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). These results are relevant for reducing the risks to people and infrastructures in the progressive establishment of tanks for cryogenic fluids in our industry and society. The data presented in the study can be used to improve the design of tanks and TSIs, the assessment of accident scenarios, and the development of measures for first responders. KW - Liquefied hydrogen KW - Liquefied natural gas KW - Tanks KW - Fire KW - Insulation KW - MLI KW - Perlite KW - Rock wool KW - Microspheres PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-599947 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2024.04.131 SN - 0957-5820 VL - 187 SP - 240 EP - 248 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-59994 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - Cryogenic Storage Tanks In Fire Incidents N2 - The ongoing geo-political conflicts and the increasing need for the implementation of measures to improve the energetic system sustainability are increasing the importance of tanks for storing cryogenic fluids in the energy industry. The most common example of cryogenic tank applications is the transport of natural gas and hydrogen in their liquid form (LNG and LH2 respectively) for which, considering the same transport volume cryogenic storage ensures significantly higher transport capacities with respect storage based solely on overpressure. A common feature of all cryogenic transported fluids is that their condition must be maintained minimizing heat leaks from the environment as much as possible. This is achieved by the implementation of thermal super Insulations (TSI) systems based on e. g. rock wool, perlites, microspheres, multilayer insulations (MLI), and vacuum which have proven to be effective in applications. However, due to the relatively short period of use in some applications, the small number of documented incidents, and the still few investigations carried out in the field, the exploitation of such systems in the cryogenic fluids transport sector still suffers from insufficient knowledge about the course and consequences of incidents. Accidents involving collisions, fires, and their combination are quite common in the transportation sector and may generate extraordinary loads on the tank and its insulation system, eventually leading to tank failure. The present study focuses on the behavior of TSI systems in tanks when it is exposed to an external heat source representative of a hydrocarbon fire scenario. This may cause an increase of the heat flux into a tank by several orders of magnitude with respect to normal design conditions, thus inducing severe and in the TSI, causing the rapid release of flammable gas and even resulting in a Boiling Liquide Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). To study such scenarios a test rig was developed at BAM that allows testing of TSI at industrial conditions and enables subsequent analysis of TSI samples. This test rig considers the typical double-walled design of tanks for cryogenic fluids with vacuum and an additional insulating material in the interspace. Adjustable electrical heating elements simulate the fire on one side of the double wall. This process allows the implementation of repeatable heat loads of up to 100 kW/m². The other side of the double wall is represented by a fluid-supported heat exchanger, which allows the simulation of cold or cryogenic conditions in the test rig, and to determine the heat flux transmitted through the double wall. Thus, the test rig allows thermal loading and performance analysis of TSI samples at the same time. In the presentation, the results of diverse tested TSI systems will be presented and discussed. As a result of this study, the list of advantages and disadvantages for the choice of tested TSI expands. Within the test, all samples degraded as a consequence of a hydrocarbon fire-orientated thermal load. Strong differences in the behavior of the tested TSI systems over temperature, location, and time were observed. Additionally, the tested MLI insulations were significantly more resistant to their base materials. These results are relevant for the design, the definition of national and international regulations, the Risk assessment, and the development of safety concepts for cryogenic tanks. T2 - Cryogenic Storage Tanks CY - Munich, Germany DA - 18.04.2024 KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Fire KW - Insulation PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-59921 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - Systems With Cryogenic Liquefied Gases In Fire-Incidents N2 - The volumetric energy density of a gas can be increased by liquefaction, which occurs when the gas is cooled below the saturation point. Liquefied gases of great importance to the energy transition are Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which can be liquefied at temperatures below 160°C. Systems for storing these gases typically must be overpressure resistant and require thermal super insulations (TSI) to hold cryogenic conditions and minimize boil-off losses from evaporation. TSI with vacuum and MLI or perlites are suitable for many applications involving LNG and LH2. Such systems are typically double-walled structures where the inner wall is in contact with the cryogenic liquefied gas. MLI or perlites are located in the gap between the inner and the outer wall, that is kept under vacuum conditions. This combination of insulations strongly reduces the heat transfer between the environment and the cryogenic liquefied gas. From an economic point of view the systems are well sophisticated. However, knowledge of the behavior of this kind of systems in a typical event such as a fire is limited, but necessary to evaluate the safety of the increasing number of applications. The objective of the research is to determine how TSI behaves at different fire temperatures during fire exposure and afterwards. Special attention is paid to changes in the heat flux, the material properties and vacuum state over time. For this purpose, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies have been carried out. In addition, a test rig was developed that allows testing of TSI at temperatures up to 1000°C under realistic integration conditions and subsequent analysis of the TSI samples. In the test rig the double-wall with vacuum and MLI or perlites inside is simulated. The fire conditions are simulated on one side of the double-wall by adjustable electrical heating elements. This process allows the implementation of repeatable heat flows of up to 100 kW/m². On the other side of the double-wall, cold or cryogenic conditions are simulated with a heat exchanger through which water or the vapor of liquid nitrogen (approx. -196°C) flows. The heat exchanger is also used to determine the heat flux through the double-wall. Thus, the test rig allows thermal loading and performance analysis of TSI samples at the same time. Compared to tests with real cryogenic systems, tests with this experimental setup have the advantage that, first, the instrumentation is easier to realize, and a higher repeatability is ensured. Second, the local heat flow can be determined over time, and the sample of a TSI can be taken non-destructively and thus analyzed. Third, the tests are less risky as well as time+ and material intensive, so that more tests and variants can be investigated with the same budget. Preliminary results obtained considering several types of MLI under vacuum show that all observed typs of MLI can be damaged under strong thermal loading. The damages observed were outgassing, melting, shrinkage, cracking, lump formation, and concomitant local loss of the MLI's function as a radiation shield. However, the study also shows that a damage does not always have an extreme effect on the insulating performance. T2 - IMECE2022 CY - Columbus, Ohio, USA DA - 30.10.2022 KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Safety KW - Insulation KW - Tank PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56445 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja T1 - Room fires - Changes in room fires and impact on safety of buildings and inhabitants N2 - Fires in homes are responsible for about 80 % of all fire fatalities in Germany. It has been known for some time that modern materials tend to burn differently from older materials and it has been acknowledged that the amount of combustible plastics in homes has increased significantly over the last decades. Complementary to the large scale tests performed before, a test series of four experiments in living rooms with adjacent rooms has been performed with the Frankfurt fire service and BAM, the German Federal Institute for Material Research and Testing. The influence of older and modern furniture and ventilation conditions on the fire and smoke development of fires in homes have been investigated as well as the differences in conditions for inhabitants who are in the room of fire origin or in the adjacent room were assessed, figure 1.In addition, buildings have changed significantly in recent years. The need for energy conservation has led to new applications as solar panels, batteries for storage of electrical power and a variation of insulation materials. The possible combustibility of all these applications only slowly comes into consideration. It has been known for some time that modern materials tend to burn differently from older materials and it has been acknowledged that the amount of combustible plastics in homes has increased significantly over the last decades. A test series of four experiments in living rooms with adjacent rooms has been performed with the Frankfurt fire service and BAM, the German Federal Institute for Material Research and Testing, to investigate on hand the influence of older and modern furniture and ventilation conditions on the fire and smoke development of fires in homes and on the other hand the to assess the differences in conditions for inhabitants who are in the room of fire origin or in the adjacent room. At the same time we face an ageing population that will be less mobile and might need more assistance than ever before. This influences directly the ability to escape and the time needed. Although for the last decades we saw a decrease in the number of deaths from fires we should not assume that this trend must continue. On one hand, we might have benefited from safer electrical appliances, measures as smoke detectors and non-combustible stair cases and advanced medical treatment. On the other hand, nowadays we face the situation that buildings change significantly in shape, air tightness and used building materials. At the same time building contents change significantly as in increasing amount of consumer products stored at home and change of the materials of the consumer products and furniture. In addition, we face changes in our demography with an ageing population and an increasing inclusion of persons with disadvantages which influences the ability to escape directly. This set of changes is not reflected by a change in the building codes yet. T2 - Magdeburger Brand- und Explosionsschutztag CY - Magdeburg, Germany DA - 23.03.2017 KW - Room fires KW - Buildings KW - Insulation KW - Inhabitants PY - 2017 AN - OPUS4-39660 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja T1 - Fire safety of façades with polystyrene foam insulation N2 - Several fires involving ETIC (external thermal insulation composite) systems with polystyrene foam insulation in Germany led to an extensive discussion about fire safety of such systems. A collection initiated by the Frankfurt fire service of façade fires which include polystyrene insulation foam shows that especially fires which started in front of the buildings led to more severe fires of the façade than fires that started inside the buildings. In several fires the ignition source were burning waste containers. Three large scale tests which were initiated by German building ministries showed weaknesses of the existing systems when challenged by a bigger fire source in front of the façade. Since then measures have been introduced to enhance these systems and an additional test with a 200 kg wood crib in front of a large test rig has been used for approval of ETICS. However, the recently introduced German draft standard DIN E 4102-20 does not take these changes into account although real cases and the large scale tests showed that fire scenarios with a bigger ignition source as a waste container are not covered by the DIN E 4102-20. Numerical investigations show that regarding the heat flux to the area above the opening (e.g. a window) also only a fraction of real fires is covered. Additionally damaged systems have been investigated using the Single Burning Item (SBI) test with higher heat release rates of the burner. The damage significantly influenced the fire development of the specimen. Collapse of a damaged coating of an ETIC system occurred during the test and had a sudden fire growth as a result as the whole specimen was suddenly on fire. Several effects which could be seen in the intermediate scale tests correspond to observations which were made in the real cases. In Germany insulation of existing buildings is often enhanced with application of ETICS. In most cases the buildings are in use at the time when the construction takes place. At several stages of the construction process large amounts of unprotected polystyrene are stored in immediate proximity of the building and unprotected polystyrene can be in place on the façade for several weeks. As a consequence of the investigations challenges and possible measures to enhance fire safety of ETIC systems are discussed. T2 - Interflam Konferenz 2016 CY - Royal Holloway College, London, UK DA - 4.7.2016 KW - ETICS KW - Polystyrene KW - Insulation KW - Fire safety PY - 2016 AN - OPUS4-37011 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Wille, Frank A1 - Nehrig, Marko A1 - Feldkamp, Martin ED - Sorenson, K.B. T1 - Thermal performance of transportation packages for radioactive materials N2 - Prevention of damage caused by heat is one of the objectives during package safety evaluation. This chapter describes basics of heat transfer and major aspects of regulatory requirements. Package temperature criteria and fire test conditions are explained. Special package design features regarding material properties and safety evaluation concepts are discussed. Experimental fire testing is performed by pool fire or with the help of a furnace. Analysis by numerical or analytical approaches show temperature gradients and whether compliance with the regulatory requirements and specified design temperatures is met. The tightness of the package lid system influenced by geometry changes is in the focus of a holistic thermo-mechanical approach considering the entire mechanical and thermal load conditions according the regulatory requirements. KW - Package KW - Safety KW - Storage KW - Transport KW - Testing KW - Convection KW - Fire test KW - Heat KW - Insulation KW - Thermal analysis PY - 2015 SN - 978-1-78242-309-6 SN - 978-1-78242-322-5 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-1-78242-309-6.00008-3 N1 - Serientitel: Woodhead publishing series in energy – Series title: Woodhead publishing series in energy IS - 78 SP - Chapter 8, 107 EP - 121 PB - Woodhead Publ. AN - OPUS4-33842 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rohwetter, Philipp A1 - Habel, Wolfgang A1 - Heidmann, G. A1 - Pepper, D. T1 - Acoustic emission from DC pre-treeing discharge processes in silicone elastomer N2 - Partial discharge in polymeric insulation of high voltage equipment causes cumulative damage that progressively deteriorates the insulation, leading to eventual failure. The electrical detection of related discharge current pulses may be challenged by electromagnetic interference from the environment. In such situations the detection of acoustic emission from partial discharge can greatly enhance its detectability, especially when electromagnetically immune fiber-optic acoustic sensors are used. During experiments involving such fiber-optic sensors that were specifically designed for the detection of partial discharge in elastomeric insulation, an unexpected type of acoustic emission was observed in silicone elastomer specimens with tip–plate electrode configurations and under DC electrical stress. We present and discuss experimental results that indicate space charge injection and subsequent spontaneous dynamical processes as the source of the detected acoustic emission. We use sensitive conventional partial discharge measurement instrumentation to show that the apparent acoustic efficiency of the processes leading to the observed acoustic emission is very high. Acoustic emission triggered by discharge events with individual apparent charge values of only a few femtocoulombs could be detected. KW - Partial discharges KW - Acoustic emission KW - Acoustic sensors KW - Insulation KW - Space charge KW - Trees-insulation PY - 2015 DO - https://doi.org/10.1109/TDEI.2014.004576 SN - 1070-9878 SN - 0018-9367 SN - 1558-4135 VL - 22 IS - 1 SP - 52 EP - 64 PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers CY - New York, NY AN - OPUS4-32641 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -