TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar A1 - Camplese, Davide A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Cozzani, Valerio A1 - Otremba, Frank T1 - A comparative study on insulation materials in tanks for the storage of cryogenic fluids in fire incidents N2 - Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) establish themselves as important energy carriers in the transport sector. Its storage requires tanks with Thermal Super Insulations (TSI) to keep the transported fluid cold. TSI has proven itself in various applications over a long time, but not in the land transport sector, where accidents involving collisions, fires, and their combination are to be expected. The focus of this study is to investigate the behavior of different types of TSI when exposed to a heat source that represents a fire. Therefore, a High-Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (HTTVC) was used that allows the thermal loading of thermal insulation material in a vacuum and measuring the heat flow through the TSI in parallel. Within this study, 5 samples were tested regarding 3 different types of MLI, rock wool, and perlites. 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 a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). These results are relevant for the evaluation of accident scenarios, the improvement of TSI, and the development of emergency measures. T2 - IMECE 2023 CY - New Orleans, Louisiana, USA DA - 29.10.2023 KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Fire PY - 2023 SP - 1 EP - 7 AN - OPUS4-58768 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar T1 - Investigation of Super Insulation degradation of a tank for cryogenic goods. Effect of fire on the storage of Cryogenic fluids N2 - Cryogenic liquefied gases, such as liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), are becoming more popular as eco-friendly energy sources. However, using these gases more often increases the risk of accidents, making it important to conduct thorough risk assessments. The storage systems for these gases rely on thermal superinsulation (TSI), which can fail under extreme heat, especially during fires. Therefore, it is essential to study how and why TSI fails. This research (part of PhD topic) aims to examine insulation performance, thereby improving the overall safety of cryogenic storage systems. T2 - Colloquium of Departement 3 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 27.05.2024 KW - Investigation KW - Insulation degradation KW - Tank for cryogenic goods PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60462 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Camplese, Davide A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Chianese, Carmela A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Otremba, Frank A1 - Cozzani, Valerio T1 - Modeling the performance of multilayer insulation in cryogenic tanks undergoing external fire scenarios N2 - Multilayer Insulation (MLI) is frequently used in vacuum conditions for the thermal insulation of cryogenic storage tanks. The severe consequences of the degradation of such materials in engulfing fire scenarios were recently evidenced by several large-scale experimental tests. In the present study, an innovative modelling approach was developed to assess the performance of heat transfer in polyester-based MLI materials for cryogenic applications under fire conditions. A specific layer-by-layer approach was integrated with an apparent kinetic thermal degradation model based on thermogravimetric analysis results. The modeling results provided a realistic simulation of the experimental data obtained by High-Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber tests reproducing fire exposure conditions. The model was then applied to assess the behavior of MLI systems for liquid hydrogen tanks in realistic fire scenarios. The results show that in intense fire scenarios degradation occurs rapidly, compromising the thermal insulation performances of the system within a few minutes. KW - Multilayer Insulation KW - Cryogenic Vessels KW - Liquefied Hydrogen KW - Liquefied Natural Gas KW - Safety KW - Fire PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-599418 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2024.04.061 SN - 0957-5820 VL - 186 SP - 1169 EP - 1182 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-59941 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Camplese, Davide A1 - Emrys Scarponi, Giordano A1 - Otremba, Frank A1 - Cozzani, Valerio A1 - Seidlitz, Holger T1 - A Comprehensive Numerical Study of the Behaviour of an LH2 Storage Tank in the Event of a Fire N2 - As the world moves towards green energy production, effective storage and transportation solutions become essential. To support this transition, energy carriers with minimal or zero environmental impact are required. Liquified hydrogen represents a promising candidate due to its emissions-neutral properties. However, its highly flammable nature necessitates adherence to strict safety codes and standards. Storing hydrogen often requires advanced super-insulation materials. To enhance the safety of cryogenic hydrogen storage tanks under extreme conditions, such as those encountered during fire accidents, it is crucial to understand the thermal behaviour of the tank. Predicting pressurization and potential failure in advance demands a robust and comprehensive model. However, still such models suffer lack of detailed heat transfer models which account for various sub-processes during an accident scenario. Hence, this study introduces a comprehensive model for the pressurization of cryogenic tanks equipped with multi-layer insulation (MLI) systemsin the event of fire, which comprises several sub-models. These sub-models account for heat transfer phenomena through the thermal insulation at nominal conditions and its thermal degradation during fire exposure, the fluid, the internal pressurization, and the performance of the pressure relief valve. This study provides valuable insights into the safety and the behaviour of hydrogen storage tanks under thermal loads. KW - Heat transfer KW - Multi-Layer Insulation KW - Cryogenic KW - Liquid Hydrogen PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.3303/CET25116114 VL - 116 SP - 679 EP - 684 PB - AIDIC AN - OPUS4-63813 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Camplese, Davide A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Cozzani, Valerio A1 - Otremba, Frank A1 - Seidlitz, Holger T1 - Non-combustible MLI based insulation behavior under fire condition - Experimental and numerical investigation N2 - The number of applications that demand zero-emission energy carriers, such as liquified hydrogen (LH2), is increasing worldwide. LH2 is typically transported or stored under cryogenic conditions. Storage in such conditions requires super thermal insulations which maintain very low boil-off for a prolonged time. Multi-Layer insulation (MLI) finds widespread use in cryogenic applications, designed to effectively restrict heat inleak towards cryogenic fluids. However, recent studies evidenced that exposure to high heat fluxes, such as in the event of a fire accident, can cause the thermal degradation of the insulation material, resulting in the severe collapse of its heat resistance performance. Therefore, the risk of rapid tank pressurization and its connection to the risk of BLEVE may be possible. This study proposes a numerical model to assess the performances of aluminum-based MLI materials under fire conditions. The model offers insights into the total heat transfer rate through the insulation, serving as a KW - Multi-Layer Insulation KW - Cryogenic KW - Liquid Hydrogen KW - CFD PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-617780 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2024.11.037 VL - 193 SP - 603 EP - 620 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-61778 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Mair, Georg W. A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar T1 - A modular concept for protection against debris flight - Design, properties and usage N2 - With advances in technological development, stationary and mobile storage units for compressed hydrogen are becoming larger and larger. Their number is also increasing. At the same time, their design has evolved from steel and aluminium to pressure vessels made of composite materials. For safety reasons the design approval of those composite cylinders requires fire engulfment tests, which are mainly organised as open-air tests always needs dedicated protection measures. Under some conditions those protections measures even reduce the effort for organisational safety measures if e.g. the emission of splinters can get totally prevented. Another aspect is the improved reproducibility of fire tests by reducing the influence of wind, especially wind turbulence. Between 2017 and 2019, BAM developed a stackable protective frame made of steel to safely capture splinters for the safe execution of high-energy impact tests. However, this frame was not flexible enough for the follow up project, which led to a completely new protection concept for (potentially) destructive tests on gas-filled pressure vessels. This concept is based on very robust building blocks with knobs and holes of a dimension of 1m x 0.5m x 0.5m made from welded steel. Despite their considerable weight of around 500 kg, they can be combined and stacked very easily like ‘Lego bricks’. The presentation will show the flexibility of the concept, some results of tests on the robustness against pressure waves and the effectiveness in wind attenuation. Finally, the interaction with a new, also modular burner concept for localised fires and full engulfment fires will be presented. T2 - 11th International Conference on Hydrogen Safety ICHS 2025 CY - Seoul, South Korea DA - 24.09.2025 KW - Splinter protection KW - Pressure vessel testing KW - Fire engulfment KW - Destructive tests KW - Rupture KW - Gaseous tests KW - Pressure wave KW - Test equipment KW - Precaution measures PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65099 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar A1 - Camplese, D. A1 - Scarponi, G. E. A1 - Cozzani, V. A1 - Otremba, Frank T1 - Insulation Materials Used in Tanks for the Storage of Cryogenic Fluids in Fire Scenarios N2 - The importance of tanks for storing cryogenic fluids in the energy industry is increasing because of ongoing political conflicts and the implementation of more environmentally friendly energy sources. Key representatives for the application of cryogenic tanks are natural gas in the form of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and hydrogen, e. g. in the form of Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2), for which significantly higher transport capacities can be achieved with the same transport volume using cryogenic storages than with storages based solely on overpressure. What applies to all cryogenic transported fluids in common is their condition that must be maintained. Hence heat flows into the preserved fluid must be minimized. Thermal super Insulations (TSI) based on e. g. multilayer insulations (MLI), perlites, and vacuum are utilized for this purpose and have already proven themselves in similar applications. However, for the use of tanks for cryogenic fluids in the transport sector, there is insufficient knowledge regarding the course and consequences of incidents, which is due to the still short period of use and the few documented incidents, hence few investigations carried out in this field. Typical scenarios in the transport sector represent car accidents with collisions, fires, and their combination, which are associated with extraordinary loads on the tank. The focus of this study is to investigate the behavior of TSI as a result of their thermal exposure to a heat source representing a fire. It is worth mentioning that this could lead to an increase of the heat flux into a tank by several orders of magnitude, and to permanent damage of the TSI, ultimately rapid release of flammable gas as well as a Boiling Liquide Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). For this purpose, a high temperature thermal vacuum chamber (HTTVC) has been developed that allows thermal loading of MLI or perlites in a vacuum and simultaneous measurement of heat flow through this TSI. The HTTVC is designed to represent realistic insulation conditions and to withstand thermal loads from typical design fires. The HTTVC was applied to investigate TSI based on MLI and vacuum. It is shown that the thermal stress caused permanent damage to the TSI, with shrinkage, phase change, pyrolysis, and condensation being significant damage mechanisms. The results are relevant for the evaluation of accident scenarios and can thus contribute to the improvement of TSI and the development of emergency measures for the protection of persons and infrastructures. T2 - ASME 2023 Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference (PVP2023) CY - Atlanta, Georgia, USA DA - 16.07.2023 KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - MLI KW - Fire PY - 2023 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - ASME AN - OPUS4-57973 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar ED - Eberwein, Robert ED - Perrone, Luca pakj ED - Cozzani, Valerio ED - Otremba, Frank ED - Seidlitz, Holger T1 - Study the Impact of Spacer at Thermal Degradation Process of MLI-based Insulation in Fire Condition N2 - To reduce carbon dioxide emissions, energy carries such as hydrogen consider to be a solution. Consumption of hydrogen as a fuel meets several restrictions such as its low volumetric energy density in gas phase. To tackle this problem, storage as well as transportation in liquid phase is recommended. To be able to handle this component in liquid phase, an efficient thermal insulation e.g., MLI insulation is required. Some studies have been revealed vulnerability of this type of insulation against high heat flux, for instance a fire accident. Some investigations have been depicted the importance of consideration of the MLI thermal degradation in terms of its reflective layer. However, limited number of studies have been focused on the thermal degradation of spacer material and its effect on the overall heat flux. In this study, through systematic experimental measurements, the effect of thermal loads on glass fleece, glass paper as well as polyester spacers are investigated. The results are reported in various temperature and heat flux profiles. Interpreting the temperature profiles revealed as the number of spacers in the medium increases, the peak temperature detectable by the temperature sensor on the measurement plate decreases. Moreover, the contribution of each individual spacer in all cases regarding the experimental temperature range is assessed to be around 8%. This value may increase to around 50% for glass paper and polyester spacers, and to around 25% for glass fleece spacers as the number of spacer layers increases up to six layers. To utilize the outcomes of the experiment later and integrate the results into numerical and CFD simulations, a model is proposed for the mentioned experimental temperature range up to 300°C to predict a heat flux attenuation factor. The model proposes a fitting factor that can reproduce the least square fitted line to the experimental data. T2 - 15th International Symposium on Hazards, Prevention, and Mitigation of Industrial Explosions Naples (ISHPMIE) CY - Naples, Italy DA - 10.06.2024 KW - Multi-Layer Insulation KW - Cryogenics KW - Liquid Hydrogen KW - Heat Transfer KW - Hydrogen Storage PY - 2024 SP - 744 EP - 755 AN - OPUS4-60461 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 - 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 - CONF A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar A1 - Eberwein, Robert T1 - Cryogenic storage system behaviour under fire : A study of the insulation impact N2 - The transition from fossil fuels to low-emission alternatives is essential to mitigate carbon emissions in energy-intensive sectors. Liquid hydrogen (LH2) is a promising energy carrier due to its high gravimetric energy density, but its storage requires advanced insulation to minimize heat ingress and prevent excessive boil-off losses. Multilayer insulation (MLI), perlite, and microspheres are commonly used under vacuum conditions, yet their performance under fire exposure remains a critical concern. This study investigates the thermal degradation of insulation materials and its impact on heat transfer in an event with extreme thermal load conditions using the Cryogenic High-Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (CHTTVC). The heat flow dynamics are analyzed, and an equivalent heat transfer coefficient is proposed to quantify the impact of insulation deterioration as the outer wall temperature increases. Additionally, a novel liquid-vapor interface monitoring method is introduced to improve real-time detection of phase changes within the tank. The results highlight that insulation failure substantially increases the heat flow, which, if not mitigated, can lead to boiling liquid expanding vapor explosions (BLEVE), jet fires, or catastrophic tank failure. The findings provide valuable insights into optimizing LH2 storage safety and improving emergency response strategies for cryogenic tanks exposed to extreme thermal conditions. T2 - 11th International Conference on Hydrogen Safety ICHS 2025 CY - Seoul, South Korea DA - 22.09.2025 KW - Multi-Layer Insulation KW - Cryogenic KW - Liquid Hydrogen KW - Heat transfer PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64200 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -