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 - 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 - JOUR A1 - Hajhariri, Aliasghar A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Camplese, Davide A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Cozzani, Valerio A1 - Seidlitz, Holger T1 - Cryogenic storage safety: Experimental evaluation of insulation under extreme conditions N2 - Hydrogen is recognized as a keystone of the global energy transition, offering a clean, high-energy-density energy carrier ideal for storage and transportation. Among various storage options, liquid hydrogen (LH2) is especially advantageous for both mobile and stationary applications. However, ensuring the safety and performance of LH2 storage systems under extreme thermal conditions, such as fire exposure, remains an engineering challenge. This study introduces an experimental framework, called the Cryogenic High-Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (CHTTVC), designed to investigate the thermal-hydraulic response of vacuum-insulated cryogenic tanks under fire-like conditions. The apparatus enables evaluation of insulation performance, such as perlite and multilayer insulation (MLI), with a focus on thermal degradation, heat ingress, and vacuum stability. Results indicate that combustible MLIs undergo substantial thermal degradation, leading to heat ingress rates of up to 6.5 kW and the formation of hazardous combustion by-products. In contrast, non-combustible MLIs and bulk insulation materials restrict heat ingress to approximately 3 kW while more effectively preserving vacuum integrity. Combustible MLIs also exhibit pronounced pressure increases in the evacuated section, reaching ∼6 × 104 Pa, nearly six times higher than those observed for non-combustible counterparts. Analysis of effective emissivity further reveals an enhancement in radiative heat transfer, approximately five times, for combustible MLIs following degradation. Additionally, marked thermal stratification develops under both nominal and extreme heat loads, with temperature gradients approaching 10 °C per 100 mm during sustained thermal exposure. KW - Multi-Layer Insulation KW - Cryogenic Storage KW - Safety PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655380 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlp.2026.105961 SN - 0950-4230 VL - 101 SP - 1 EP - 20 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-65538 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schiaroli, Alice A1 - Camplese, Davide A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Eberwein, Robert A1 - Ustolin, Federico A1 - Cozzani, Valerio T1 - Modelling the behaviour of cryogenic liquid hydrogen tanks engulfed in fire N2 - The safe use of liquid hydrogen as a clean fuel requires a deep understanding of its behaviour in accident scenarios. Among other scenarios, the possible involvement of cryogenic liquid hydrogen tanks in engulfing fires is of particular concern, due to the potentially severe consequences. This study proposes a computational fluid dynamic model suitable to simulate the behaviour of liquid hydrogen tanks equipped with multi-layer insulation (MLI) engulfed in fire. An original approach has been developed to assess the progressive degradation of the performance of the thermal insulation, that is crucial in determining the tank pressurization and failure. The model is validated against full-scale experimental fire tests. The outcomes of the model reproduce the progressive pressurization and the opening time of the pressure relief valve within 2 % error. The results demonstrate the importance of accounting for the dynamic evolution of the progressive degradation of the insulation when evaluating tank pressurization, and they highlight the limitations of empirical, simplified state-of-the-art approaches. Furthermore, the analysis evidences the key role of the fire temperature in governing tank response, stressing the need for proper fire characterization to support reliable modelling of fire scenarios and the development of emergency planning and mitigation strategies ensuring the structural integrity of liquid hydrogen tanks during fire attacks. KW - LH2 KW - LNG KW - Fire KW - Tank PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-652920 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2025.108319 SN - 0957-5820 VL - 206 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-65292 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 - 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 - 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 -