TY - JOUR A1 - Schiaroli, Alice A1 - Mata, Christian A1 - Scarponi, Giordano Emrys A1 - Habib, Abdel Karim A1 - Kluge, Martin A1 - Ustolin, Federico A1 - Cozzani, Valerio T1 - Digital image processing for the advanced characterization and simulation of experimental fire tests N2 - The fire engulfment of storage tanks of hazardous materials is among the most critical scenarios in hazard assessment of industrial value chains. Laboratory and full-scale experimental trials are used to test the tank performance and integrity in such scenarios. However, strong uncertainties usually affect the actual fire load experienced by the tank, in particular when large-scale experiments are carried out in open test fields. Such uncertainties arise from several factors difficult to control during experimental tests, such as the atmospheric conditions as there is the influence of wind drifts influencing the actual fire engulfment, the flame temperature and the flame dynamic distribution around the target. Consequently, verifying the concordance of an experimental test with standard test criteria and defining accurate boundary conditions in correlated model simulations is challenging. In this study, the development of a novel method for the analysis of fire conditions based on image processing is presented. The approach allows identifying the flame coverage on the target surface during the test and provides an accurate map of the flame distribution on the equipment over time. The approach is tested using experimental data from a full-scale fire test campaign carried out on liquid hydrogen cryogenic tanks. The results prove to be accurate in replicating the experimental temperatures measured on the outer tank shell during the test. The proposed methodology can be used to better understand the results of experimental fire tests and to characterize realistic fire scenarios, also supporting the definition of fire test requirements. Moreover, the approach produces results that can be implemented as advanced space-time-varying boundary conditions in simulation models, improving their accuracy in reproducing real cases. KW - Fire test KW - Digital image processing KW - Flame coverage KW - Storage tank KW - Boundary conditions KW - Fire engulfment PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-636956 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2025.107571 SN - 0957-5820 VL - 201 IS - B SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-63695 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tamburini, Federica A1 - Kluge, Martin A1 - Habib, Abdel Karim A1 - Ustolin, Federico A1 - Cozzani, Valerio A1 - Paltrinieri, Nicola T1 - Exploring experimental tests concerning liquid hydrogen releases N2 - In recent years, the adoption of liquid hydrogen (LH2) has increased significantly in industrial and transport applications, driven by its low carbon footprint, thereby aiding the fight against global warming. Additionally, its high volumetric energy density, compared to gaseous or compressed hydrogen, enhances hydrogen storage capabilities. However, safety remains a major concern due to its physical-chemical properties and inherent hazardous characteristics, especially in the event of spillage scenarios. Therefore, to better understand the consequences of LH2 releases onto or into water, large-scale experimental tests were conducted by Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) within the Safe Hydrogen Fuel Handling and Use for Efficient Implementation (SH2IFT) project at the Test Site Technical Safety of BAM, comprising 75 single spill events at varied release rates and orientations. While the rapid phase transition (RPT) phenomenon was not observed, selfignition of the hydrogen-air cloud occurred, accompanied by blast wave overpressure and heat radiation, without a discernible ignition source. These findings emphasize the need for further investigation into LH2 safety. Leveraging experimental data for real-world applications provides insights into safe LH2 infrastructure implementation, laying foundational knowledge for addressing safety challenges and advancing LH2 technology. KW - Liquid Hydrogen KW - Rapid phase transition KW - Ignition KW - Safety PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-618644 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2024.11.014 SN - 0957-5820 VL - 192 SP - 1330 EP - 1343 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-61864 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 - 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 - 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 -