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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 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 - 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 -