Hybrid hydrogen-dust combustion

An important topic within hydrogen related research is the investigation of the reactivity of flammable gases mixtures (hydrogen-air) with dust present in other components. This is possible thanks to the facilities, which the Hydrogen group has in KIT Campus Nord, in Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen. The most important areas of interest for the research and experimentation on this topic are the solid storage systems (in form of hydrides) and the safety measures for fusion reactors.

A notable example of this research are the experiments carried in the DUSTEX and PROFLAM II facilities, where the hydrogen team studies the incidence of initial pressure in the flame acceleration of aluminum dust in hydrogen mixes; as well as understanding the limiting conditions to flame development and the geometric scaling of the explosion regimes.

Another example is the research on the influence of LiH activation of aluminum dust on its explosivity, framed into the “H2FC User Project 2070”. Here, several experiments are carried out to determine the potential enhancement of hydrogen explosions with the activation of aluminum dust present in a mix.