Baselining the Body of Knowledge for Hydrogen Shock Interactions and Debris Escalation

The differences in behaviour of hydrogen, when compared to natural gas, under deflagration and detonation scenarios are well known. The authors currently work in the area of fire and explosion analysis and have identified what they feel are potential gaps in the current Body of Knowledge (BOK) available to the sector. This is especially related to the behaviour around secondary shock formation and interactions with surrounding structures, especially with ‘open’ structures such as steel frameworks typically seen in an offshore environment, and practicable methods for determining debris formation and propagation. Whilst the defence sector has extensive knowledge in these areas, this is primarily in the area of high explosives where the level of shocks observed is stronger than those resulting from a hydrogen detonation. This information would need to be reviewed and assessed to ensure it is appropriate for application in the hydrogen sector. Therefore, with a focus on practicality, the authors have undertaken a two-phase approach. The first phase involves carrying out a through literature search and discussions within our professional networks in order to ascertain whether there is a gap in the BOK. If good research, guidance and tools to support this area of assessment already exist, the authors have attempted to collate and consolidate this into a form that can be made more easily available to the community. Secondly, if there is indeed a gap in the BOK, the authors have attempted to ensure that all relevant information is collated to act as a reference and provide a consistent baseline for future research and development activities.