Assessment and analysis of potentially explosive areas in distribution stations, generated by alternative fuels such as LPG, CNG and H2

Abstract

Rising prices and the desire to reduce pollution by replacing traditional fuels (benzine and diesel) in the transport system require solutions to make this sector more economically efficient. The use of LPG, CNG and H2 implies, from the point of view of explosion risks, additional features compared to conventional filling stations to increase safety and environmental protection. Thus, this paper presents the effects caused by each fuel analysed (LPG, CNG and H2), in the worst case, the initiation case. The analysis performed is based on simulation using ANSYS – Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, and the result is particularly useful for adopting optimal measures to minimise the risk of explosion.