Numerical Analysis of the Effects of Ship Motion on Hydrogen Release and Dispersion in an Enclosed Area

Abstract

Hydrogen is an alternative to conventional heavy marine fuel oil following the initial strategy of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Although hydrogen energy has many advantages (zero-emission, high efficiency, and low noise), it has considerable fire and explosion risks due to its thermal and chemical characteristics (wide flammable concentration range and low ignition energy). Thus, safety is a key concern related to the use of hydrogen. Whereas most previous studies focused on the terrestrial environment, we aim to analyze the effects of the ship’s motion on hydrogen dispersion (using commercial FLUENT code) in an enclosed area. When compared to the steady state, our results revealed that hydrogen reached specific sensors in 63% and 52% less time depending on vessel motion type and direction. Since ships carry and use a large amount of hydrogen as a power source, the risk of hydrogen leakage from collision or damage necessitates studying the correspondence between leakage, diffusion, and motion characteristics of the ship to position the sensor correctly.