A study on the characteristics of the deflagration of hydrogen-air mixture under the effect of a mesh aluminum alloy

Mesh aluminum alloys (MAAs) have been widely used in military and civilian applications to suppress the explosion of flammable gases (fluids) inside containers. However, MAAs have not been tested in or applied to the hydrogen suppression-explosions. Hence, a typical MAA product, i.e., one that has been in wide use, is selected as the experimental material in the present study. The characteristics of the deflagration of hydrogen-air mixture inside an MAA-filled tube are investigated, and the effects of the filling density of the MAA and the concentration of hydrogen in air on the deflagration are examined. The suppressing effect of the MAA on the deflagration of hydrogen-air mixture is compared with its effect on the deflagration of a typical hydrocarbon fuel in air. The results show that not only is the existing MAA product unable to effectively suppress the deflagration of hydrogen-air mixture, but it also increases the maximum explosion pressure, which is opposite to the satisfactory suppressing effect of the MAA product on the deflagration of hydrocarbon fuels such as methane. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for the effective prevention of explosion accidents with hydrogen and for the development of explosion-suppression products.