Experimental and computational studies of concentration and flow field variation of syngas released

Syngas is an important chemical energy source with broad application prospects. The main problem with using syngas is its hazards, such as high storage pressure, high dispersion, low mass density, explosive, and toxic. The aim of this article is to find the key factors for the diffusion of syngas leakage and analyze the distribution of the dangerous concentration range from the diffusion behavior and hazard range characteristics of syngas leakage under complex working conditions. Therefore, a syngas leakage experimental bench is established, and a three-dimensional simulation of syngas leakage was modeled. The results show that the initial pressure is the most critical factor, and the concentration distribution under different initial pressures is significantly different. The time required for carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H₂) to reach their maximum concentration increased as the initial pressure or temperature decreased. The volume ratio had little effect on the time when CO and H₂ reached the maximum concentration. In the horizontal direction, CO diffused further than H₂ in the buoyant jet. The max volume fraction of H₂ and CO did not exceed 1% and 2.5%, respectively. The research results are expected to give guidelines for the safety protection and standard improvement of syngas leakage.