GexCon, a Bergen, Norway based company, has remodeled the FLACS (FLame ACceleration Simulator), previously formulated for natural gas modeling, to describe the dispersal of hydrogen. Experiments have proved that the simulator can precisely forecast the consequences of hydrogen dispersal.
This screenshot is from a simulation of a hydrogen leak exploding
The FLACS is actually a computational fluid dynamics tool used for forecasting the diffusion patterns of dangerous gases and studying the risks involved in explosion. The tool has been successfully deployed in oil and gas industry to stimulate natural gas dispersion. GexCon, which commenced the development of FLACS to simulate hydrogen a decade back, has now developed a model that can precisely reveal the outcomes of hydrogen release, its way of dispersal and the resultant consequences of ignition.
The company gets grants under the Large-scale Programme on Clean Energy for the Future program under the Research Council of Norway. The company has utilized the support to continue its research activities and take part in International Energy Agency expert groups on safety of hydrogen during 2005-2010 and 2011-2013. Such participations have enabled the company to know the international research activities before hand, and focus on research benefits and plan its future activities.
The company is presently engaged in formulating analytical methods based on virtual reality, more particularly with hydrogen gas and the ignited hydrogen flames that are invisible to human eye. It is looking forward to find a solution for such types of perceived risks.