Optimizing a Hydrogen and Methane Blending System Through Design and Simulation
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Experimental Setup
2.1.1. Mixing Flow and Design
2.1.2. Gas Chromatography and Measurement
2.1.3. Operational Conditions
2.1.4. Experimental Validation
2.2. Computational Model
2.2.1. Geometry
2.2.2. Simulation Parameters
- Solver type: pressure-based, steady-state solver;
- Turbulence model: SST k-ω, combining the strengths of k-ω (boundary layer flow description) for near-wall flow and k-ε (fluid free flow description) for free-stream regions [34]; This model was chosen because it effectively combines the advantages of the k-ε model, which performs well in free-stream regions, and the k-ω model, which provides higher accuracy near boundary layers close to the wall. Using only the k-ε model would have resulted in less accurate results.
- Species transport: modeled the convection–diffusion dynamics of CH4 and H2 using the species transport equation [35]
- Boundary conditions: For the boundary conditions, we applied (i) pressure conditions at the inlet and outlet, (ii) stationary walls with a no-slip condition, (iii) standard roughness, and (iv) zero heat flux (adiabatic conditions) in order to replicate realistic pipeline conditions and ensure the accuracy of the computational model. Inlet pressures for H2 ranged from 200 to 300 kPa, with CH4 pressures adjusted to achieve H2 mass fractions at the outlet between 5% and 18%. The set reference pressure and temperature were 101,325 Pa and 300 K, respectively. Mixture density: the compressible ideal gas, viscosity: 1.72 × 10−5 kg/m·s. Wall boundary conditions were stationary walls, no slip condition, standard roughness, and zero heat flux (adiabatic condition). The influence of gravitational forces was not considered.
2.2.3. Solver Configuration
3. Results and Discussions
3.1. Mixing Performance
3.2. Impact of Nozzle Geometry
3.3. Comparison of Simulation and Experimental Data
3.4. System Optimization and Trade-Offs
- Smaller Nozzles (0.4 mm): Achieved highly uniform mixing with minimal pressure losses, making them ideal for applications requiring precise control of hydrogen concentration;
- Larger Nozzles (0.6 mm): Enabled higher hydrogen mass fractions but required careful management of pressure and flow conditions to maintain mixing efficiency.
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Mixer Type | Primary Applications | Advantages | Disadvantages | Key References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tab or Plate Mixers |
|
|
| [10,15,16,17,18,19,20] |
Helical Mixers |
|
|
| [4,9,12,21,22,23,24,25] |
Tee Mixers |
|
|
| [5,26,27,28,29] |
Cartridge Mixers |
|
|
| [9,13,15,30,31,32] |
Multi-Stage Mixers |
|
|
| [5,9,10] |
Baffled Pipe Mixers |
|
|
| [4,12] |
Case | H2 Mass Fraction (%) | H2 Inlet Pressure (kPa) | CH4 Inlet Pressure (kPa) |
---|---|---|---|
A1 | 5.45–5.64 | 150 | 130 |
A2 | 8.01–8.07 | 150 | 115 |
A3 | 10.1–10.2 | 150 | 110 |
A4 | 14.4–14.6 | 180 | 110 |
A5 | 17.5–17.8 | 200 | 110 |
Case | H2 Mass Fraction (%) | H2 Inlet Pressure (kPa(r)) | CH4 Inlet Pressure (kPa(r)) |
---|---|---|---|
B1 | 10.6 | 150 | 130 |
B2 | 18.2 | 200 | 130 |
B3 | 24.8 | 250 | 130 |
B4 | 13.8 | 150 | 120 |
B5 | 24.3 | 200 | 120 |
B6 | 34.9 | 250 | 120 |
B7 | 23.6 | 150 | 110 |
B8 | 41.8 | 200 | 110 |
B9 | 57.1 | 250 | 110 |
Case | H2 Mass Fraction (%) | Accuracy (%) | Accuracy Error (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Simulated | Experimental | |||
A1 | 5.45–5.64 | 5.54–5.78 | 97.97 | 2.02 |
A2 | 8.01–8.07 | 8.18–8.23 | 97.98 | 2.01 |
A3 | 10.10–10.20 | 10.25–10.44 | 98.11 | 1.88 |
A4 | 14.40–14.60 | 14.46–14.60 | 99.79 | 0.21 |
A5 | 17.5–17.8 | 17.6–18.25 | 98.48 | 1.52 |
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Spiridon, Ş.I.; Monea, B.F.; Ionete, E.I. Optimizing a Hydrogen and Methane Blending System Through Design and Simulation. Fuels 2025, 6, 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels6020028
Spiridon ŞI, Monea BF, Ionete EI. Optimizing a Hydrogen and Methane Blending System Through Design and Simulation. Fuels. 2025; 6(2):28. https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels6020028
Chicago/Turabian StyleSpiridon, Ştefan Ionuţ, Bogdan Florian Monea, and Eusebiu Ilarian Ionete. 2025. "Optimizing a Hydrogen and Methane Blending System Through Design and Simulation" Fuels 6, no. 2: 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels6020028
APA StyleSpiridon, Ş. I., Monea, B. F., & Ionete, E. I. (2025). Optimizing a Hydrogen and Methane Blending System Through Design and Simulation. Fuels, 6(2), 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels6020028