TURBULENT FLAME ACCELERATION MECHANISMS AND SIGNIFICANCE FOR SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

Accidental non-stationary combustion processes are the main issue of s afety considerations in connection with hydrogen technology. The overp ressure loads produced by detonations but as well those imposed upon s tructures by fast, turbulent deflagrations are easily of sufficient st rength for serious damage. Since an accidental combustion process is m ost likely to start as a slow deflagration, detailed knowledge of the mecbanisms of flame acceleration leading to high-speed reaction fronts is of vital importance for design guidelines and safety analysis. In this paper the parameters influencing turbulent flame acceleration pro cesses, i.e. initial conditions and geometry of the combustion volume, are discussed and a brief outlook for necessary future research activ ities is provided.