AVS 52nd International Symposium
    Vacuum Technology Wednesday Sessions
       Session VT-WeA

Paper VT-WeA9
Explosive Nature of Hydrogen in a Partial Pressure Vacuum

Wednesday, November 2, 2005, 4:40 pm, Room 201

Session: Hydrogen, Outgassing, and Vacuum Systems
Presenter: T.M. Jones, Solar Atmospheres Inc.
Authors: T.M. Jones, Solar Atmospheres Inc.
W.R. Jones, Solar Atmospheres Inc.
Correspondent: Click to Email
The explosive nature of hydrogen is well reported at atmospheric conditions. However, the explosive properties of hydrogen in a sub-atmospheric pressure are not well known. Hydrogen has desirable characteristics for many processes but using hydrogen in an atmosphere that is primed for an explosion must have several safeguards and an understanding of its explosive limits, vacuum or otherwise. A laboratory vessel was constructed to withstand hydrogen explosions to test these principals. Topics of discussion will include mixtures of hydrogen and air in partial pressure vacuum, and determination of the explosive ranges. Sources of ignition will be discussed and how the ignition source and location can affect the explosive characteristics. Other topics of discussion will be what types of safeguards could be used, more specifically an oxygen probe, and how these safeguards can be employed to prevent a catastrophic explosion.