Micro Burner Leak Plate Design for Hydrogen Microleak Combustion Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for testing combustion reactions, particularly with hydrogen gas, struggle to accurately simulate and measure small leaks due to the difficulty in detecting and quantifying microleaks, which pose significant safety risks, and current fire testing rigs are inadequate for assessing such scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A micro burner apparatus with interchangeable leak plates and a gas supply system that simulates microleaks by introducing gaseous fuels like hydrogen through controlled apertures, allowing for precise regulation of flow rates and observation of combustion reactions, including the use of sensors to measure combustion characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If typical fire testing rigs are designed to create and test the largest foreseeable fire, then the testing capability for large fires is improved, but the ability to test small leaks is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the testing capability by providing multiple interchangeable leak plates, each with different aperture sizes. This allows the system to test various leak rates from small to large without requiring a single oversized testing rig, thus maintaining adaptability across different fuel quantities.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of aperture size through interchangeable leak plates with different configurations (e.g., 0.5mm, 1mm, 2mm diameters). This enables the same testing rig to adapt to different leak scenarios, expanding the testing range from small leaks to large fires without sacrificing either capability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If hydrogen gas is used as fuel, then environmental benefits are improved, but safety challenges due to broad flammability range and difficulty in detection worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces mechanical/visual detection methods with electronic sensors (ultrasonic sensors, acoustic sensors, or hydrogen-specific sensors) that can detect hydrogen leaks through sound waves or electrical signals. This substitution enables effective detection of hydrogen's invisible and odorless leaks, addressing the detection difficulty while maintaining environmental benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements feedback mechanisms through sensors that continuously monitor for hydrogen leaks and provide real-time alerts. This feedback system enables immediate detection and response to leaks, compensating for hydrogen's difficult-to-detect nature and improving safety despite its environmental advantages.
3Measurement precision
If microleak simulation is implemented with small apertures, then testing precision for small leaks is improved, but the ability to test larger fire scenarios worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The invention achieves universality by making the leak plates interchangeable rather than fixed. The same testing rig can accommodate different leak plate sizes (from microleak to large aperture), enabling it to function across the entire range from precise microleak testing to large fire scenario testing without sacrificing either capability.
4Manufacturing precision
If flow rate is regulated to less than or equal to one mmol/s, then microleak simulation accuracy is improved, but the testing of larger combustion scenarios worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces dynamics by making the system adjustable through interchangeable components. The gas supply system can dynamically adapt to different flow rate requirements by changing the leak plate configuration, enabling precise control for microleaks (≤1 mmol/s) while also capable of supporting larger combustion scenarios when larger apertures are used.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables comprehensive testing of combustion reactions from microleaks, providing insights into the hazards and effects on surrounding structures, facilitating the development of safety protocols for gaseous fuel storage and reducing accident risks.
Implementation Method 1
a gas supply line couplable to the leak plate and, when coupled, configured to supply the gaseous fuel through the testing aperture and into the combustion environment
Implementation Method 2
an ignition source configured to initiate the combustion reaction between the reaction gas and the gaseous fuel within the combustion environment
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a micro burner configured for testing a combustion reaction and its effect on surrounding structures. The micro burner includes a leak plate having a testing aperture that is configured to simulate a microleak of a gaseous fuel into a combustion environment, containing a reaction gas, to test a combustion reaction between the reaction gas and the gaseous fuel within the combustion environment. The micro burner also includes a gas supply line couplable to the leak plate and, when coupled, configured to supply the gaseous fuel through the testing aperture and into the combustion environment. The micro burner further includes an ignition source configured to initiate the combustion reaction between the reaction gas and the gaseous fuel within the combustion environment.