Jet Fire Resistance Tests for equipment for the passive protection of hydrogen production and storage plant

In the experimental facility appositely realized, together with researchers from DICCISM, at CPTM (see Technical skills, Flame Resistance), several jet-fire resistance tests with hydrogen flames have been performed. The collaboration between CPTM and DICCISM started in 2005 thanks to the financial support from the FISR project of the Italian Ministry for the University and Research with the title "Pure Hydrogen from Natural Gas through Total Conversion Reforming, Obtained by Integrating Chemical Reaction and Membrane Separation". The collaboration still endures. All the experimental activities within the project regarding innovative equipment for the passive protection of hydrogen production and storage plants were conducted at CPTM.

The available experimental facility allows the monitoring of temperature profiles and the evaluation of the resistance of insulation materials subjected to jet fires. A comparative analysis of several materials was conducted, from which emerged the excellent properties of organic and inorganic based composite materials produced using basalt fibre.