The CHEMATUN project team has completed an intensive first week of testing. For the first time, hydrogen release tests were successfully conducted as part of large-scale trials at the Zentrum am Berg (ZaB).
Due to its unique physical properties and its fire and explosion behavior, hydrogen presents its own specific challenges for test execution, measurement technology, and safety. It is therefore all the more gratifying that the safety concept developed within the project was successfully implemented and that the tests were carried out in a controlled, structured, and accident-free manner.
The focus was on key questions regarding the spread of hydrogen in tunnel systems and the influence of different ventilation conditions. The initial data already provide valuable insights and form an important basis for further scientific analysis.
In CHEMATUN, the researchers are investigating the topic of tunnel safety. While detailed safety concepts usually exist for fires in tunnel systems, comparable knowledge is lacking for the event of the release of hazardous chemicals. CHEMATUN closes this gap and investigates how light, neutral, and heavy gases spread underground and what influence ventilation concepts have on this distribution. Furthermore, the project develops the foundations for operational plans and concepts related to hazardous substances in underground infrastructure. More about the project >
