Experimental study on the influence of multi-layer wire mesh on dynamics of premixed hydrogen-air flame propagation in a closed duct

Hydrogen, which is considered to be a promising clean energy source, has been studied and applied extensively in industries. In order to improve the safety of hydrogen energy application, an experimental study on the influence of multi-layer wire mesh on dynamics of premixed hydrogen-air flame propagation in a closed duct is conducted. Four different kinds of wire mesh with 40, 45, and 50 layers are chosen in the experiments. High speed schlieren photography is applied to capture the flame shape changes and determine the flame tip speed. Pressure transducer is used to measure the pressure transient. It is found that flame quenches in the cases of adding wire mesh of 60, 80, and 100 mesh with 45 and 50 layers, while for the wire mesh of 40 mesh, 50 layers cannot even quench the flame. Moreover, the multi-layer wire mesh can effectively suppress the flame tip speed, maximum pressure, and sound waves during premixed hydrogen-air flame propagation in the duct. The attenuated maximum pressure reaches approximately 78.6% in the case of adding wire mesh of 100 mesh-50 layers.