CFD Analysis of a Realistic Incidental Scenario in a Refuelling Station: A Comparison Between LPG And Hydrogen

Due to the constantly increasing energy demand and the necessity to find an alternative to polluting sources, hydrogen has been found as a viable alternative fuel, suitable for both the domestic and industrial usage. In the latest years, its suitability for the automotive sector has been investigated, leading to the conclusion that hydrogen might be the future of the transportation sector. However, because of its physical properties and reactivity, its handling denotes the growth of the safety issues already affective the usage of fossil fuels. The aim of this paper is to simulate via CFD the leakage of LPG built on a realistic accidental scenario, occurred in Rome, Italy, on July 4th, 2025, with a simplified model. The simulation is then compared to a hypothetic scenario with the same geometric model, where hydrogen is the fuel and it is stored in the tank at its typical storage conditions for the gaseous phase. In this way, it is possible to check the difference in the dimension of the flammable cloud created and the values of overpressure generated by the two potential explosions. The results of this comparison prove the need for more investigations on hydrogen safety if used for daily life applications, to determine which are the more suitable prevention and protection measures.