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Martinez-Ruiz, DanielAuthor

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September 11, 2026
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Water spray mitigation of hydrogen-air detonations: Steady-state regimes and detonability limits

Publicated to: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY. 275 157334- - 2026-09-11, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.157334

Authors:

Hernandez-Sanchez, Raul; Martinez-Ruiz, Daniel; Huete, Cesar
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Affiliations

Univ Carlos III Madrid, Dept Ingn Term & Fluidos, Leganes 28911, Spain - Author
Univ Politecn Madrid, ETSIAE, Madrid 28040, Spain - Author

Abstract

Hydrogen-air detonations present significant safety hazards due to their supersonic propagation and extreme pressures and temperatures. Water-spray injection has been proposed as an effective mitigation strategy in the past. This study investigates the interaction between hydrogen-air detonations and a monodisperse water spray using a one-dimensional, steady, multi-continua model with detailed chemical kinetics and two-phase mass, momentum, and energy transfer. Non-calorically perfect gas effects and droplet vaporization are included. Results show that detonation behavior is primarily controlled by water mass loading and droplet size, subject to simplifying modeling assumptions. Small droplets vaporize rapidly, allowing detonation velocity to be predicted via a global energy balance accounting for latent heat, with the Chapman-Jouguet condition satisfied at thermochemical equilibrium. Increasing water loading in this regime can lead to complete detonation quenching. For larger droplets, pathological detonations occur, where vaporization and heat release decouple from the driving mechanism, and the propagation speed is determined by the internal detonation structure rather than a global energy balance. Very large droplets vaporize too slowly to significantly influence the detonation, and propagation speeds approach those of the dry hydrogen-air mixture. These findings clarify the parametric regimes for effective detonation mitigation in hydrogen safety applications, and permit us to redraw the theoretical detonability limits of hydrogen-air mixtures in presence of a liquid-water disperse phase.
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Keywords

Accident preventionAerospace engineeringCombustion knockDetonability limitsDetonationDetonationsDrop formationDropletsEnergy balanceEnergy transferExplosionsGlobal energyHydrogenHydrogen combustionHydrogen-air detonationHydrogen-air mixturePropagation speedSafetySafety hazardsSteady-state regimeSupersonic propagationTwo phase flowVaporizationWater injectionWater sprayWater sprays

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2026, it was in position 6/44, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Electrochemistry.

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Impact and social visibility

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
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Awards linked to the item

R.HS. and C.H. work was supported by project PID2022-139082NB-C51 funded by MICIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE. R.HS work was additionally supported by UC3M through the program for early-career researchers. D.MR. work was supported by the project PID2023-150646NB-I00 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011 033
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