Gexcon and HYEX Safety are working in partnership to support the continued development of FLACS-CFD based on real world hydrogen applications.

The two organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding to share and explore methodologies to significantly enhance FLACS-CFD for hydrogen safety.

The exciting partnership reunites Gexcon and HYEX Safety founder, Olav Roald Hansen, who spent more than 19 years with Gexcon and played an instrumental role in developing FLACS-CFD including FLACS-Hydrogen and hydrogen testing projects.

HYEX Safety is regularly performing FLACS-CFD studies using techniques to extend functionality beyond the official capabilities of FLACS or utilizing existing but less known functions useful for hydrogen studies. Examples include the simulation of vapour cloud detonations, improved blast wave predictions, high-pressure tank burst assessments, liquid hydrogen vapour dispersion and better methods for received explosion load predictions. While detonation modelling is useful for catastrophic incidents involving LPG-vapours or ethylene, it is often essential for hydrogen safety assessments.

Chris Coffey, VP of Gexcon Products, said they were delighted to be working in partnership with HYEX Safety:

“Olav and his team have a phenomenal understanding of FLACS-CFD and as expert users of the tool they maximise its capabilities and beyond. We want to harness that real life expertise and knowledge so we can continually improve and enhance FLACS-CFD for the benefit of all our users. Our memorandum of understanding focuses on hydrogen and hydrogen carriers as the transition towards a low emission society accelerates”, says Coffey.

Olav, who has spoken widely at conferences about the use of hydrogen in maritime applications, said:

Olav Roald Hansen, Founder of HYEX Safety

“Safety and risk studies for hydrogen applications has been our focus for the last few years and our ambition is to help facilitate a safe transition to a hydrogen society.
We have already developed a suite of self-developed consequence screening models for hydrogen projects, giving immediate predictions of outflow rate, dispersion distances, gas accumulation, fire radiation and blast consequences.
Working in collaboration with GEXCON, we hope to help take the capabilities and validity of FLACS-CFD for hydrogen safety to the next level to facilitate the permitting processes for the evolving industry towards authorities, regulators and classification societies.”