管道结构对氢/空预混气体爆炸特性影响研究*

为研究管道结构对氢-空预混气体爆炸特性影响,采用实验与数值模拟相结合的方法,分析不同管道结构内氢-空预混气体燃爆时火焰传播进程、爆炸压力、湍流动能变化及流场分布。结果表明:90°弯管对氢-空预混气体爆炸强度增强作用明显高于T型分岔管和直管。火焰阵面在结构突变处褶皱变形较明显,并出现大尺度强湍流和涡团,气团脉动速度与湍流燃烧速率不断增大,氢-空预混气体质量扩散速率与热量扩散速率增大,湍流动能呈迅速上升趋势。     

Numerical simulation of flame propagation and localized preflame autoignition in enclosures

A novel computational approach based on the coupled 3D Flame-Tracking–Particle (FTP) method is used for numerical simulation of confined explosions caused by preflame autoignition. The Flame-Tracking (FT) technique implies continuous tracing of the mean flame surface and application of the laminar/turbulent flame velocity concepts. The Particle method is based on the joint velocity–scalar probability density function approach for simulating reactive mixture autoignition in the preflame zone. The coupled algorithm is supplemented with the database of tabulated laminar flame velocities as well as with reaction rates of hydrocarbon fuel oxidation in wide ranges of initial temperature, pressure, and equivalence ratio. The main advantage of the FTP method is that it covers both possible modes of premixed combustion, namely, frontal and volumetric. As examples, combustion of premixed hydrogen–air, propane–air, and n-heptane–air mixtures in enclosures of different geometry is considered. At certain conditions, volumetric hot spots ahead of the propagating flame are identified. These hot spots transform to localized exothermic centers giving birth to spontaneous ignition waves traversing the preflame zone at very high apparent velocities, i.e., nearly homogeneous preflame explosion occurs. The abrupt pressure rise results in the formation of shock waves producing high overpressure peaks after reflections from enclosure walls.     

多分支管道油气爆炸特性大涡模拟

为了研究油库常见的分支结构空间内发生油气爆炸时火焰和压力的传播特性,建立了基于WALE湍流模型及Zimont预混火焰模型的油气爆炸模型;模拟了6种不同分支管道结构空间内汽油/空气混合物爆炸发生发展过程;研究了分支管道数量及相对设置位置对爆炸超压的影响规律,以及分支管道对火焰传播形态和速度的影响规律;模拟结果与前人相关实验规律进行对比。研究结果表明:分支管道对汽油/空气混合气预混爆炸具有明显的强化激励作用;火焰锋面传播经过分支管道时,经历规则—褶皱—规则的变化过程;主管道内火焰传播速度,在分支管道对流场的突扩作用和湍流作用的共同影响下呈震荡变化的规律。     

Combined effects of initial pressure and turbulence on explosions of hydrogen-enriched methane/air mixtures

Hydrogen-enrichment has been proposed as a useful method to overcome drawbacks (local flame extinction, combustion instabilities, lower power output, etc.) associated to turbulent premixed combustion of natural gas in both stationary and mobile systems. For the safe use of hydrogen-enriched hydrocarbon fuels, explosion data are needed.In this work, a comparative experimental study of the explosion behavior of stoichiometric hydrogen-enriched methane/air (with 10% of hydrogen molar content in the fuel) and pure methane/air mixtures is presented. Tests were carried out in a 5 l closed cylindrical vessel at different initial pressures (1, 3 and 6 bar), and starting from both quiescent and turbulent conditions.Results allow quantifying the combined effects of hydrogen substitution to methane, pressure and turbulence on maximum pressure, maximum rate of pressure rise, burning velocity and Markstein lengths.     

多孔球形材料阻火抑爆性能影响因素数值模拟研究

为探究影响多孔球形材料阻火抑爆性能的主要因素,采用气体爆炸模拟软件FLACS建立多孔球形结构中湍流燃烧模型,对填充多孔球形材料后丙烷/空气预混气体燃烧爆炸过程进行数值模拟。研究结果表明:多孔球形材料能够有效衰减爆燃压力波、阻隔火焰传播,起到阻火抑爆作用,且压力波衰减程度和火焰阻隔效果与多孔球形材料的尺寸、孔径及填充密度密切相关。当多孔球形材料的直径为25 mm、孔径为3 mm、填充密度为20层时,压力波衰减程度最大,火焰阻隔效果最明显,说明直径和孔径越小,填充密度越大,材料的阻火抑爆性能越强。     

大型相连容器中火焰传播的研究

为了进一步了解相连装置中粉尘爆炸的火焰传播行为和压力发展,为该结构的安全防护设计提供有价值的信息,采用大型实验装置对相连容器中玉米淀粉/空气混合物爆炸时的火焰传播行为进行了实验研究,同时采用已开发的数值模型对实验进行仿真计算。实验表明:粉尘浓度的变化对粉尘爆炸的火焰传播行为有重要影响;在粉尘浓度很低的情况下,火焰仍然能够在管道中加速传播且爆炸发展的最终结果相当猛烈。数值模型采用欧拉-拉格朗日方法模拟两相流现象,通过求解非稳态的湍流两相反应流守恒方程对实验进行二维仿真,计算结果与实验结果符合性较好,表明该模型可以很好地应用于粉尘爆炸火焰传播的研究。     

A new phenomenological model of gas explosion based on characteristics of flame surface

This paper presents a new model of explosion propagation in a closed vessel. The foundation of the formulation is a sub-model of turbulent burning velocity based on the assumption that the burning velocity of a turbulent wrinkled flame can be determined from the flame surface. In addition, model development includes simple sub-models of heat transfer and free convection. In order to verify the physics, the model was utilized to simulate the explosion of a methane–air mixture in two different test vessels. The results obtained by use of this new model were compared with results obtained by use of the classical model. While the simulations showed that both are accurate, the new model presented in this paper (called “flame surface model” for simplicity) is more flexible and can easily accommodate sub-models of different phenomena that can play an important role in fuel–air explosions.     

LES – DFSD modelling of vented hydrogen explosions in a small-scale combustion chamber

Accidental explosions are a plausible danger to the chemical process industries. In the event of a gas explosion, any obstacles placed within the path of the flame generate turbulence, which accelerates the transient flame and raises explosion overpressure, posing a safety hazard. This paper presents numerical studies using an in-house computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for lean premixed hydrogen/air flame propagations with an equivalence ratio of 0.7. A laboratory-scale combustion chamber is used with repeated solid obstacles. The transient compressible large eddy simulation (LES) modelling technique combined with a dynamic flame surface density (DFSD) combustion model is used to carry out the numerical simulations in three-dimensional space. The study presented uses eight different baffle configurations with two solid obstructions, which have area blockage ratios of 0.24 and 0.5. The flame speed, maximum rate of pressure-rise as well as peak overpressure magnitude and timing are presented and discussed. Numerical results are validated against available published experimental data. It is concluded that, increasing the solid obstacle area blockage ratio and the number of consecutive baffles results in a raised maximum rate of pressure rise, higher peak explosion overpressure and faster flame propagation. Future model development would require more experimental data, probably in a more congested configuration.     

Investigation of the properties of the accidental release and explosion of liquefied dimethyl ether at a filling station

Dimethyl ether (DME) has been focused as a substitute for diesel fuel, and a number of studies have investigated engines fueled with DME because DME has a low auto-ignition temperature and does not generate particulate matter (PM). Therefore, in the last few years, the construction of DME filling stations for trucks in Japan has been planned. The introduction of DME vehicles requires expansion of DME supply stations, which in turn requires the collection of safety data and the establishment of safety regulations. The present paper describes an experimental investigation of the hypothetical scenario in which liquid DME is accidentally released and an explosion occurs. In the present study, large-scale leakage and ignition of DME were investigated and flame propagation data was obtained. We also measured the overpressure of the blast wave and the heat flux from the fireball. When the ignition position is near the nozzle, the flame propagation velocity is higher. The overpressure from the DME fireball is stronger than that from DME/air mixture deflagration. In summary, these results provide safety data for safety management of DME filling stations.     

Effects of premixed methane concentration on distribution of flame region and hazard effects in a tube and a tunnel gas explosion

Study of flame distribution laws and the hazard effects in a tunnel gas explosion accident is of great importance for safety issue. However, it has not yet been fully explored. The object of present work is mainly to study the effects of premixed gas concentration on the distribution law of the flame region and the hazard effects involving methane-air explosion in a tube and a tunnel based on experimental and numerical results. The experiments were conducted in a tube with one end closed and the other open. The tube was partially filled with premixed methane-air mixture with six different premixed methane concentrations. Major simulation works were performed in a full-scale tunnel with a length of 1000 m. The first 56 m of the tunnel were occupied by methane–air mixture. Results show that the flame region is always longer than the original gas region in any case. Concentration has significant effects on the flame region distribution and the explosion behaviors. In the tube, peak overpressures and maximum rates of overpressure rise (dp/dt)_max for mixtures with lower and higher concentrations are great lower than that for mixtures close to stoichiometric concentration. Due to the gas diffusion effect, not the stoichiometric mixture but the mixture with a slightly higher concentration of 11% gets the highest peak overpressure and the shock wave speed along the tube. In the full-scale tunnel, for fuel lean and stoichiometric mixture, the maximum peak combustion rates is achieved before arriving at the boundary of the original methane accumulation region, while for fuel rich mixture, the maximum value appears beyond the region. It is also found that the flame region for the case of stoichiometric mixture is the shortest as 72 m since the higher explosion intensity shortens the gas diffusion time. The case for concentration of 13% can reach up to a longest value of 128 m for longer diffusion time and the abundant fuel. The “serious injury and death” zone caused by shock wave may reach up to 3–8 times of the length of the original methane occupied region, which is the widest damage region.     

A numerical method to predict flame fractal dimension during gas explosion

Accurate prediction of the flame propagation velocity during a gas explosion is essential to assess its consequences and to evaluate the risk level. The propagating premixed flame is self-turbulized due to the hydrodynamic instability, resulting in a fractal flame structure. It is therefore important for accurate prediction of flame speed to understand the flame’s fractal structure in detail and to predict its fractal dimension in particular. Numerical simulations of spherically-propagating flames have been previously attempted for such purposes. There are, however, difficulties to accurately predict the fractal dimension from the result of the numerical simulation of a spherically-propagating flame. In this study, we propose a method to easily predict the fractal dimension based on the numerical simulation of a planar flame. Planar flame propagation is simulated for different sizes of computational domain. The fractal dimension can be determined from the dependence of flame speed on computational domain size. The determined fractal dimension is favorably compared with previous experimental results.     

A constant pressure dust explosion experiment

A new apparatus has been designed for investigating flame propagation in turbulent dust clouds at near constant pressure conditions. The experimental approach is inspired by the classical soap bubble method for measuring burning velocities in gaseous mixtures. Combustible dust is dispersed with pressurised air to form an explosive mixture inside a transparent latex balloon. After a certain delay time, the turbulent dust cloud is ignited by a 40 J chemical igniter. A digital high-speed video camera records the propagating flame and the expansion of the balloon. Experiments were performed with two types of dust, Lycopódium spores and maize starch, as well as with propane–air mixtures under initially quiescent or turbulent conditions. Although the results are primarily qualitative in nature, they nevertheless demonstrate fundamental differences between premixed combustion of gaseous mixtures, and ‘premixed combustion with non-premixed substructures' in mechanical suspensions of solid particles dispersed in air. The discussion highlights some fundamental challenges for future dust explosion research.     

Numerical simulation of premixed methane–air deflagration in a semi-confined obstructed chamber

In this paper, large eddy simulation coupled with a turbulent flame speed cloure (TFC) subgrid combustion model has been utilized to simulate premixed methane–air deflagration in a semi-confined chamber with three obstacles mounted inside.The computational results are in good agreement with published experimental data, including flame structures, pressure time history and flame speed. The attention is focused on the flame flow field interaction, pressure dynamics, as well as the mechanism of obstacle-induced deflagration. It is found that there is a positive feedback mechanism established between the flame propagation and the flow field. The pressure time history can be divided into four stages and the pseudo-combustion concept is proposed to explain the pressure oscillation phenomenon. The obstacle-induction mechanism includes direct effect and indirect effect, but do not always occur at the same time.     

长径比对管道油气爆炸特性与火焰传播规律影响研究*

为了探究长径比对油气爆炸传播特性与火焰传播规律的影响，为复杂管道受限空间油气爆炸防控提供理论参考，结合油气爆炸与爆炸抑制工程实际需要，构建不同长径比管道油气爆炸模拟实验系统,在此基础上开展不同初始浓度的预混油气-空气混合气爆炸实验。研究结果表明:管道内部的预混油气爆炸超压信号呈先上升后下降的趋势，由于耗散以及憋压效应导致超压下降平稳后仍大于初始压力；同时长径比增加会导致达到最大爆炸超压的油气浓度增加，油气爆炸超压峰值随着长径比的增加呈现上升→下降→上升的规律，小长径比管道的油气爆炸超压峰值高于大长径比管道，但同为小长径比管道或大长径比管道工况的实验结果对比显示爆炸超压峰值随着长径比增加而提升；而超压上升速率则会随着长径比的增加而上升；长径比的增加同时也会促进火焰的加速传播并减小火焰持续时间。     

Nonlinear distribution characteristics of flame regions from methane–air explosions in coal tunnels

High temperature flame fronts generated in methane–air explosions are one of the major hazards in underground coal mines. However, the distribution laws of the flame region in explosions of this type and the factors influencing such explosions have rarely been studied. In this work, the commercial software package AutoReaGas, a finite-volume computational code for fluid dynamics suitable for gas explosion and blast problems, was used to carry out numerical simulations of a series of methane–air explosion processes for various initial premixed methane–air regions and cross-sectional areas in full-scale coal tunnels. Based on the simulated results and related experiments, the mechanism of flame propagation beyond the initial premixed methane–air region and the main factors influencing the flame region were analyzed. The precursor shock wave and turbulence disturb the initial unburned methane–air mixture and the pure air in front of the flame. The pure air and unburned mixture subsequently move backward along the axial direction and mix partially. The enlargement of the region containing methane induces that the range of the methane–air flame greatly exceeds the initial premixed methane–air region. The flame speed beyond the initial region is nonzero but appreciably lower than that in the original premixed methane–air region. The length of the initial premixed methane–air region has substantial influence on the size of the flame region, with the latter increasing exponentially as the former increases. For realistic coal tunnels, the cross-sectional tunnel area is not an important influencing factor in the flame region. These conclusions provide a theoretical framework in which to analyze accident causes and effectively mitigate loss arising from the repetition of similar accidents.     

Large eddy simulation and experimental study of the effect of wire mesh on flame behaviours of methane/air explosions in a semi-confined pipe

Preventing the propagation of flames in a pipeline is an effective measure for avoiding gas explosion accidents and reducing losses. To evaluate the effect of wire mesh, acting as a porous media, experimental and simulation studies are conducted to determine the influence of the wire mesh on the dynamics of premixed methane/air flame propagation in a semi-closed pipe. Four different kinds of wire mesh with different numbers of layers are chosen in the experiments and simulation, and the mechanism of wire mesh quenching of the flame is investigated. The experimental and simulation results are consistent. Flames are quenched when 4 layers of 40-mesh or 3 layers of 60-mesh wire mesh are used; however, once the flame propagates through the wire mesh, the risk of methane combustion may increase. The wire mesh becomes the key factor causing flame folds and acceleration, and the greater the number of layers or the larger the mesh size is, the more obvious the folds after the flame passes through the wire mesh. Moreover, the combination of heat absorption and disruption of the continuous flame surface by the mesh causes flame quenching. Wire mesh can effectively attenuate the flame temperature during premixed flame propagation in a pipe, and the attenuated maximum rate reaches approximately 79% in the case of adding 3 layers of 60-mesh wire mesh.     

初始温度和压力对排污空间甲烷-空气混合物爆燃特性影响的模拟研究

市政排污空间作为城市公共基础设施的重要组成部分，易积聚可燃气体形成爆炸性环境。结合排污空间的特殊环境条件，采用Fluidyn-MP多物理场数值模拟软件，建立了20 L球形爆炸罐分析模型，通过改变初始温度和初始压力，对排污空间甲烷-空气混合物爆燃特性及其变化规律进行模拟研究。结果表明:初始温度升高导致甲烷-空气混合物最大爆炸压力降低，缩短了到达最大爆炸压力的时间；初始压力增加导致最大爆炸压力急剧升高，并延长了到达最大爆炸压力的时间；最大爆炸压力对初始压力的敏感程度远大于初始温度的影响。此外，随着初始温度和初始压力的升高，爆炸火焰平均传播速度增加，而火焰传播速度对初始温度较敏感。     

Flamelet surface density modelling of turbulent deflagrating flames in vented explosions

The performance of two reaction rate models based on the laminar flamelet concept have been examined by calculating the behaviour of turbulent flame deflagration inside a semi-confined explosion tube. The models formulate the mean rate of reaction as a function of a transport equation for the flamelet surface density. The difference in the models is in modelling the source/sink terms of the flamelet surface density transport equation. The models are validated using laser diagnostics of flame deflagration in methane–air flammable mixture. The predictions are compared with experimental results for propagation, pressure history and flame speed. Sensitivity to cross-flow effects are investigated through comparison between two- and three-dimensional calculations. The numerically simulated results show that experimental trends are well reproduced by both models.     

丙烷/空气拉伸火焰传播稳定性实验研究

为了揭示空气中丙烷火焰传播特性,利用纹影系统记录了预混气体小能量点火条件下火焰形成与传播过程,得到了火焰表面的微观结构特征,分析了混合气体火焰的稳定性及其影响因素。结果表明:丙烷/空气混合物火焰发展过程及其表面微观特征与浓度直接相关;当混合物浓度接近爆炸上下限时,火焰扩展速率整体不大于0.5 m/s,燃烧区域向上漂浮,浮力成为影响火焰失稳的主导因素;当混合物浓度靠理论配比时,火焰呈规则球形扩展,火焰稳定性按照先减弱后增强的趋势发展,火焰表面褶皱的形成及演化规律是热扩散不稳定性和流体力学不稳定性共存与竞争的作用结果。