Methods for estimating fragment hazard in gas explosion

Zheng Lian; Qi Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.120989

Methods for estimating fragment hazard in gas explosion

J Hazard Mater. 2020 Jan 5:381:120989. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.120989. Epub 2019 Aug 9.

Authors

Zheng Lian¹, Qi Zhang²

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Explosion Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Explosion Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: qzhang@bit.edu.cn.

PMID: 31421552
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.120989

Abstract

Fragmention is a principal factor for casualties in an indoor fuel gas explosion. This paper presents a predictive method for the spatial distribution of hazardous fragments and areas. The motion parameters of fragments in indoor explosions were obtained by a combination of fluid and structural dynamic analysis. Then the spatial distribution of falling points was obtained by solving the motion equation of fragments. Indoor obstacle is an important factor affecting the hazard of indoor explosions. In the case of a vented brick room measuring 4.6 m × 4.6 m × 3 m, with the ratio of obstacle volume to gas volume increasing from 0.24 to 0.36, the maximum launch distance increased from 6.18 m to 18.78 m, expanded to 3.04 times. The fragment hazards in indoor explosions of methane, hydrogen and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) with the same condition were compared. The hazard distance of hydrogen explosion is the largest, which is 3.11 times as wide as that of methane.

Keywords: Fragment hazard; Fuel gas; Hazardous areas; Indoor explosion; Spatial distribution.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't