Simulation analysis of dynamic response of thin-wall cylindrical tank to shock wave

Simulation analysis of dynamic response of thin-wall cylindrical tank to shock wave was made. The software LS-DYNA was used to calculate the contour of pressure and the relationship between overpressure and time resulting from explosion of a tank filled with 50 m3 liquefied petroleum gas. The result was loaded to the thin-wall cylindrical tank located 50 m away. The simulation results indicated that the material located at the bottom of the thin-wall cylindrical tank facing the shock wave yielded before the peak of shock wave overpressure arrived, and the material located at the top of the thin-wall cylindrical tank back from the shock wave reached the yield point at 0.112 ms after the explosion. The top of the thin-wall cylindrical tank facing the shock wave appeared inflection soon after the peak of overpressure arrived. The top of the thin-wall cylindrical tank facing the shock wave began to unload when the transverse displacement reached 10 mm, and the tank became unstable. So, when there is an explosion in the tank area, the thin-wall cylindrical tank is very likely to become structurally unstable and lose structural strength, and it can be disabled under the effect of shock wave, so the thin-wall cylindrical tank is not reliable.