CFD simulation on gas explosion field in linked vessels

Compared with a single vessel or pipe, gas explosion which happens in linked vessels often causes high pressure and high rate of pressure rise which are intolerable by most industrial equipment. The increment of gas explosion strength in linked vessels is related with the state of gas flow and turbulent combustion. In order to reveal the mechanism of higher gas explosion strength and characteristics of flame and pressure transmission in linked vessels, the characteristics of gas explosion field must be found out. In this paper, the changes of temperature, pressure, velocity, density and reaction rate with time were obtained by CFD (computation fluid dynamics) investigation of the gas explosion field in linked vessels with the software FLUENT. The results could describe clearly the whole process of gas explosion. The results also suggested that the compression and turbulence of unburned gas caused by flow and combustion of gas mixture and the jet fire induced by turbulent flow played a significant role in the enhancement of gas explosion strength in linked vessels. The pipe which connected the vessels had great effect on the development of turbulent flow and jet fire.