Modeling of maize starch explosions in a 12 m3 silo

Abstract

This paper presents a 2-dimensional numerical model of Eulerian–Lagrangian multi-phase combustion flow to predict maize starch explosions in a 12 m3 silo. The flow field after ignition, flame propagation velocity and pressure development histories etc. during the explosion, are calculated. The data of non-uniform initial conditions including dust concentration, flow velocity and turbulent RMS velocity in the silo for this model are adopted from Hauert, Vogl and Radandt (1994) [Hauert, F., Vogl, A., Radandt, S. (1994). Measurement of turbulence and dust concentration in silos and vessels. 6th international colloquium on dust explosions (pp. 71–80), Shenyang, China, August 28–September 2, 1994.]. A simple concept of dust granule taking into consideration dust dispersion efficiency is proposed and introduced. The Lagrangian method is used to trace trajectories and granules, so it is easier to consider particle size distribution. The k−ε model is used to simulate the turbulence of the gas phase, and the particle's pulsation is modeled by random vector wind generated by the surrounding gas. In the combustion model, vaporization of water, volatilization of volatile, gas phase reaction and the particle's surface reaction are taken into account.