Numerical simulation of medium to large scale BLEVE and the prediction of BLEVE’s blast wave in obstructed environment

Abstract

After the numerical study of medium-to-large-scale Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion’s (BLEVE) in open space (Li and Hao, 2020), this second article focuses on the investigation of the interaction of blast wave with structures in obstructed environment. Currently, pressurized tanks are commonly used as the storage vessels in the oil and gas industry. Pressurized tanks contain high-energy liquid/vapour which, if accidentally released, originates a BLEVE. Although there are already a series of approaches available in literature to estimate blast waves generated from these pressurized tanks, most of these approaches are suitable to predict blast load in the open space only. In this paper, the authors intend to utilize their previously validated numerical approach to predict BLEVE’s peak pressure in different obstructed environments. By carrying out over 200 different simulations of BLEVE, the separation distance effect, obstacle geometry effect and BLEVE’s scale effect on blast wave generation and propagation are studied. A number of simulation-based correlations for pressure prediction are proposed. The Bologna BLEVE that occurred in 2018 is further modelled to investigate the accuracy of the proposed correlations in predicting the peak pressure in the event. The outcome of this study can be used to predict explosion loads for better assessment of their effects on structures.