Validating a Fast Hybrid Method for Modelling Explosions

This paper was produced for the 2019 NAFEMS World Congress in Quebec Canada

Resource Abstract

Software using analytical methods are still the most widely used for consequence analysis involving explosions. The software tool-chain exploCFD is a hybrid method employing theory coupled with CFD and designed to calculate explosion overpressures from gas explosions in industrial facilities. The software can calculate the strength of an explosion, based on key parameters using a validated analytical method, the results are fed as inputs into the CFD software SU2. This easy-to-use combination of software tools is tested against experiments. In this paper, the results from the software tool-chain are compared against the BFETS repeatability experiments to yield an important benchmark of the accuracy of exploCFD. Two validation criteria are investigated. The first is the successful calculation of a maximum pressure within the gas cloud which is achieved analytically. The second is the successful propagation of pressure into the wider domain from the source which is achieved through CFD. In summary the paper here answers the question: How well can this tool-chain composed of an analytical method coupled with 2-D CFD resolve pressure distributions for a real 3D problem? The paper shows that the results are within the variations of the 3D results uncertainty itself.