Journal of Loss Prevention in The Process Industries, Vol.26, No.2, 329-337, 2013
Numerical investigation for pressure mitigation effects of dike on blast wave
The three-dimensional and two-dimensional axisymmetric fluid dynamics simulations were carried out to clarify the blast pressure mitigating effects of dike's configuration in hemispherical explosion. The simulated peak overpressure on the ground under the hemispherical explosion was compared with the empirical formula by Kingery, and the simulated data were validated. In the analysis, the simplification techniques for the numerical simulation were employed under the following two assumptions. The pressure distribution behind the wide dike was estimated using the axisymmetric flowfield, and the back step model was applied under the small condition for theta, the angle formed by the ground and the line between the explosion core and the dike front corner. From the simulated results, it is clarified that the large theta provided the great reduction of the blast wave pressure at faraway position. In the small theta condition, the conditions of the dike end position and the dike height were significant parameters determining the magnitude of pressure reduction and mitigated area. The pressure reduction at the dike end and mitigated area were predicted numerically, and related to the dike conditions. (c) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.