CFD simulation of the explosion of kerosene vapor in a closed vessel
Résumé
The present work is related to the vulnerability of aircraft tanks submitted to a projectile. It aims at proposing a suitable model for the study of kerosene vapors explosions. Based on a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach, a model is developed for the Comsol V3.4 solver in order to represent both the ignition stage and the subsequent flame propagation. Despite its relative simplicity, the model provides satisfactory results for a closed vessel made of a single compartment, in terms of (i) ignition (minimum energy level and lower flammability limit) and (ii) of dynamics (final pressure, combustion duration). Moreover, the expected phenomenology is well reproduced for tanks made of several compartments, as a faster combustion process results from the presence of internal orifices. The impact of ignition on the subsequent explosion is also investigated, highlighting a strong influence of the ignition location. The model illustrates that the pressure evolution is the result of complex geometry effects: in particular, for a tank made of identical compartments, the total volume does not suffice to describe the main trends concerning the mechanical effects of explosion.