TY - JOUR
T1 - A risk-based optimal pressure relief opening design for gas explosions in underground utility tunnels
AU - Xu, Ying
AU - Huang, Yimiao
AU - Li, Jingde
AU - Ma, Guowei
PY - 2021/10
Y1 - 2021/10
N2 - A gas explosion is one of the main hazards of underground utility tunnels (UUTs), and the explosion overpressure can have catastrophic consequences. A pressure relief opening (PRO) can be an effective method of reducing the risk of an explosion. However, most existing UUTs in China are not configurated with a PRO. Therefore, the present study proposes a risk-based PRO design to explore the optimal layout for UUTs. Both dispersion and explosion simulations using Flame ACceleration Simulator (FLACS) were conducted to calculate the maximum overpressures, and then probabilistic studies were applied for risk analysis. The FLACS simulation results show that PROs can significantly reduce the maximum explosion overpressure from 2.23 bar to 1.97 bar. An ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) concept was applied to provide a risk reference for the design of a PRO in UUTs.
AB - A gas explosion is one of the main hazards of underground utility tunnels (UUTs), and the explosion overpressure can have catastrophic consequences. A pressure relief opening (PRO) can be an effective method of reducing the risk of an explosion. However, most existing UUTs in China are not configurated with a PRO. Therefore, the present study proposes a risk-based PRO design to explore the optimal layout for UUTs. Both dispersion and explosion simulations using Flame ACceleration Simulator (FLACS) were conducted to calculate the maximum overpressures, and then probabilistic studies were applied for risk analysis. The FLACS simulation results show that PROs can significantly reduce the maximum explosion overpressure from 2.23 bar to 1.97 bar. An ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) concept was applied to provide a risk reference for the design of a PRO in UUTs.
KW - FLACS
KW - Gas dispersion
KW - Gas explosion
KW - Overpressure
KW - Pressure relief opening
KW - Underground utility tunnel
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85110260519&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tust.2021.104091
DO - 10.1016/j.tust.2021.104091
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85110260519
SN - 0886-7798
VL - 116
JO - Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology
JF - Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology
M1 - 104091
ER -