Explosion hazard of propane/air mixture in tank under transient high temperature

Abstract

For the safe storage of abandoned liquefied fuel tanks, studying the critical temperature threshold for propane tank explosions under transient high-temperature loading is crucial. Transient high temperatures may cause the combustion of residual combustible gases inside abandoned liquefied gas tanks, leading to casualties and property damage. In this paper, numerical simulation methods are employed to investigate the critical temperature exposure time, temperature propagation process and explosion characteristic parameters of propane tanks (propane volume fraction is 4%) under different transient high-temperature loads. The results suggest that propane ignition is influenced by two factors: thermal decomposition and heat conduction. When the high-temperature intensity is fixed, as the exposure time increases, the ignition starting point of propane inside the tank gradually moves toward the upper corners of the tank's sides. At external wall temperatures of 800 K, 1000 K, 1200 K and 1400 K, as the temperature intensity increases, heat propagates more rapidly through the tank's shell. This shortens the explosion delay time and increases the explosion hazard.