Validation of the rhoCentralFoam Solver for Predicting Loads on Fuel Storage Tanks from Explosions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70567/mc.v42.ocsid8336Keywords:
blast wave, explosion, OpenFOAM, storage tankAbstract
This study validates the use of the Kurganov-Noelle-Petrova (KNP) numerical scheme in OpenFOAM’s rhoCentralFoam solver for simulating blast waves and their interaction with fuel storage tanks. The model uses a simplified approach based on the instantaneous release of energy from spherical or cylindrical geometries, ignoring chemical reactions and modeling only air. This simplification offers major computational advantages by reducing numerical complexity while maintaining accuracy in key shock wave parameters. Validation was performed by comparing results against analytical solutions (Sedov theory), empirical guidelines, and experimental data. The results show the scheme accurately captures overpressures (error <10 %), arrival times (error <5 %), and complex phenomena like Mach reflections. The study confirms the KNP method is a robust and reliable tool for risk analysis and safety evaluations in industrial facilities, highlighting the crucial importance of three-dimensional effects for improving protection standards.
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