Suppression effects of energy-absorbing materials on natural gas explosion in utility tunnels

Jiaojiao Cao, Jiansong Wu, Yimeng Zhao, Jitao Cai, Yiping Bai and Lei Pang

Energy, 2023, vol. 281, issue C

Abstract: The energy-absorbing material of metal foam have enormous potential in mitigating the consequences of natural gas explosion disaster in urban utility tunnels. When double-layer metal foam with different pore structures of first larger pores and then smaller pores (LP-SP model), the suppression efficiency of explosion overpressure can reach more than 60% and is 2–3 times that of first smaller pores and then larger pores (SP-LP model), and the error between that and that of the same thickness all with smaller pore structure is only 0.86%. Similarly, the metal foams with the LP-SP model can block the explosion flame propagation chain entirely, while reversing the combination order weakens the suppression effect on the explosion flame. Two suppression mechanisms of double-layer metal foam, including the Sudden Shrinkage Effect (SSE) of the LP-SP model and the Amplification Effect (AE) of the SP-LP model. The metal foam barrier device based on SSE is designed for utility tunnels, which can take effect within 0.1 s under electromagnetic force and gravity. This study can provide scientific theoretical support for designing gas explosion suppression measures in utility tunnels.

Keywords: Energy-absorbing material; Metal foam; Gas explosion; Explosion suppression; Utility tunnel (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:281:y:2023:i:c:s0360544223016560

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2023.128262

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