Graduation Semester and Year

2019

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

First Advisor

Frank Lu

Abstract

A numerical study of detonation propagation and interaction with a flame arrestor product in a combustible gas/vapor transport pipeline system is conducted. The flame arrestor element is modeled as a porous medium using the Forchheimer equation, which is incorporated in the governing conservation equations as a momentum sink. The Forchheimer porous medium model is then used to model the flow through a representative four-inch detonation flame arrestor and is validated with experimental data. The detonation propagation simulation is modeled with the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations extended for reacting flow. A 21-step chemical kinetic mechanism with 10 species is used to resolve the hydrogen-oxygen combustion. A series of detonation propagation case studies is conducted to validate the numerical model. The detonation propagation numerical result is qualitatively compared to experimental data and is shown to have the same trend. Numerical simulation is used to predict the transmission or interruption of detonation wave propagation through the flame arrestor product and is confirmed with historical test data.

Keywords

Flame arrestor, Detonation, Porous media

Disciplines

Aerospace Engineering | Engineering | Mechanical Engineering

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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