An experimental and numerical study of the blast created by BLEVE of superheated water contained in a pipe

Abstract

The blast created by a BLEVE is still a point of discussion; different considerations about the physics of BLEVE do not agree on the influence of flashing liquid on the pressure wave. In this work, a series of water BLEVE experiments was carried out in order to measure the internal pressure change and the aerial overpressure close to the vessel. Water was superheated at 290°C and contained in a tubular pipe with a rupture disk. Data show two aerial pressure peaks; and show that pressure in the vessel remains quite constant during boiling. This could contribute to a piston effect entailing a pressure wave. However, experimental data doesn’t demonstrate that this boiling plateau creates an overpressure. CFD modelling of the vapour release fits remarkably well with the overpressure data of the first peak. The second peak is not correctly represented by the vapour expansion modelling.