The effect of the computational grid size on the prediction of a flammable cloud dispersion

Abstract

The consequence analysis is used to define the extent and nature of effects caused by undesired events being of great help when quantifying the damage caused by such events. For the case of leaking of flammable and/or toxic materials, effects are analyzed for explosions, fires and toxicity. Specific models are used to analyze the spills or jets of gas or liquids, gas dispersions, explosions and fires. The central step in the analysis of consequences in such cases is to determine the concentration of the vapor cloud of hazardous substances released into the atmosphere, in space and time . With the computational advances, CFD tools are being used to simulate short and medium scale gas dispersion events, especially in scenarios where there is a complex geometry. However, the accuracy of the simulati on strongly depends on diverse sim ulation parameters, being of particular importance the grid resolution. This study investigates the effects of the computational grid size on the prediction of a cloud dispersion considering both the accuracy and the computational cost. Experimental data is compared with the predict ed values obtained by means of CFD simulation, exploring and discussing the influence of the grid size on cloud concentration the predict ed values. This study contributes to optimize CFD simulation settings concerning grid definition when applied to analyses of consequences in environments with complex geometry.