Coupling relation between air shockwave and high-temperature flow from explosion of methane in air

After a methane-in-air explosion in a coal mine tunnel, a secondary explosion of coal dust is prone to happen. The shockwave in the gas explosion produces a coal dust suspension, and the peak temperature band may detonate that suspension. This secondary detonation depends on the space-time relation between the shockwave and the peak temperature band. This paper presents a methodology to estimate the coupling relation between the air shockwave and high-temperature flow from the explosion of methane in air. The commercial software package AutoReaGas was used to carry out the numerical simulation for the explosion processes of methane in air in the tunnel. Based on the numerical simulation and its analysis, the coupling relation between the leading shock wave and high-temperature flow was demonstrated for a methane-in-air explosion in a tunnel. In the near field of the ignition point, the deflagration wave transmits energy by heat, and the temperature load is in the front of the pressure wave. With development of deflagration and deflagration-to-detonation transition, the corresponding mechanism of energy transmission is changed from heat conduction to shock compression, and a precursor pressure wave is formed gradually. The time interval between the precursor pressure wave and high-temperature flow behind the wave increases with distance. Attenuation of the precursor shock wave and high-temperature flow depends on the length of the methane-in-air space in a tunnel. Beyond the methane-in-air space, the quantitative relation of the time interval between the precursor shock wave and high-temperature flow with axial distance from ignition and the length of methane-in-air space was proposed.