Coupling effect of multiple factors on the crater size of physical explosion in high-pressure natural pipelines.

• A physical explosion model for high-pressure natural gas pipelines is established. • The shape of the physical explosion crater in the pipeline is an ellipsoid. • The deeper the burial depth is, the smaller the crater size is. • The crater size is linearly related to the pipe diameter. • The equation for the crater size is fitted. he physical explosion of high-pressure natural gas pipelines causes craters and shock waves, which pose a serious threat to the people and buildings in the surrounding area. This study utilized HyperMesh and LS-DYNA software to establish a physical explosion model for high-pressure natural gas pipelines. The physical explosion processes for pipe diameters of 813, 1016, 1219, and 1422 mm under six burial depths and three soil conditions were calculated. Based on the simulation results, the equations for the variation in crater size were fitted, and the curves of the relationships between crater size and influencing factors were fitted to analyze the coupling effect of multiple factors on the crater size variation. The results showed that the crater size was positively correlated with the pipe diameter. As the diameter of the pipe increased, the length, width, and depth of the crater increased by 64.2, 53.8, and 32.1 %, respectively. The larger the burial depth was, the smaller the crater length and width were. However, the crater depth first increased and then decreased as the burial depth increased. The crater depth was the highest at a burial depth of 3 m. These findings can provide a reference for the design and safety evaluation of high-pressure natural-gas pipelines in high-consequence areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]