A failure model of atmospheric tanks subjected to the coupling effect of thermal radiation and blast wave

“Fire-fire”, “fire-explosion”, “explosion-explosion”, and “explosion-fire” are the four main forms of coupling effect in the domino accidents. The interplay between thermal radiation and blast waves (CETB) plays a significant role in domino accidents occurring within atmospheric storage tank zones. In this study, which is based on the statistics of domino accidents, it is evident that when the initial accident is a fire, 68.3% of the subsequent primary accident chain is characterized by a "fire-explosion" sequence. An accident scenario incorporating the CETB in atmospheric storage tank regions has been constructed. To analyze the flame temperature of the pool-fire, the flame dynamics simulator (FDS) is employed. The obtained data is incorporated in a finited element model, allowing for the numerical simulation of this specific scenario. Using Abaqus software, a field model for the CETB is constructed. This process enables a detailed simulation of the coupling effects within the system.The critical value of overpressure beneath the tensile limit strength is investigated in the coupled field across various tank temperatures. When exposed to identical thermal radiation, the tank's volume has little effect on wall temperature. The maximum temperature variation among different tank sizes remains within 10%.In the CEBT failure model, tanks with larger height-to-diameter ratio (H/D) exhibit better heat resistance under thermal radiation, while those with smaller H/D possess more stable blast resistance. This research offers foundational insights for enhancing the safety design of storage tanks and improving risk assessment strategies.