Coupled Effects of Obstacle Distribution and Blockage Ratio on Flame Propagation and Pressure Rise in Propane–Air Premixed Deflagration

To reveal the mechanisms by which obstacle distribution affects propane–air premixed deflagration under different blockage ratios, large eddy simulation (LES) was employed to investigate flame propagation and pressure rise in a confined duct with four obstacle distributions and four blockage ratios. The coupled effects of obstacle layout and blockage ratio on flame morphology, propagation velocity, vorticity evolution, and pressure rise rate were analyzed. The results show that obstacle distribution significantly changes flame front structures: One-side obstacles produce claw-like flames, center layout obstacles generate tongue-like flames with large vortex regions at low-to-moderate blockage ratios, and both-side or around layout obstacles form mushroom-like flames. At high blockage ratios, around layout obstacles redirect the flow into a high-speed axial jet, leading to the highest flame velocity and maximum pressure rise rate. These findings indicate that the dominant flame acceleration mechanism shifts from vortex-induced flame wrinkling at low-to-moderate blockage ratios to axial-jet-driven flame acceleration at high blockage ratios, providing guidance for obstacle layout optimization and explosion risk mitigation in confined propane–air systems.