The Influence of Ventilation Conditions on LPG Leak Dispersion in a Commercial Kitchen

With the extensive use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the catering industry, leakage explosions have become frequent. This study employs numerical simulations to investigate the diffusion patterns of LPG leakage under various ventilation conditions. The results show that there is a logarithmic...

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Main Authors: Xiongjun Yuan, Xue Li, Yanxia Zhang, Ning Zhou, Bing Chen, Yiting Liang, Chunhai Yang, Weiqiu Huang, Chengye Sun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Energies
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/11/2678
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author Xiongjun Yuan
Xue Li
Yanxia Zhang
Ning Zhou
Bing Chen
Yiting Liang
Chunhai Yang
Weiqiu Huang
Chengye Sun
author_facet Xiongjun Yuan
Xue Li
Yanxia Zhang
Ning Zhou
Bing Chen
Yiting Liang
Chunhai Yang
Weiqiu Huang
Chengye Sun
author_sort Xiongjun Yuan
collection DOAJ
description With the extensive use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the catering industry, leakage explosions have become frequent. This study employs numerical simulations to investigate the diffusion patterns of LPG leakage under various ventilation conditions. The results show that there is a logarithmic relationship between the wind speed and the volume of a propane gas cloud under natural ventilation. In the wind speed ranges of 1.5 to 3.3 m/s and 7.9 to 10.7 m/s, a small increase in wind speed leads to a significant reduction in gas cloud volume (97.2% and 95.05%, respectively). Under forced ventilation, the volume of the gas cloud decreases by 90.6%, from 6.67 m<sup>3</sup> at higher air exchange rates (22.1 and 24.3 times/h), reducing explosion risks. When leakage occurs at the stove, the optimal combination for dispersing the propane combustible gas cloud is window opening at position 1 and fan at position a. The volume of the gas cloud at window position 1 increases exponentially with the distance between the fan and the leak source. The fan is installed within 2.786 m from the leak source to ensure that the gas cloud volume remains below 0.5 m<sup>3</sup>. These findings provide valuable insights for the design and the optimization of ventilation systems and layouts in commercial kitchens.
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spelling doaj-art-6bfde5d588b74c8787af2ab51d75bc6c2025-08-20T02:23:44ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-05-011811267810.3390/en18112678The Influence of Ventilation Conditions on LPG Leak Dispersion in a Commercial KitchenXiongjun Yuan0Xue Li1Yanxia Zhang2Ning Zhou3Bing Chen4Yiting Liang5Chunhai Yang6Weiqiu Huang7Chengye Sun8College of Safety Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, ChinaSchool of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, ChinaSchool of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, ChinaSchool of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, ChinaInstitute of Industrial Safety, China Academy of Safety Science and Technology, Beijing 100012, ChinaSchool of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, ChinaSchool of Materials Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, Suzhou 215500, ChinaSchool of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, ChinaZhenjiang East China Safety Science Research Institute Limited Liability Company, Zhenjiang 212000, ChinaWith the extensive use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the catering industry, leakage explosions have become frequent. This study employs numerical simulations to investigate the diffusion patterns of LPG leakage under various ventilation conditions. The results show that there is a logarithmic relationship between the wind speed and the volume of a propane gas cloud under natural ventilation. In the wind speed ranges of 1.5 to 3.3 m/s and 7.9 to 10.7 m/s, a small increase in wind speed leads to a significant reduction in gas cloud volume (97.2% and 95.05%, respectively). Under forced ventilation, the volume of the gas cloud decreases by 90.6%, from 6.67 m<sup>3</sup> at higher air exchange rates (22.1 and 24.3 times/h), reducing explosion risks. When leakage occurs at the stove, the optimal combination for dispersing the propane combustible gas cloud is window opening at position 1 and fan at position a. The volume of the gas cloud at window position 1 increases exponentially with the distance between the fan and the leak source. The fan is installed within 2.786 m from the leak source to ensure that the gas cloud volume remains below 0.5 m<sup>3</sup>. These findings provide valuable insights for the design and the optimization of ventilation systems and layouts in commercial kitchens.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/11/2678LPG leakageconfined spacenatural ventilationforced ventilation
spellingShingle Xiongjun Yuan
Xue Li
Yanxia Zhang
Ning Zhou
Bing Chen
Yiting Liang
Chunhai Yang
Weiqiu Huang
Chengye Sun
The Influence of Ventilation Conditions on LPG Leak Dispersion in a Commercial Kitchen
Energies
LPG leakage
confined space
natural ventilation
forced ventilation
title The Influence of Ventilation Conditions on LPG Leak Dispersion in a Commercial Kitchen
title_full The Influence of Ventilation Conditions on LPG Leak Dispersion in a Commercial Kitchen
title_fullStr The Influence of Ventilation Conditions on LPG Leak Dispersion in a Commercial Kitchen
title_full_unstemmed The Influence of Ventilation Conditions on LPG Leak Dispersion in a Commercial Kitchen
title_short The Influence of Ventilation Conditions on LPG Leak Dispersion in a Commercial Kitchen
title_sort influence of ventilation conditions on lpg leak dispersion in a commercial kitchen
topic LPG leakage
confined space
natural ventilation
forced ventilation
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/11/2678
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