Coupled Leakage-Combustion Evolution Characteristics of Kerosene Storage and Transportation Vessels

To investigate the fire behavior under coupled leakage–combustion conditions in kerosene storage and transportation vessels, small-scale leakage-fire experiments were conducted using anhydrous kerosene tanks. The results show that once the temperature of the leaking kerosene exceeded 193.96 ℃, the outflow underwent flash boiling and coupled combustion, leading to abrupt step increases in tank pressure, thermal radiation, burning noise, burning rate, and flame dimensions—i.e., a sudden escalation of fire hazard. Moreover, the hazard severity increased as the leak diameter decreased or the filling level increased. The thermal response of the leaking tank was simulated in ANSYS Fluent, where the wall heat-flux boundary condition was inferred from a probabilistic distribution of flame impingement over the tank wall. This approach enabled the accurate prediction of kerosene temperature trajectory and the critical onset time of hazard escalation. Further simulations across a wider range of filling levels revealed that the onset time of hazard escalation increased exponentially with the filling level. These findings provide a theoretical basis for emergency response and hazard mitigation of leakage fires involving kerosene tanks, fuel reservoirs, and related storage and transportation vessels.