This study investigated the suppression effects and mechanisms of fine water mist on methane/air explosions through large-scale roadway experiments and numerical simulations. Experiments showed that fine water mist curtains deployed at 40 m and 70 m effectively mitigate flame propagation and reduce overpressure. A coupled gas–liquid numerical model was developed to reproduce flame dynamics and droplet–flow interactions. The simulations revealed droplet breakup, transport, and coupling with the evolving explosion flow field, providing mechanistic insight into gas–liquid interactions in a confined roadway. Suppression by fine water mist is primarily driven by heat absorption and cooling, while radical chain interruption plays a secondary role. These coupled mechanisms significantly reduce flame propagation velocity and pressure rise rate, achieving complete suppression under optimized configurations. This study provides a solid foundation for the design and optimization of water mist explosion suppression systems in large-scale roadways.
Zhu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.