Hybrid H2/Al dust explosions in Siwek sphere

Explosion indices and explosion behaviour of Al dust/H₂/air mixtures were studied using standard 20 l sphere. The study was motivated by an explosion hazard occurring at some accidental scenarios considered now in ITER design (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor). During Loss-of-Vacuum or Loss-of-Coolant Accidents (LOCA/LOVA) it is possible to form inside the ITER vacuum vessel an explosible atmosphere containing fine Be or W dusts and hydrogen. To approach the Be/H₂ explosion problem, Be dust is substituted in this study by aluminium, because of high toxicity of Be dusts. The tested dust concentrations were 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1200 g/m3; hydrogen concentrations varied from 8 to 20 vol. % with 2% step. The mixtures were ignited by a weak electric spark. Pressure evolutions were recorded during the mixture explosions. In addition, the gaseous compositions of the combustion products were measured by a quadruple mass-spectrometer. The dust was involved in the explosion process at all hydrogen and dust concentrations even at the combination ‘8%/100 g/m3’. In all the other tests the explosion overpressures and the pressure rise rates were noticeably higher than those relevant to pure H₂/air mixtures and pure Al dust/air mixtures. At lower hybrid fuel concentrations the mixture exploded in two steps: first hydrogen explosion followed by a clearly separated Al dust explosion. With rising concentrations, the two-phase explosion regime transits to a single-phase regime where the two fuel components exploded together as a single fuel. In this regime both the hybrid explosion pressures and pressure rise rates are higher than either H₂ or Al ones. The two fuels compete for the oxygen; the higher the dust concentration, the more part of O2 it consumes (and the more H₂ remains in the combustion products). The test results are used to support DUST3D CFD code developed at KIT to model LOCA or LOVA scenarios in ITER.     

Explosion regions of 1,3-dioxolane/nitrous oxide and 1,3-dioxolane/air with different inert gases - Experimental data and numerical modelling

In this study, experimental determination and modelling investigations for the explosion regions of 1,3-dioxolane/inert gas/N₂O and 1,3-dioxolane/inert gas/air mixtures were carried out and compared. The experimental measurements were carried out at 338 K and atmospheric pressure according to EN1839 method T using the inert gases N₂, CO₂, He and Ar. The results showed that the ratio of the lower explosion limit in N₂O (LEL_N2O) to the lower explosion limit in air (LEL_air) is 0.52 and the ratio of the maximum oxygen content in air (MOC_air) to the limiting oxidizer fraction in nitrous oxide (LOF_N2O) is 0.36 ± 0.02 independent of the inert gas. When comparing the inert gas amount at the apex based on the pure oxidizing component, which is O₂ in case of air, N₂O-containing mixtures need less inert gas to reach the limiting oxidizer quantity whereas the efficiency of inert gases is in the same order. The coefficients of nitrogen equivalency however were found to differ to some extent. The explosion regions of 1,3-dioxolane/inert gas/oxidizer mixtures were modelled using the calculated adiabatic flame temperature profile (CAFTP) method as well as corrected adiabatic flame temperatures. The results indicate good agreement with experimental data for CO₂, N₂ and Ar- containing mixtures. The noticeable deviations that occur when He is the inert gas are due to the lacking transport data of that mixture.     

Inerting effect of N2 on explosion of LDPE dust/ethylene hybrid mixtures

Explosion flame propagation characteristics and overpressure distribution of low density polyethylene (LDPE) dust and ethylene hybrid mixture were investigated under N₂ inerting conditions using a custom-designed 12 L cylindrical explosion tank. The results showed that a small amount of ethylene could promote the explosion characteristics of LDPE dust. N₂ inerting had different inhibitory effects on the explosion flame of LDPE dust and its mixture with ethylene. The explosion overpressure strength of the LDPE dust/ethylene hybrid mixture decreased with increasing N₂ concentration. The overall suppression effect of N₂ on the explosion overpressure of the LDPE dust was better than that of the LDPE dust/ethylene hybrid mixture explosion. As the ethylene concentration increased from 0% to 2.5%, the limiting oxygen concentration decreased by 13% oxygen. This small amount of ethylene restricted the traditional inerting process. The study conclusions can provide further scientific basis for the inerting and explosion proofing design of production process equipment involving LDPE dust.     

Effect of inert species on the laminar burning velocity of hydrogen and ethylene

The maximum laminar burning velocity (LBV) of a fuel-air mixture is an important input parameter to vapor cloud explosion (VCE) blast load prediction methods. In particular, the LBV value has a significant impact on the predicted blast loads for high reactivity fuels with the propensity to undergo a deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT). Published data are available for the maximum LBV of many pure fuel-air mixtures. However, little test data are available for mixtures of fuels, particularly for mixtures of fuels and inert species. Such mixtures are common in the petroleum refining and chemical processing industries. It is therefore of interest to be able to calculate the maximum LBV of a fuel/inert mixture based on the mixture composition and maximum LBV of each component.This paper presents measured test data for the maximum LBV of H₂/inert and C₂H₄/inert mixtures, with both nitrogen and carbon dioxide as the inert species. The LBV values were determined using a constant-volume vessel and the pressure rise method. This paper also provides a comparison of the measured LBV values with simplified LBV prediction methods.     

Effects of a carbon monoxide-dominant gas mixture on the explosion and flame propagation behaviors of methane in air

This work aimed to experimentally evaluate the effects of a carbon monoxide-dominant gas mixture on the explosion characteristics of methane in air and report the results of an experimental study on explosion pressure measurement in closed vessel deflagration for a carbon monoxide-dominant gas mixture over its entire flammable range. Experiments were performed in a 20-L spherical explosion tank with a quartz glass window 110 mm in diameter using an electric spark (1 J) as the ignition source. All experiments were conducted at room temperature and at ambient pressure, with a relative humidity ranging from 52 to 73%. The peak explosion pressure (P_max), maximum pressure rise rate ((dp/dt)_max), and gas deflagration index (K_G) were observed and analyzed. The flame propagation behavior in the initial stage was recorded using a high-speed camera. The spherical outward flame front was determined on the basis of a canny method, from which the maximum flame propagation speed (S_n) was calculated. The results indicated that the existence of the mixture had a significant effect on the flame propagation of CH₄-air and increased its explosion risk. As the volume fraction of the mixed gas increases, the P_max, (dp/dt)_max, K_G and S_n of the fuel-lean CH₄-air mixture (7% CH₄-air mixture) increase nonlinearly. In contrast, addition of the mixed gas negatively affected the fuel-rich mixture (11% CH₄-air mixture), exhibiting a decreasing trend. Under stoichiometric conditions (9.5% CH₄-air mixture), the mixed gas slightly lowered P_max, (dp/dt)_max, K_G, and S_n. The P_max of CH₄-air mixtures at volume fractions of 7%, 9.5%, and 11% were 5.4, 6.9, and 6.8 bar, respectively. The S_n of CH₄-air mixtures at volume fractions of 7%, 9.5%, and 11% were 1.2 m/s, 2.0 m/s, and 1.8 m/s, respectively. The outcome of the study is comprehensive data that quantify the dependency of explosion severity parameters on the gas concentration. In the storage and transportation of flammable gases, the information is required to quantify the potential severity of an explosion, design vessels able to withstand an explosion and design explosion safety measures for installations handling this gas.     

Propagation of ethylene–air flames in closed cylindrical vessels with asymmetrical ignition

A study of explosions in several elongated cylindrical vessels with length to diameter L/D = 2.4–20.7 and ignition at vessel's bottom is reported. Ethylene–air mixtures with variable concentration between 3.0 and 10.0 vol% and pressures between 0.30 and 1.80 bara were experimentally investigated at ambient initial temperature. For the whole range of ethylene concentration, several characteristic stages of flame propagation were observed. The height and rate of pressure rise in these stages were found to depend on ethylene concentration, on volume and asymmetry ratio L/D of each vessel. High rates of pressure rise were found in the early stage; in later stages lower rates of pressure rise were observed due to the increase of heat losses. The peak explosion pressures and the maximum rates of pressure rise differ strongly from those measured in centrally ignited explosions, in all examined vessels. In elongated vessels, smooth p(t) records have been obtained for the explosions of lean C₂H₄–air mixtures. In stoichiometric and rich mixtures, pressure oscillations appear even at initial pressures below ambient, resulting in significant overpressures as compared to compact vessels. In the stoichiometric mixture, the frequency of the oscillations was close to the fundamental characteristic frequency of the tube.     

Explosion parameters of wood chip-derived syngas in air

The wood gasification process poses serious concerns about the risk of explosion. The design of prevention and mitigation measures requires the knowledge of safety parameters, such as the maximum explosion pressure, the maximum rate of pressure rise and the gas deflagration index, K_G, at standard ambient temperature (25 °C) and pressure (1 bar) conditions. However, the analysis at specific process conditions is strongly recommended, as the explosion behavior of gas mixtures may be completely different.In the work presented in this paper, the explosion behavior of mixtures with composition representative of wood chip-derived syngas (CO/H₂/CH₄/CO₂/N₂ mixtures with and without H₂O) was experimentally studied in a closed combustion chamber. Experiments were run at two temperatures, 300 °C and 10 °C, and at atmospheric pressure. Test conditions were requested by the safety engineering designer of an existing industrial-scale wood gasification plant. In order to identify the specific fuel–air ratios to be analyzed, thus reducing the number of experimental tests, a preliminary thermo-kinetic study was performed.Results have shown that the mixtures investigated can be classified as low-reactivity mixtures, the higher value of K_G found (∼36 bar m/s) being much lower than the K_G value of methane (55 bar m/s @ 25 °C).     

Medium-scale experiments on vented hydrogen deflagration

A series of medium-scale experiments on vented hydrogen deflagration was carried out at the KIT test side in a chamber of 1 × 1 × 1 m³ size with different vent areas. The experimental program was divided in three series: (1) uniform hydrogen–air mixtures; (2) stratified hydrogen–air mixtures within the enclosure; (3) a layer deflagration of uniform mixture. Different uniform hydrogen–air mixtures from 7 to 18% hydrogen were tested with variable vent areas 0.01–1.0 m². One test was done for rich mixture with 50% H₂. To vary a gradient of concentration, all the experiments with a stratified hydrogen–air mixtures had about 4%H₂ at the bottom and 10 to 25% H₂ at the top of the enclosure. Measurement system consisted of a set of pressure sensors and thermocouples inside and outside the enclosure. Four cameras combined with a schlieren system (BOS) for visual observation of combustion process through transparent sidewalls were used. Four experiments were selected as benchmark experiments to compare them with four times larger scale FM Global tests (Bauwens et al., 2011) and to provide experimental data for further CFD modelling. The nature of external explosion leading to the multiple pressure peak structure was investigated in details. Current work addresses knowledge gaps regarding indoor hydrogen accumulations and vented deflagrations. The experiments carried out within this work attend to contribute the data for improved criteria for hydrogen–air mixture and enclosure parameters to avoid unacceptable explosion overpressure. Based on theoretical analysis and current experimental data a further vent sizing technology for hydrogen deflagrations in confined spaces should be developed, taking into account the peculiarities of hydrogen–air mixture deflagrations in presence of obstacles, concentration gradients of hydrogen–air mixtures, dimensions of a layer of flammable cloud, vent inertia, etc.     

Influence of the ignition source location on the determination of the explosion pressure at elevated initial pressures

Explosion pressures are determined for rich methane–air mixtures at initial pressures up to 30 bar and at ambient temperature. The experiments are performed in a closed spherical vessel with an internal diameter of 20 cm. Four different igniter positions were used along the vertical axis of the spherical vessel, namely at 1, 6, 11 and 18 cm from the bottom of the vessel. At high initial pressures and central ignition a sharp decrease in explosion pressures is found upon enriching the mixture, leading to a concentration range with seemingly low explosion pressures. It is found that lowering the ignition source substantially increases the explosion pressure for mixtures inside this concentration range, thereby implying that central ignition is unsuitable to determine the explosion pressure for mixtures approaching the flammability limits.     

Law of variation for low density polyethylene dust explosion with different inert gases

To reveal the effects of different inert gases on explosion characteristics during low density polyethylene (LDPE) dust explosion and optimize the explosion-proof process, eight N₂ (CO₂)/air mixed inerting conditions were experimentally studied. Typical inerting conditions with 12 L cylindrical explosive tank were used to study the characteristics on the flame propagation. The thermogravimetric analysis with related theories were used to further explain the mechanism and quantities in low density polyethylene (LDPE) dust explosion with different inert gases. The results showed that the reduction of O₂ concentration could effectively delay the progress of flame growth process and weaken the effect of dust combustion reaction. The flame growth process of condition (N₂/air (18% O₂)) was 2.05 times slower than that of the non-inert condition. The explosion strength was obviously reduced, and the characteristic parameters such as explosion pressure and flame propagation speed were also affected by the decrease of O₂ concentration. For LDPE powder, the smaller the median diameter, the greater the explosion intensity and the lower the limiting oxygen content (LOC). The LOC with CO₂ was usually higher than that with N₂ and the effect of CO₂ was significantly better than N₂ in inerting.     

Inhibiting effects of gas–particle mixtures containing CO2, Mg(OH)2 particles,and NH4H2PO4 particles on methane explosion in a 20-L closed vessel

The main risk factors from methane explosion are the associated shock waves, flames, and harmful gases. Inert gases and inhibiting powders are commonly used to prevent and mitigate the damage caused by an explosion. In this study, three inhibitors (inert gas with 8.0 vol% CO₂, 0.25 g/L Mg(OH)₂ particles, and 0.25 g/L NH₄H₂PO₄ particles) were prepared. Their inhibiting effects on methane explosions with various concentrations of methane were tested in a nearly spherical 20-L explosion vessel. Both single-component inhibitors and gas–particle mixtures can substantially suppress methane explosions with varying degrees of success. However, various inhibitors exhibited distinct reaction mechanisms for methane gas, which indicated that their inhibiting effects for methane explosion varied. To alleviate amplitude, the ranking of single-component inhibitors for both explosion pressure (P_ex) and the rate of explosion pressure rise [(dP/dt)_ex] was as follows: CO₂, NH₄H₂PO₄ particles, and Mg(OH)₂ particles. In order of decreasing amplitude, the ranking of gas‒particle mixtures for both P_ex and (dP/dt)_ex was as follows: CO₂–NH₄H₂PO₄ mixture, CO₂‒Mg(OH)₂ mixture, and pure CO₂. Overall, the optimal suppression effect was observed in the system with the CO₂–NH₄H₂PO₄ mixture, which exhibited an eminent synergistic effect on methane explosions. The amplitudes of P_ex with methane concentrations of 7.0, 9.5, and 11.0 vol% decreased by 37.1%, 42.5%, and 98.6%, respectively, when using the CO₂–NH₄H₂PO₄ mixture. In addition, an antagonistic effect was observed with CO₂‒Mg(OH)₂ mixtures because MgO, which was generated by the thermal decomposition of Mg(OH)₂, can chemically react with water vapor and CO₂ to produce basic magnesium carbonate (xMgCO₃·yMg(OH)₂·zH₂O), thereby reducing the CO₂ concentration in a reaction system. This research revealed the inhibiting effects of gas‒particle mixtures (including CO₂, Mg(OH)₂ particles, and NH₄H₂PO₄ particles) on methane explosions and provided primary experimental data.     

Explosion limits of mixtures relevant to the production of 1,2-dichloroethane (ethylene dichloride)

A simple method exists to estimate the limiting oxygen concentration (LOC) based upon the lower explosion limit (LEL) by assuming (1) that the LOC lies at the apex of the explosion area, (2) that the LEL is unaffected by nitrogen addition and (3) that the apex of the explosion area lies on the stoichiometric line. This estimation method is assessed for mixtures relevant to the production of 1,2-dichloroethane. To this end, the explosion areas of ethylene/hydrogen/nitrogen/air, ethylene/nitrogen/air and ethylene/1,2-dichloroethane/hydrogen chloride/nitrogen/air mixtures are determined at typical process conditions. The experiments are performed in a closed spherical 8 l vessel. The mixtures are ignited by fusing a coiled tungsten wire, placed at the centre of the vessel. A 5% pressure rise criterion is used to determine the explosion limits. The experimental procedure is based upon EN 14756. It is found that a safe estimate of the LOC of ethylene/hydrogen/nitrogen/air mixtures can be found based upon the LEL of these mixtures.     

Synergistic suppression effects of flame retardant,porous minerals and nitrogen on premixed methane/air explosion

A novel composite inhibitor based on porous mineral materials and conventional flame retardant of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) is prepared to suppress the premixed methane/air explosion. Taking advantages of gas and powder inhibitor, N₂ and the prepared composite inhibitor are combined to use. The suppression performance of N₂-composite inhibitor on methane explosion is investigated on a 20-L spherical experimental explosion apparatus and the characteristic pressure data are obtained. The combined inhibition effects of N₂ and the prepared composite inhibitor are greater than either acting alone. Thermal decomposition behavior and gaseous products of composite inhibitor are analyzed with thermogravimetric analysis and thermogravimetric-mass spectrometry, respectively. Based on physical and chemical actions, the inhibition mechanisms of N₂-composite inhibitor system are proposed. This work provides a reference to prepare high-performance gas explosion inhibitor based on the synergism of binary or multiple components.     

Explosion prevention and weighting analysis on the inerting effect of methane via grey entropy model

Explosion prevention is vital for process safety and daily life. In practice, inerting is viewed as an ideal method to reach basic explosion prevention as well as to diminish flammability risk in normal operation, storage, and transportation of materials. This study deals with the inerting effect on the explosion range for methane via grey entropy model, comparatively detected under the different inert gases of nitrogen (N₂), argon (Ar), and carbon dioxide (CO₂), which have various loading inerting concentrations: 10 (90 vol% air), 20 (80 vol% air) and 25 vol% (75 vol% air). The inert influences were determined via the experimental 20-L-apparatus investigations under 1 atm, 30 ^OC, combined with the grey entropy model, which is one of the most prevailingly used grey system theories for weighting analysis and decision-making of the fire and explosion assessment for practical operations. The results indicated that CO₂ had better inerting capacity than the others, as derived from our grey entropy theoretical soft computing calculations. Through the combination of the grey entropy weighting analysis model and the flammability investigations in this study, the concluded decision-making was feasible and useful for the practical applications of inert gases for preventing fire and explosion hazards in relevant processes.     

The investigation of correlated factors of external explosion during the venting process

Experimental investigations were done in the paper for the process of venting explosion in a ϕ200 mm×400 mm cylindrical vessel. Compared with the normal venting process, the phenomenon of external explosion was observed and discussed first. Moreover, when CH₄–air mixture gases were used and the vent diameter was 55 mm, three kinds of condition were selected: ϕ=0.8, ϕ=1.0 and ϕ=1.3. And two ignition positions were selected: at the vessel center and at the bottom. Then the venting processes influenced by these factors were experimented and discussed, too.     

Experimental study on the suppression of gas explosion using the gas–solid suppressant of CO2/ABC powder

Gas explosion is the leading accident in underground coal mining in China. Using the self-improved 20 L spherical experimental system, the impacts of 8% CO₂, ABC powder at various concentrations and mixture of them on the suppression of mine gas explosion were investigated. The results indicate that cooperative synergism exists between ABC powder and CO₂. Their combination has a better effect than each of the two components acting alone, especially for the gas of larger concentration. When 0.25 g/L ABC powder was mixed with 8% CO₂, the explosion limits were reduced by about 55%, the time to reach the peak explosion pressure was prolonged 3.56 times on average. Meanwhile, the maximum explosion pressure declined on an average of 59.4% and the maximum explosion overpressure rising rate decreased on an average of 91.1%. A combination of 0.20 g/L ABC powder and 8% CO₂ completely suppressed 11% gas explosion. The explosion suppression mechanism of CO₂ and ABC powder were probed theoretically. CO₂ plays a key part in the whole explosion processes, and it can effectively suppress the forward reaction between gas and oxygen. While it is during the middle-later period of explosion processes that ABC powder plays a critical role. The particles decomposed from heated ABC powder such as nitrogen and phosphor will react with free radicals rapidly. Besides, atoms as N, P are capable of participating in chain reaction and reacting with active groups, significantly suppressing the gas explosion.     

Experimental investigation of the complex deflagration phenomena of hybrid mixtures of activated carbon dust/hydrogen/air

This paper aims to develop quantitative insights based on measured deflagration parameters of hybrid mixtures of activated carbon (AC) dust and hydrogen (H₂) gas in air. The generated experimental evidence is used to reject the claim of the null hypothesis (H₀) that severity of deflagrations of H₂/air mixtures always bound the severity of deflagrations of heterogenous combustible mixtures of AC dust/H₂/air containing the same H₂ concentrations as in the H₂/air binaries. The core insights of this investigation show that the maximum deflagration pressure rise (ΔP_MAX) and maximum rate of pressure rise ((dP/dt)_MAX) of this hybrid mixture are greater than those corresponding to deflagrations of H₂/air mixtures for all the dust and H₂ concentrations being examined. The deflagration severity indices (K_St and ES) of the hybrid mixture containing 29 mol% H₂ are found to be greater than those of the H₂/air mixture containing 29 mol% H₂. Also, the minimum explosible concentration (MEC) of the hybrid mixture is lower than that of the AC dust in air only. The insights gained should lead to better realization of the severity of a postulated safety-significant accident scenario associated with on-board cryoadsorption H₂ storage systems for fuel-cell (FC) powered light-duty vehicles. The identified insights could also be relevant to other industrial processes where combustible dusts are generated in the vicinity of solvent vapors. Moreover, these insights should be useful for supporting quantitative risk assessment (QRA) of on-board H₂ storage systems, designing improved safety measures for cryoadsorption H₂ storage tanks, and guiding H₂ safety standards and transportation regulations.     

Effects of vacuum levels,carbon dioxide,and structural sizes of linked vessels on dump vessel vented

The method of explosion venting is widely used in industrial explosion-proof design due to its simple operation, economical and practical features. A dump vessel vented platform was built. By changing the vacuum level and the gas in the dump vessels and the structural size of linked vessels, the pressure in the explosion vessel and the dump vessel was compared, and the influencing factors of explosion venting investigated. The main conclusions are as follows: In the explosion venting process, the higher the vacuum in the dump vessel, the smaller the pressure peak of the explosion vessel and the dump vessel, and the faster the explosion pressure is lowered. When the dump vessel is under the same vacuum level and the gas in the dump vessel is CO₂, the maximum pressure of the explosion vessel and the dump vessel is less than the maximum pressure when the containment medium is air. Under the same vacuum condition, the larger the volume ratio of the dump vessel and the explosion vessel, the smaller the pressure peak of the explosion vessel, the faster the explosion pressure drops, and the volume of the dump vessel reaches or exceeds the explosion vessel. Increasing the volume ratio of the containment vessel to the explosion vessel facilitates protection of the explosion vessel and the containment vessel. Under the same vacuum condition, when the gas explosion in 113 L vessel vents into 22 L vessel, the longer the length of the pipe, the greater the maximum pressure in the spherical vessel. When the gas explosion in 22 L vessel vents into 113 L dump vessel, as the pipeline grows, the maximum pressure in the two vessels decreases, but the reduction is not significant. In practical application, it is recommended to use a vacuum of 0.08Mpa or more for the dump vessel vented, and the containment medium is CO_2.In terms of the structural size of the container, it is recommended that the ratio of the receiving container to the explosion container be as large as possible, and the pipe length be as long.     

Direction of pressure wave propagation during combustion-induced rapid phase transition

In the work presented in this paper, the propagation direction of the pressure waves generated during combustion-induced Rapid Phase Transition (cRPT) was investigated. To this end, explosion tests were performed for CH₄/O₂/N₂/CO₂ mixtures in a tubular reactor. Ignition was provided at the top or at the bottom of the vessel. Pressure time histories were recorded by two transducers positioned one at the top and the other one at the bottom.Results have shown that the preferential direction for the pressure waves is that of the flame propagation. When the cRPT phenomenon is weak, an over-adiabatic pressure peak (of around 10–20 bar) can be measured by only one transducer and, in particular, by the transducer far away from the ignition point. Conversely, when the cRPT phenomenon becomes severe, over-adiabatic peaks (as high as 250 bar) can be detected even by the other transducer. Such peaks are the result of separate cRPT events that occur very close to the transducers and, thus, are not damped along the vessel length. In spite of the fact that the upward flame propagation is faster, the cRPT phenomenon is more severe in the case of downward flame propagation.     

Experimental study on the minimum explosion concentration of anthracite dust: The roles of O2 mole fraction,inert gas and CH4 addition

The explosion characteristics of anthracite coal dust with/without small amount of CH₄ (1.14 vol %) were investigated by using a 20 L spherical explosion apparatus with an emphasis on the roles of oxygen mole fraction and inert gas. Two methods based on overpressure and combustion duration time were used to determine the minimum explosion concentration (MEC) or the lower explosion limit (LEL) of the pure anthracite coal dust and the hybrid coal-methane mixtures, respectively. The experiment results showed that increasing oxygen mole fraction increases the explosion risk of coal dust: with increasing oxygen mole fraction, the explosion pressure (P_ex) and the rate of explosion pressure rise ((dp/dt)_ex)) increase, while MEC decreases. The explosion risk of anthracite dust was found to be lower after replacing N₂ with CO₂, suggesting that CO₂ has a better inhibition effect on explosion mainly due to its higher specific heat. However, the addition of 1.14% CH₄ moderates the inhibition effect of CO₂ and the promotion effect of O₂ on anthracite dust explosion for some extent, increasing explosion severity and reducing the MEC of anthracite dust. For hybrid anthracite/CH₄ mixture explosions, Barknecht's curve was found to be more accurate and conservative than Chatelier's line, but neither are sufficient from the safety considerations. The experimental results provide a certain help for the explosion prevention and suppression in carbonaceous dust industries.