湍流对粉尘云电火花点火过程的影响

随着现代工业的发展，粉尘爆炸事故发生的频率也逐年增加，因此，对粉尘云点火敏感程度进行测量和计算就变得十分重要。粉尘云最小点火能是粉尘爆炸重要的特性参数之一，是采取粉尘爆炸防护的基础。最小点火能在测量的过程中受到多个敏感条件的影响，其中湍流则是最复杂的影响因素之一。文中对实验过程中粉尘云的湍流进行了定义，并分析了湍流对粉尘云最小点火能影响的内在原因；同时对通过数值模拟计算粉尘云最小点火能过程中的湍流计算给出了数学模型。从实验和数学模型两个方向对湍流进行了全面描述，对粉尘云电火花点火过程中湍流影响的分析结论，可有效的指导实验。     

Experimental investigation on explosion flame propagation of wood dust in a semi-closed tube

In order to explore flame propagation characteristics during wood dust explosions in a semi-closed tube, a high-speed camera, a thermal infrared imaging device and a pressure sensor were used in the study. Poplar dusts with different particle size distributions (0–50, 50–96 and 96–180 μm) were respectively placed in a Hartmann tube to mimic dust cloud explosions, and flame propagation behaviors such as flame propagation velocity, flame temperature and explosion pressure were detected and analyzed. According to the changes of flame shapes, flame propagations in wood dust explosions were divided into three stages including ignition, vertical propagation and free diffusion. Flame propagations for the two smaller particles were dominated by homogeneous combustion, while flame propagation for the largest particles was controlled by heterogeneous combustion, which had been confirmed by individual Damköhler number. All flame propagation velocities for different groups of wood particles in dust explosions were increased at first and then decreased with the augmentation of mass concentration. Flame temperatures and explosion pressures were almost similarly changed. Dust explosions in 50–96 μm wood particles were more intense than in the other two particles, of which the most severe explosion appeared at a mass concentration of 750 g/m³. Meanwhile, flame propagation velocity, flame propagation temperature and explosion pressure reached to the maximum values of 10.45 m/s, 1373 °C and 0.41 MPa. In addition, sensitive concentrations corresponding to the three groups of particles from small to large were 500, 750 and 1000 g/m³, separately, indicating that sensitive concentration in dust explosions of wood particles was elevated with the increase of particle size. Taken together, the finding demonstrated that particle size and mass concentration of wood dusts affected the occurrence and severity of dust explosions, which could provide guidance and reference for the identification, assessment and industrial safety management of wood dust explosions.     

Initiation of dust explosions by electric spark discharges triggered by the explosive dust cloud itself

An investigation of ignition of dust clouds by the use of electric spark discharges triggered by the explosive dust cloud itself has been conducted. This method of triggering capacitive sparks probably represents a realistic mechanism for initiating accidental dust explosions in industrial practice. Unlike the conventional method for determining the minimum ignition energy (MIE) in the laboratory, the delay between dust dispersion and spark discharge is not a degree of freedom. In stead, the transient dust cloud itself is used to initiate spark breakdown between electrodes set at a high voltage lower than breakdown in pure air. In the present study, different kinds of dusts were tested as ‘spark triggers’, and they exhibited quite different abilities to trigger breakdown. Large particles were found to initiate breakdown at lower voltages than smaller ones. In general, conductive particles were not found to initiate breakdown at lower voltages than dielectric ones when using the same dust concentration.Minimum ignition energies (MIE) of three dusts (Lycopodium clavatum, sulphur and maize starch) were determined using the authors' method of study. The MIEs were somewhat higher than those obtained using conventional methods, but relatively close to the values obtained through conventional methods.     

Does the dust explosion risk increase when moving from μm-particle powders to powders of nm-particles?

Based on experience with powders of particle sizes down to the 1–0.1 μm range one might expect that dust clouds from combustible nm-particle powders would exhibit extreme ignition sensitivities (very low MIEs) and extreme explosion rates (very high K_St-values). However, there are two basic physical reasons why this may not be the case. Firstly, complete transformation of bulk powders consisting of nm-particles into dust clouds consisting of well-dispersed primary particles is extremely difficult to accomplish, due to very strong inter-particle cohesion forces. Secondly, should perfect dispersion nevertheless be achieved, the extremely fast coagulation process in clouds of explosive mass concentrations would transform the primary nm-particles into much larger agglomerates within fractions of a second. Furthermore, for organic dusts and coal the basic mechanism of flame propagation in dust clouds suggests that increased cloud explosion rates would not be expected as the particle size decreases into the <1 μm range. An overall conclusion is that dust clouds consisting of nm primary particles are not expected to exhibit more severe K_St-values than clouds of μm primary particles, in agreement with recent experimental evidence. In the case of the ignition sensitivity recently published evidence indicates that MIEs of clouds in air of some metal powders are significantly lower for nm particles than for μm particles. A possible reason for this is indicated in the paper.     

Parametric study of the explosivity of graphite-metals mixtures

The explosivity of dust clouds is greatly influenced by several parameters which depend on the operating conditions, such as the initial turbulence, temperature or ignition energy, but obviously also on the materials composition. In the peculiar case of a mixture of two combustible powders, the physical and chemical properties of both dusts have an impact on the cloud flammability and on its explosivity. Nevertheless, no satisfactory ‘mixing laws’ predicting the mixture behavior are currently available and the composition variable to be considered for such models greatly depend on the safety parameters which have to be determined: from volume ratios for some thermal exchanges and ignition phenomena, to surface proportions for some heterogeneous reactions and molar contents for chemical reactions. This study is mainly focused on graphite/magnesium mixtures as they are encountered during the decommissioning activities of UNGG reactors (Natural Uranium Graphite Gas). Due to the different nature and reactivity of both powders, these mixtures offer a wide range of interests. Firstly, the rate-limiting steps for the combustion of graphite are distinct from those of metals (oxygen diffusion or metal vaporization). Secondly, the flame can be thickened by the presence of radiation during metal combustion, whereas this phenomenon is negligible for pure graphite. Finally, the turbulence of the initial dust cloud is modified by the addition of a second powder. In order to assess the explosivity of graphite/magnesium clouds, a parametric study of the effects of storage humidity, particle size distribution, ignition energy, and initial turbulence has been carried out. In particular, it was clearly demonstrated that the turbulence significantly influences the explosion severity by speeding up the rate of heat release on the one hand and the oxygen diffusion through the boundary layer surrounding particles on the other hand. Moreover, it modifies the mean particle size and the spatial dust distribution in the test vessel, impacting the uniformity of the dust cloud. Thus, the present work demonstrates that the procedures developed for standard tests are not sufficient to assess the dust explosivity in industrial conditions and that an extensive parametric study is relevant to figure out the explosive behavior of solid/solid mixtures subjected to variations of operating conditions.     

Agricultural waste pulverised biomass: MEC and flame speeds

A modified Hartmann dust explosion tube was employed to determine the Minimum Explosible Concentration (MEC) and the flame speed for three Pakistani agricultural wastes: bagasse, rice husk and wheat straw. Agricultural biomass had a higher ash content than for woody biomass and this influenced the MEC. The dispersion, ignition and MEC were influenced by the particle size distribution, as also demonstrated by high speed video. There was a strong linear correlation between the MEC and the sum of the ash and moisture content of these and other biomasses, indicating that this inert mass in the particles acted to reduce the flame temperature and reduce the lean flammability limit or MEC. Comparison of the results was made with non-agricultural waste pulverized biomass. Peak flame speeds were approximately 2.5 m/s. The lean limits for these pulverised agricultural waste biomasses were comparable to that of pulverised wood but were much leaner than those for coal and hydrocarbon fuels, which indicate that these biomasses are highly reactive.     

Safer and stronger together? Effects of the agglomeration on nanopowders explosion

Among the factors influencing dust explosion, the particle size distribution (PSD) is both one of the most important and complex to consider. For instance, it is commonly accepted that the explosion sensitivity increases when the particle size decreases. Such an assertion may be questionable for nano-objects which easily agglomerate. However, agglomerates can be broken during the dispersion process. Correlating the explosion parameters to the actual PSD of a dust cloud at the moment of the ignition becomes then essential. The effects of the moisture content and sieving were investigated on a nanocellulose powder and the impact of a mechanical agglomeration was evaluated using a silicon coated by carbon powder. Each sample was characterized before and after dispersion using in situ laser particle size measurement and a fast mobility particle sizer, and explosion and minimum ignition energy tests were conducted respectively in a 20 L sphere and in a modified Hartmann tube. It was observed that drying and/or sieving the nanocellulose mainly led to variations in terms of ignition sensitivity but only slightly modified the explosion severity. In contrast, the mechanical agglomeration of the silicon coated by carbon led to a great decrease in terms of ignition sensitivity, with a minimum ignition energy varying from 5 mJ for the raw powder to more than 1J for the agglomerated samples. The maximum rate of pressure rise also decreased due to modifications in the reaction kinetics, inducing a transition from St2 class to St1 class when agglomerating the dust.     

燃烧管中烟煤粉粉尘云传播参数的试验研究

利用自行设计的长29.6 m,内径199 mm,配有特殊扬尘装置的大犁卧式燃烧爆炸管道试验系统,对弱点火条件下烟煤粉与空气两相悬浮流中的爆炸过程进行了试验研究,用压电传感器测量了管内各测点的压力信号,观测到快速爆燃的状态稳定,分析了爆燃波稳定传播机理.结果表明:在煤粉浓度为300g/m~3及弱点火条件下,悬浮烟煤粉粉尘云中爆燃波能够稳定传播,且稳态传播距离持续20 m以上,峰值超压和波速平均值分别约为70 kPa和430m/s.     

A numerical model for the prediction of the minimum ignition temperature of dust clouds

This paper presents a numerical model for the prediction of the minimum ignition temperature (MIT) of dust clouds. First, a physical model is developed for the dust cloud ignition in the Godbert-Greenwald furnace. A numerical approach is then applied for the MIT prediction based on the physical model. The model considers heat transfer between the air and dust particles, the dust particle reaction kinetics, and the residence times of dust clouds in the furnace. In general, for the 13 dusts studied, the calculated MIT data are in agreement with the experimental values. There is also great accordance between the experimental and numerical MIT variation trends against particle size. Two different ignition modes are discovered. The first one consists in ignition near the furnace wall for bigger particles characterized by rather short residence times. In the second mode, the ignition starts from the center of the furnace by self-heating of the dust cloud for smaller particles with longer residence times. For magnesium, as dust concentration increases, the lowest ignition temperature of the dust cloud IT(conc) decreases first, then transits to increase at a certain point. The transition happens at different dust concentrations for different particle sizes. Moreover, the MIT of the magnesium dust cloud generally increases as particle size increases, but the increasing trend stagnates within a certain medium particle size range.     

玉米淀粉粉尘爆炸危险性研究

为研究玉米淀粉粉尘爆炸危险性,采用哈特曼管式爆炸测试装置和20 L球爆炸测试装置对200目(<75μm)以下的玉米淀粉粉尘爆炸危险性进行评估,基于静电火花和粉尘质量浓度对粉尘爆炸的影响,对玉米淀粉的静电火花最小点火能量、爆炸下限质量浓度、最大爆炸压力和爆炸指数进行了研究,根据试验结果对玉米淀粉爆炸危险性进行分级。试验结果表明:温度在25℃,喷粉压力为0.80 MPa,粉尘质量浓度在250～750 g/m3范围内,粉尘的最小点火能量随着粉尘质量浓度增加而降低,其最小点火能量在40～80 mJ之间;在点火能量为10 kJ时,粉尘爆炸下限质量浓度在50～60 g/m3之间;在粉尘质量浓度为750 g/m3时,爆炸压力达到最大,为0.66 MPa;在粉尘质量浓度为500 g/m3时,爆炸指数达到最大,为17.21 MPa.m/s,其粉尘爆炸危险性分级为Ⅰ级。     

Explosibility of cork dust in methane/air mixtures

Explosibility studies of hybrid methane/air/cork dust mixtures were carried out in a near-spherical 22.7 L explosibility test chamber, using 2500 J pyrotechnic ignitors. The suspension dust burned as methane/air/dust clouds and the uniformity of the cork dust dispersion inside the chamber was evaluated through optical dust probes and during the explosion the pressure and the temperature evolution inside the reactor were measured. Tested dust particles had mass median diameter of 71.3 μm and the covered dust cloud concentration was up to 550 g/m³. Measured explosions parameters included minimum explosion concentration, maximum explosion pressures and maximum rate of pressure rise. The cork dust explosion behavior in hybrid methane/air mixtures was studied for atmospheres with 1.98 and 3.5% (v/v) of methane. The effect of methane content on the explosions characteristic parameters was evaluated. The conclusion is that the risk and explosion danger rises with the increase of methane concentration characterized by the reduction of the minimum dust explosion concentration, as methane content increases in the atmosphere. The maximum explosion pressure is not very much sensitive to the methane content and only for the system with 3.5% (v/v) of methane it was observed an increase of maximum rate of pressure rise, when compared with the value obtained for the air/dust system.     

Methane/coal dust/air explosions and their suppression by solid particle suppressing agents in a large-scale experimental tube

Methane/coal dust/air explosions under strong ignition conditions have been studied in a 199 mm inner diameter and 30.8 m long horizontal tube. A fuel gas/air manifold assembly was used to introduce methane and air into the experimental tube, and an array of 44 equally spaced dust dispersion units was used to disperse coal dust particles into the tube. The methane/coal dust/air mixture was ignited by a 7 m long epoxypropane mist cloud explosion. A deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) was observed, and a self-sustained detonation wave characterized by the existence of a transverse wave was propagated in the methane/coal dust/air mixtures.The suppressing effects on methane/coal dust/air mixture explosions of three solid particle suppressing agents have been studied. Coal dust and the suppressing agent were injected into the experimental tube by the dust dispersion units. The length of the suppression was 14 m. The suppression agents examined in this study comprised ABC powder, SiO₂ powder, and rock dust powder (CaCO₃). Methane/coal dust/air explosions can be efficiently suppressed by the suppression agents characterized by the rapid decrease in overpressure and propagating velocity of the explosion waves.     

Application of CFD on the sensitivity analyses of some parameters of the modified Hartmann tube

The aim of this work is to determine the influence of operating parameters such as the dispersion pressure, the ignition delay and height on the dust flammability. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation, based on an Euler–Lagrange approach, was developed with Ansys Fluent™ and validated experimentally. Such analysis will facilitate the choice of the most conservative conditions for a flammability test. This paper is focused on a case study performed on wheat starch with the modified Hartmann tube. The dispersion process of the powder was studied with granulometric analyses performed in situ and high speed videos. Tests were performed with injections at gas pressure ranging from 3 to 6 bars and the evolution of the particle size distribution (PSD) was recorded at different ignition heights (5, 10 and 15 cm over the dispersion nozzle). The observations highlighted the presence of agglomeration/deagglomeration processes and dust segregation. Besides, a CFD simulation analysis was aimed at evaluating the impact of a set of parameters on the PSD and the local turbulence, which are closely linked to some flammability parameters. For this computational analysis, the CFD simulation was coupled with a collision treatment based on a Discrete Element Method (DEM) in order to consider the cohesive behavior of the combustible dust. Thus the results suggest performing the injection of the gases at approximately 5 bars for the flammability tests of wheat starch in order to obtain the finest PSD at a given ignition height. It is also shown that the finest PSD are obtained at 5 cm over the dispersion nozzle. However, the local instabilities and turbulence levels are so high during the first stages of the dispersion that the flame growth can be disturbed for short ignition delays. Moreover, the stabilization of the bulk of the dust cloud requires longer periods of time when the ignition sources are located at 15 cm. As a result, the recommended height to perform a flammability test is 10 cm in this case. Finally, this study proposes some tools that might improve the procedure of dust flammability testing.     

Effect of pressure for dust dispersion on minimum ignition temperature

The existing technical standards for determining the minimum ignition temperature (MIT) of dust clouds are inadequate. According to existing technical standards, this study expands the test pressure conditions. The MIT of dust clouds can be determined by a variety of different dispersion pressures, that is, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.1 MPa. But, whether the MIT of dust clouds tested under different dispersion pressures is consistent is lacking in the corresponding exploration. In this study, a set of measurement system of instantaneous concentration and particle size was established, which can observe the flow of dust clouds and the distribution of the instantaneous particle size and concentration of dust clouds in the heating furnace tube. On this basis, the MIT of dust clouds is determined, and the physical mechanism of dispersion pressure affecting the MIT of dust clouds is revealed. The results show that the MIT of dust clouds is consistent when the dispersion pressure in the range of 0.02–0.06 MPa. When the dispersion pressure is not in this range, the MIT of the dust clouds is very different due to the obvious increase of the instantaneous particle size of the dust clouds.     

基于20 L球罐的多相混合物扩散模拟

为更好地探索多相混合物的爆炸特性，以铝粉、乙醚、空气为研究对象，基于20 L球型爆炸罐建立三维计算模型，对气固两相和气液固三相混合物的分散过程进行数值模拟，以分析不同多相混合物分散过程的差异，并为测量多相混合物爆炸下限时的点火延迟时间设定提供参考。监测分析铝粉浓度粒子分布、流场内部湍流动能以及液相体积百分数等的演化过程，讨论混合物分散效果的差异，并确定测量爆炸下限的点火延迟时间。研究结果表明:实验工况下，液相的存在会降低粉尘云团的湍流动能、降低其扩散速度，并使粉尘云内部浓度更均匀。测量多相混合物爆炸下限时，三相混合物的最佳点火延迟时间早于气固两相混合物10~20 ms。     

基于响应面法的木粉尘最大爆炸压力试验研究——以桑木粉尘为例

为研究粉尘质量浓度、粒径和点火延迟时间对木粉尘最大爆炸压力影响,以桑木粉尘为对象,利用1.2 L的Hartmann管进行试验。研究结果表明:最大爆炸压力随着粉尘质量浓度的增加先增大后减小,随着粉尘粒径的增大而减小,随着点火延迟时间的增大而增大。在单因素试验基础上,运用Design-Expert软件对Box-Behnken所设计的响应面试验方案分析,得到影响粉尘最大爆炸压力大小顺序为:点火延迟时间>质量浓度>粒径,同时Design-Expert软件预测出最危险爆炸强度的试验条件为:质量浓度840.24 g/m3,粒径260目,点火延迟时间12 s,最大爆炸压力为0.511 775 MPa,经检验,拟合性较好,为防爆设备本质安全强度设计提供了一定的参考价值。     

Effects of ignition energy on fire and explosion characteristics of dilute hybrid fuel in ventilation air methane

Deflagration explosions of coal dust clouds and flammable gases are a major safety concern in coal mining industry. Accidental fire and explosion caused by coal dust cloud can impose substantial losses and damages to people and properties in underground coal mines. Hybrid mixtures of methane and coal dust have the potential to reduce the minimum activation energy of a combustion reaction. In this study the Minimum Explosion Concentration (MEC), Over Pressure Rise (OPR), deflagration index for gas and dust hybrid mixtures (K_st) and explosive region of hybrid fuel mixtures present in Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) were investigated. Experiments were carried out according to the ASTM E1226-12 guideline utilising a 20 L spherical shape apparatus specifically designed for this purpose.Resultsobtained from this study have shown that the presence of methane significantly affects explosion characteristics of coal dust clouds. Dilute concentrations of methane, 0.75–1.25%, resulted in coal dust clouds OPR increasing from 0.3 bar to 2.2 bar and boosting the K_st value from 10 bar m s⁻¹ to 25 bar m s⁻¹. The explosion characteristics were also affected by the ignitors’ energy; for instance, for a coal dust cloud concentration of 50 g m⁻³ the OPR recorded was 0.09 bar when a 1 kJ chemical ignitor was used, while, 0.75 bar (OPR) was recorded when a 10 kJ chemical ignitor was used.For the first time, new explosion regions were identified for diluted methane-coal dust cloud mixtures when using 1, 5 and 10 kJ ignitors. Finally, the Le-Chatelier mixing rule was modified to predict the lower explosion limit of methane-coal dust cloud hybrid mixtures considering the energy of the ignitors.     

自由空间粉尘云雾爆炸压力场分析

本文旨在研究固体粉尘在自由空间中爆炸压力场的分布。进行了复合粉尘燃料和液体燃料环氧丙烷的爆炸实验,利用压力传感器和高速摄影,获得了在自由空间中的压力实测数据,并对数据进行了详细地分析处理,得到了典型的超压曲线以及高速摄影图片。研究表明：粉尘云雾爆炸的超压峰值较大,在云雾区内压力存在相对低压区,超压持续时间远比液体环氧丙烷长。     

Visualization and analysis of dispersion process of combustible dust in a transparent Siwek 20-L chamber

Dust explosion severities are closely associated with dust dispersion behaviors. To characterize the dispersion process of dust cloud, visualization experiments were conducted by using a transparent Siwek 20-L chamber. Dispersion processes of typical carbonaceous dust were recorded by a high-speed camera and, with the image processing technique, the qualitative analysis based on the transmission of dust cloud was carried out. Results have evidenced the three consecutive stages of dust dispersion process: the fast injection stage of dust particles, the stabilization stage and the sedimentation stage of dust cloud. The motion of dust particles and the variations of dust cloud in space and time can be clearly distinguished. In the stabilization stage, the good uniformity of dust dispersion is achieved when the deviation of transmission data at different locations reaches to the minimum value. Under different nominal dust concentrations, the time periods for dust dispersion stabilization are found to be significantly different, suggesting that different dust concentrations should correspond to different ignition delay in order to accurately measure the explosion characteristics in the Siwek 20-L chamber. Moreover, it is found that the decrease trend of transmission with increasing nominal dust concentration will become gradually leveling off, different from the inversely proportional relationship according to the Bouguer's law, and this indicates that the actual dust concentration will be lower than the nominal concentration or the dust cannot be fully dispersed at the case of high dust concentration. According to the experiment, when the nominal dust concentration exceeds to 1000 g/m³, the transmission will no longer vary visibly.     

CFD simulations of dust dispersion in the 20 L vessel: Effect of nominal dust concentration

Measurements of flammability and explosion parameters for dust/air mixtures require uniform dispersion of the dust cloud inside the test vessel. In a previous work, we showed that, in the standard 20 L sphere, the dust injection system does not allow generation of a uniform cloud, but rather high gradients of dust concentration are established. In this work, we used a previously validated three-dimensional CFD model to simulate the dust dispersion inside the 20 L sphere at different dust nominal concentrations (and fixed dust diameter). Results of numerical simulations have shown that, as the dust nominal concentration is increased, sedimentation prevails and, thus, when ignition is provided, the dust is mainly concentrated at the vessel walls.