Control of electrostatic charge for powder by using feedback control-type ionizer system

As a method to prevent or mitigate cone discharges in a specific section such as a large silo, we have developed a new feedback control-type ionizer system. The feedback control-type system is composed mainly of an ionizer, an electrostatic field strength meter, and computer control equipment. In this study, we evaluated experimentally the practical version of the feedback control-type ionizer system through several tests in a pneumatic powder transport facility. The specific charges of the falling pellets in the silo were also measured for 10 s using a Faraday cage. Polypropylene (PP) pellets with a mean particle size of 3 mm were used in this experiment. The results of the experiment revealed that the feedback control-type ionizer system had the following characteristics: (1) it is possible to control the performance of the ionizer with a supply current; (2) the electrostatic field strength in the loading pipe from the charged powder is reduced and maintained at near zero by using the feedback control-type system; and (3) the performance of the feedback control-type system is superior to that of others, such as the conventional AC- or DC-type ionizers.     

非平衡式双极性离子风消电技术与应用

为实现风送管道物料静电监测与控制，预防料仓静电燃爆事故，提高聚烯烃装置料仓安全水平，基于非平衡式双极性离子风消电技术，开发了双极性离子风消电器；基于离子风消电器和静电监测器，探讨了石化粉体料仓用离子风消电控制系统组成、电路、气路布局；对非平衡式双极性离子风消电系统进行现场应用测试。结果表明:基于此管道粉体消静电技术，合理调节正、负侧控制电压，可有效控制管道物料荷质比稳定在±0.3 μC/kg以内，保障聚烯烃装置料仓安全、稳定运行。     

Experimental study on the relationship between the charge amount of polypropylene granules and the frequency of electrostatic discharges while silo loading

This paper is a report on the relationship between the charge amount (charge to mass ratio, q/m) of polypropylene (PP, 2–3 mm) granules and the frequency of electrostatic discharges that occur while loading a metal silo. The feedback control system was used in order to control the q/m of PP granules. The electrostatic discharges inside the silo were also observed using a conventional image-intensifier system. The charging control range for PP granules was from 0 to −12 μC/kg in the q/m. The results obtained from the experiments show that (1) two kinds of electrostatic discharges were clearly observed inside a metal silo while loading PP granules, i.e., brush discharges and incendiary bulk surface discharges; (2) the number of brush discharges and incendiary bulk surface discharges increased with the increase in the q/m of PP granules, almost reaching saturation; and (3) brush discharges and incendiary bulk surface discharges began to occur at the −1.16 μC/kg and −2.33 μC/kg points in the q/m, respectively, in this study.     

Suppression of cone discharges in a powder silo using a grounded metal rod

While filling a large silo with coarse nonconductive powders, strong electrostatic sparks known as a cone discharge, which can become sufficiently energized to ignite a flammable dust cloud, often occur on the surface of a powder heap. In an attempt to mitigate or eliminate a cone discharge, a long metal rod with a pointed tip or a flat tip was vertically installed in the center of an experimental silo (1.5 m in diameter, 2 m in effective height) with the objective that the static charge might be released by the corona discharges or the surface potential of the powder heap reduced by the electric field reducing effect. The experimental results are summarized as follows:(1) No cone discharges were observed while the silo was being filled with polypropylene pellets when either a pointed tip or a flat-tip rod was installed so that its lower end was located 10 cm above or 30 cm below the heap surface level. A corona discharge that occurred on the pointed tip was shown to be effective to some extent in reducing the charge of the powder heap.(2) Brush discharges were observed near the metal rod and its support. However, we assume that the maximum energy was not high enough to ignite a dust cloud with minimum ignition energy greater than 3 mJ.     

Assessment of explosion risks caused by cone discharges when filling silos and containers with pellets

It is well known that during the filling of silos and containers with bulk material, so-called cone discharges can occur because of electrostatic charges. Whether or not cone discharges occur at all depends on whether the breakdown field strength of air under atmospheric conditions of 3 MV/m is reached at the silo and container inner wall. This in turn depends on the charge to mass ratio of the bulk, the bulk resistivity, the bulk density, the relative permittivity of the bulk material, the silo or container diameter and the filling rate. If cone discharges can't be avoided, the energy of cone discharges can be estimated according to the equation given in the relevant guidelines TRGS 727 (2016) and IEC/TS 60079-32-1 (2013). Therefore, the coarse fraction must be considered. As soon as the energy of the cone discharge is greater than or equal to the minimum ignition energy of the bulk material introduced, there is a risk of dust explosion. Here the fine fraction of the bulk material is relevant.The investigations described are a practical example how computer models can be used to assess the occurrence of cone discharges. It is calculated for which silo and container diameters and filling rates the critical field strength of 3 MV/m is reached. In these calculations the charge relaxation during pneumatic filling with bulk material is taken into account. The results of the computational modelling together with operational boundary conditions serve as a decision basis whether exclusion of incendive ignition sources is an adequate safety measure or whether further explosion protection measures must be considered. Finally, a brief overview of other possible explosion protection measures is given.     

Experimental study on electrostatic charging of polymer powders in mixing processes

Powder mixing is often carried out in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Electrostatic charges generated on polymer powders during mixing may lead to electrostatic problems due to the poor conductivity of those powders. In this study, we investigated the electrostatic charges, surface potential, and apparent volume resistivity of sample powders using a simple mixing device utilizing the Faraday cup method. To neutralize the charged powders, we also applied an AC-type ionizer in the mixing study. A commercial polyethylene powder with a mean particle size of 585 μm was tested in this experiment. The charge-to-mass ratios at the end of 600 s of mixing were ?0.075 nC/g at 295 rpm agitation speed, ?0.21 nC/g at 495 rpm, and ?0.31 nC/g at 660 rpm, high enough to cause electrostatic agglomeration and adhesion. The electric fields based on the surface potential on the powders were several hundreds of V/cm, too small to give rise to brush discharge. The apparent volume resistivity of powders estimated by a simple measurement system is 1.0 × 10¹⁶ Ωm, in reasonable agreement with that acquired by the conventional test cell method (5.9 × 10¹⁵ Ωm). The charging level on the polymer powders was reduced with an AC-ionizer.     

Characteristics and hazards of electrostatic discharges in air

In the assessment of electrostatic hazards in the process industries, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on the determination of energies in spark discharges. There are, however, other electrostatic discharge phenomena where this approach has severe limitations. The purpose of this paper is to describe the state-of-the-art with respect to electrostatic discharges in gases (air). An in depth review of the literature has been made, and the various types of discharges are tabulated and discussed.     

混合药物粉尘输运过程静电特性实验研

兽药制药粉尘加工工艺过程中,由于粉尘颗粒之间或颗粒与设备、管壁之间的碰撞、摩擦,导致装置内部静电荷量积聚,激发静电放电,粉尘燃烧或爆炸的事故频发。实验主要通过包括粉尘与管材摩擦的漏电电流测试和静电放电火花对粉尘云点燃敏感性测试两部分。结果表明:单一药物药粉的静电漏电电流随着管材管径的增大,管长的增长,静电漏电电流逐渐变大;随着倾斜角的增大,静电漏电电流先增大后降低;镀锌铁管的漏电电流大于PVC管,电荷逸散速度更快。单一兽药粉的粉尘云放电火花最小点燃能量随质量浓度的变化,呈现二次曲线的变化趋势。混合兽药粉与单一兽药粉的漏电电流和粉尘云放电火花最小点燃能量的测试结果的变化趋势是一致的。     

Evaluation of the explosibility of malt grain dust based on static electrification during pneumatic transportation

The possibility of dust explosions by static electricity in a malt grain silo was investigated. Two kinds of experimental equipment were applied. One was to supply electrostatic charge in order to investigate the charge build up characteristics. The other was to transport the malt grain pneumatically in order to investigate the frictional charge accumulation in the transportation system.

The particle charge of the pulverized malt grain was in the order of 10⁻¹⁴ C. The particle charge of the malt grain was in the order of 10⁻⁹ C and the pipe charge in the transport system was also in the order of 10⁻⁹ C. The charge accumulated on both the pulverized particle and the grain particle were small in view of the incendiary potentiality. However, attention must be paid when the particles are dumped into isolated space. There might be a charge accumulation that will lead to the ignition of the dust cloud.     

Minimum ignition energies of pure magnesium powders due to electrostatic discharges and nitrogen's effect

This paper experimentally investigated the relation between the minimum ignition energy (MIE) of magnesium powders as well as the effect of inert nitrogen (N₂) on the MIE. The modified Hartmann vertical-tube apparatus and four kinds of different-sized pure magnesium powders (median particle size, D50; 28.1 μm–89.8 μm) were used in this study. The MIE of the most sensitive magnesium powder was 4 mJ, which was affected by the powder particle size (D50; 28.1 μm). The MIE of magnesium powder increased with an increase in the N₂ concentration for the inerting technique. The magnesium dust explosion with an electrostatic discharge of 1000 mJ was suppressed completely at an N₂ concentration range of more than 98%. The experimental data presented in this paper will be useful for preventing magnesium dust explosions generated from electrostatic discharges.     

车用乙醇汽油静电起电特性试验研究

为研究乙醇汽油使用过程中存在的静电风险及带电变化规律,基于自主研发的油品电荷密度表,试验研究了乙醇含量对管输汽油静电带电规律的影响,获得乙醇体积含量0~5%的管输油品静电数据;对油库内乙醇汽油装车作业及加油站加油作业乙醇汽油静电起电特性进行了试验研究。研究结果表明:随着乙醇含量的增加,油品静电呈现先增大后减小的趋势;乙醇体积含量在0.5%~1%时,油品静电起电量最高可达到-77.2 μC/m3,为此需注意乙醇汽油调配过程中可能存在的静电风险;高电导率的车用乙醇汽油在加油作业时,油品静电起电量较低。     

Electrostatic charges during liquid leakage

Leakage accidents of pressurized flammable liquids often occur in chemical plants. To investigate electrostatic hazards due to liquid leakage, the amounts of electrostatic charge during the leakage were observed. The electric field of the clouds generated by liquid leakage was also examined. Various types of pipeline have been designed in consideration of potential leakage that might lead to accidents during industrial processes. Leakage pressure in the range of 0.1–0.3 MPa was used. With regard to the materials, water and kerosene were used. The results obtained from the experiments show that electrostatic charges depend on leakage parameters, such as the type of liquid, the gasket material between flanges, and the pipeline pressure. In all tests, the amount of the electrostatic charges of water, 0.12–0.83 μC/kg, was larger than that of kerosene, ?0.04 to 0.16 μC/kg. The maximum value of the electric field, generated from the leakage liquid in this study, 40.9 v/cm, is a safe level. No incendiary electrostatic sparks, such as brush and/or spark discharges, were detected in our tests.     

加油站油流静电在线监测技术及应用

为提高加油站安全作业水平,分析了卸油、加油过程中油流静电起电因素和常用检测方法。根据高斯定理从理论上探讨了通过测量输油管道内中心电位得到油流静电电荷密度的检测原理,并基于杆球传感器以及压电传感器技术设计开发了油品静电在线监测仪,实现了对加油枪前后、加油机内部管线及过滤器油品带电情况的在线监测。测试结果表明:基于此静电监测技术,建立加油站油流电荷监测与联锁控制措施,可有效避免油品静电燃爆事故的发生,保障加油站安全生产。     

易燃易爆场所静电事故链路及断链减灾模式

为了探究易燃易爆场所静电事故形成过程及防护机理,基于事故链式理论,以及静电点燃源形成过程和爆炸性环境形成过程这2条并行支链,绘制了易燃易爆场所静电事故链路;通过事故案例说明了静电事故链路的实用性;研究了静电荷、易燃/可燃物质在外界扰动作用下的特征形态。研究结果表明:静电事故断链减灾模式包括静电点燃源断链减灾模式、爆炸性环境断链减灾模式以及降低事故影响的事故后果断链减灾模式;针对静电事故的各类断链减灾模式,提出了相应的防护措施,可为易燃易爆场所静电事故防护提供系统性的指导方案。     

Test methodology for determining the incendiary nature and electrostatic discharge characteristics of plastic surfaces

This experimental study was originally designed to quantify the electrostatic characteristics of offshore grade fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) pipes [Dastidar, A. G., Dahn, C. J., Cole, B. W., & Lo, K. H. (2005a). Electrostatic characteristics of FRP pipes. In Fourth international conference on composite materials for offshore operation, Houston, TX, Oct 4–6, 2005]. Discharge energies were measured from the sample surfaces for each test condition after an aggressive corona charging of up to −40 kV. While the measured values of total discharge energy were relatively high for some samples, the energy in the first peak was significantly lower. The first peak energy is thought to be the most significant measure in establishing the potential for incendive events.

To further quantify the incendive potential of discharges from FRP pipes, a unique test method was developed [Dastidar, A. G., Dahn, C. J., Cole, B. W., & Lo, K. H., (2005b). Incendiary nature and electrostatic discharge characteristics of FRP pipes. In Fourth international conference on composite materials for offshore operation, Houston, TX, Oct 4–6, 2005]. The methodology has been expanded to include other FRP components. This paper describes the test method and the test results obtained for testing several FRP structures and materials (pipes, grill work, railing etc.). The significance of the experimental results to industry is also discussed.     

Characterization of the ignition by repetitive streamer discharges using laser diagnostics

Repetitive streamer discharges caused by transients, e.g. due to high frequency overvoltages, can ignite combustible mixtures, which has to be taken into account concerning the safety assessment of electrical apparatus for usage in hazardous areas. Hydrogen/air mixtures were ignited inside a closed vessel using a rod/plane electrode configuration. Alternating voltage with a frequency between 600 and 750 kHz and amplitudes of up to 20 kV was used to produce streamer discharges. The ignition process and the subsequent flame front propagation were examined with respect to mixture composition and several electrical parameters using time-resolved measurements of planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of OH radicals. A multiple pulse laser and detection system was used to assemble four images during one experiment. These measurements have given detailed information about the point of ignition and flame velocities. The experimental results will be used to validate numerical simulations of ignition by streamer discharges, which will yield deep insights into this specific ignition process.     

Evaluation of the parameters influencing electrostatic charging of powder in a pipe flow

Triboelectric charging of powders during pneumatic transport can lead to hazardous spark discharges. In this study, the charging process was studied numerically by means of large eddy simulations. A range of design parameters was then analyzed statistically applying the Design of Experiments methodology. It is shown that the electric charge of the powder can be significantly decreased by reducing the conveying air velocity. Furthermore, the usage of pipes of a larger diameter and the application of higher solid mass flow rates also reduce the powder charge.     

Analysis of dust distribution in silo during axial filling using computational fluid dynamics: Assessment on dust explosion likelihood

In this study, the dust distribution in a silo during axial filling was modelled using a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. The work focused on the dust concentration distribution in the silo, for evaluating the likelihood of a dust explosion in the silo. The simulation was conducted using a combination of renormalized (RNG) k-epsilon and discrete phase models, with standard pressure interpolation and a second order upwind scheme. The predicted dust concentration distribution showed a good agreement with experimental data adopted from the literature. It was found that the dust concentration distribution was influenced by mean velocity and turbulence flow. The simulation results suggest that the cornstarch concentration inside the silo was always above the lower explosion limit (LEL), hence requiring a mitigating action or a control system to reduce the explosion risk.     

Electrostatic ignition hazards arising from fuel flow in plastic pipelines

The use of electrically insulating synthetic materials, such as plastics, for fuel pipelines and other fuel handling components is now becoming widespread. In the case of buried or underground pipelines in filling station forecourts the use of these materials offers superior corrosion resistance and increased longevity. This in turn reduces the risk of pollution due to fuel leakage. It is well reported that the flow of fuel under certain conditions in metal pipes can produce significant levels of electrostatic charge on the fuel. Little work, however, has been undertaken on plastic pipe where charge can accumulate at the fuel/pipe wall interface.This paper reports on tests performed on a full-scale, high-density, polyethylene pipework system. During the tests, an iso-octane/toluene fuel mix of controlled and known electrical conductivity was transferred through the system at varying flow rates. Both buried and free-standing pipeline configurations were simulated. A number of test runs were performed yielding considerable data relating to the resultant electrostatic activity including electrostatic potential, the nature and location of electrostatic discharges and the discharge energy. The influence of components such as in-line valves and couplings, which have a metallic component, are also evaluated. The extensive data resulting from this study are presented graphically. The paper concludes with an analytical section and draws important conclusions with regard to the parameters influencing the degree of ignition hazard present.     

Ignitability of aluminous coating powders due to electrostatic spark

Electrostatic Powder coating which is a surface finishing technique has widely been used in paint industry since its invention in the 1960s. However, so far, insufficient attention has been paid to the powder fires and/or explosion hazards caused by electrostatic spark during coating process. This paper is a report of the electrostatic spark ignitability of aluminous coating powders (dry blend-type) used in practical electrostatic powder coating. The Hartman vertical-tube apparatus was used for the minimum ignition energy (MIE) test. Various aluminous coating powders, different with respect to the amount of aluminum pigment, were used in this study. Experimental results obtained in this study are as follows: (1) The aluminous coating powder was so sensitive that even an electrostatic spark with an energy as low as 10 mJ could ignite it. (2) The particle size of aluminous coating powder has a considerable effect on the ignitability when the aluminum pigment concentration is within 6 wt% of the practical coating powder manufacturing standards. Thus, the conventional expression for estimating the MIE can be useful when assessing the electrostatic hazards associated with aluminum coating powders.