Suppression of metal dust deflagrations

Dust explosions continue to pose a serious threat to the process industries handling combustible powders. According to a review carried out by the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) in 2006, 281 dust explosions were reported between 1980 and 2005 in the USA, killing 119 workers and injuring 718. Metal dusts were involved in 20% of these incidents. Metal dust deflagrations have also been regularly reported in Europe, China and Japan.The term “metal dusts” encompasses a large family of materials with diverse ignitability and explosibility properties. Compared to organic fuels, metal dusts such as aluminum or magnesium exhibit higher flame temperature (T_f), maximum explosion pressure (P_max), deflagration index (K_St), and flame speed (S_f), making mitigation more challenging. However, technological advances have increased the efficiency of active explosion protection systems drastically, so the mitigation of metal dust deflagrations has now become possible.This paper provides an overview of metal dust deflagration suppression tests. Recent experiments performed in a 4.4 m³ vessel have shown that aluminum dust deflagrations can be effectively suppressed at a large scale. It further demonstrates that metal dust deflagrations can be managed safely if the hazard is well understood.     

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 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 effects of powder suppressants on the explosions of oxyhydrogen gas

Suppression tests of oxyhydrogen gas explosions were performed in an explosion tube with five types of dry powder used as the suppressants. The experimental results showed that the powder with large dust cloud density and small radius has better suppression effect, which agrees well with previous correlative results. Moreover, our results also showed that particles with chemical activity and light material density, their suppression effect are more prominent than that of the inert particles with heavy density. To discover the detailed suppression process of dust powder, governing equations were developed based on the homogeneous reactive two-phase flow. The TVD scheme and the Lax–Wendroff–Rubin scheme were adopted to solve the reactive gas phase and particle phase, respectively. The time splitting technique was employed to handle the stiffness of the coupled equations. Our calculated results showed that the dust cloud has the suppression effect on the explosion of oxyhydrogen gas, and with the increase of dust cloud density or the decrease of particle diameter, its suppression effect become more evident, which is in good agreement with our experimental results, in addition, the numerical results showed that with the same particle diameter, the suppression performance is enhanced with the reduction in particle material density.     

Suppression effects of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate dry powder and melamine pyrophosphate powder on an aluminium dust cloud explosion

Selecting a suitable flame-retardant powder is essential for preventing or reducing the risk of aluminium dust cloud explosions. Two types of retardant materials were studied, namely ABC powder (a flame-retardant powder mainly composed of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate dry powder) and melamine pyrophosphate powder (MPP). A specially designed rectangular pipe was used to examine the influences and mass fractions of the aforementioned flame retardants and the effects of compounds on maximum explosion pressure and maximum explosion pressure rate of increase. The results showed that the explosion-suppression effects of MPP powder were superior to those of ABC powder. Furthermore, the suppression effects of combining ABC and MPP to form compounds in various ratios were explored. The explosion-suppression effects of the single flame-retardant powders and flame-retardant powder compound were compared, which revealed that the effects of the flame-retardant compound were intermediate to those of ABC and MPP used separately. No synergistic effect was observed in the compound retardant. However, component mass fractions influenced the retardant properties of the compound. The suppression mechanism was investigated through thermal analysis, which revealed that the decomposition of the two flame-retardant powders was an endothermic process that generated inert gas. The addition of flame-retardant powder delayed the time required by aluminium to break through its oxide film. However, the thermal analysis curve of the compound overlapped those of the two single powders, and no new chemical reaction occurred. Thus, no change was observed in the efficacy of the flame-retardant properties.     

Modeling of maize starch explosions in a 12 m3 silo

This paper presents a 2-dimensional numerical model of Eulerian–Lagrangian multi-phase combustion flow to predict maize starch explosions in a 12 m³ silo. The flow field after ignition, flame propagation velocity and pressure development histories etc. during the explosion, are calculated. The data of non-uniform initial conditions including dust concentration, flow velocity and turbulent RMS velocity in the silo for this model are adopted from Hauert, Vogl and Radandt (1994) [Hauert, F., Vogl, A., Radandt, S. (1994). Measurement of turbulence and dust concentration in silos and vessels. 6th international colloquium on dust explosions (pp. 71–80), Shenyang, China, August 28–September 2, 1994.]. A simple concept of dust granule taking into consideration dust dispersion efficiency is proposed and introduced. The Lagrangian method is used to trace trajectories and granules, so it is easier to consider particle size distribution. The k−ε model is used to simulate the turbulence of the gas phase, and the particle's pulsation is modeled by random vector wind generated by the surrounding gas. In the combustion model, vaporization of water, volatilization of volatile, gas phase reaction and the particle's surface reaction are taken into account.     

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.     

Modelling the mitigation of a hydrogen deflagration in a nuclear waste silo ullage with water fog

During the decommissioning of certain legacy nuclear waste storage plants it is possible that significant releases of hydrogen gas could occur. Such an event could result in the formation of a flammable mixture within the silo ullage and, hence, the potential risk of ignition and deflagration occurring, threatening the structural integrity of the silo. Very fine water mist fogs have been suggested as a possible method of mitigating the overpressure rise, should a hydrogen–air deflagration occur. In the work presented here, the FLACS CFD code has been used to predict the potential explosion overpressure reduction that might be achieved using water fog mitigation for a range of scenarios where a hydrogen–air mixture, of a pre-specified concentration (containing 800 L of hydrogen), uniformly fills a volume located in a model silo ullage space, and is ignited giving rise to a vented deflagration. The simulation results suggest that water fog could significantly reduce the peak explosion overpressure, in a silo ullage, for lower concentration hydrogen–air mixtures up to 20%, but would require very high fog densities to be achieved to mitigate 30% hydrogen–air mixtures.     

Charge reduction on polypropylene granules and suppression of incendiary electrostatic discharges by using a novel AC electrostatic ionizer

As a method to prevent or mitigate electrostatic charge and/or discharges, we have developed a novel AC electrostatic ionizer. In this study, we evaluated experimentally the practical version of the novel AC electrostatic ionizer with a modeling test system and a pneumatic powder transport facility. In addition, electrostatic discharges generated inside a silo while loading polypropylene (PP, 3 mm) granules were observed visually with/without the novel AC ionizer. The specific charge was clearly decreased with the novel AC electrostatic ionizer. The specific charge obtained with the four arranged AC electrostatic ionizers used was approximately one eighth of that without the AC ionizer. The incendiary bulk surface discharges completely died out inside the silo by using the four arranged ionizers.     

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.     

Suppression of methane explosions in a field-scale pipe

Suppression of passive and active explosions has been investigated in a field-scale pipe in this paper. Water recognized effective in explosion suppression has been chosen as the extinguishing agent, and the water mist formed by home developed passive and active explosion suppressors has been proved successfully to meet the practical requirements. The experimental results showed that the suppression effects depend on the density and length of water mist suspended inside the pipe, and both passive and active explosion suppressors can fully quench the explosion of methane–air mixture with the filling of enough water. The larger the mist density and length is, the better the suppression effect becomes. For passive explosion suppression, two suppressors with different arrangements have been discussed. Moreover, a critical curve was plotted based on the experimental results of active explosion suppressions, which can be applied to evaluate the suppression effects practically.     

基于锥形量热仪的几种防火布燃烧性能研究

生产企业常在电缆或者贵重高危机器处设置防火布来保护生产设备设施的消防安全,选取五种常用的防火布:石棉纤维防火布、陶瓷纤维防火布、硅胶防火布、涂胶防火布、碳素纤维防火布,通过锥形量热仪实验研究不同辐射强度对防火布燃烧性能的影响。结果表明:点燃时间的均方根倒数与辐射强度之间呈现线性关系;在35 kW/m~2辐射强度工况下,碳素纤维防火布的热释放速率最大,达到272.59 kW/m~2,有效燃烧热的峰值也最大,达到529.52 kJ/g;综合比较各样品的燃烧性能,防火能力强弱顺序为:硅胶防火布石棉纤维防火布陶瓷纤维防火布碳素纤维防火布涂胶防火布。     

烟火药中使用氯酸钾的爆炸危险性分析

通过对烟火药的爆炸条件和氯酸钾的物理化学性能进行分析,论述了含有氯酸钾的烟火药在机械摩擦、撞击、受潮、含有杂质、日光照射和高温气候条件下的爆炸危险性,得出烟火药中禁止使用氯酸钾的结论.     

二茂铁灭火实验平台研制与灭火有效性研究

虽然二茂铁作为新型的灭火剂已经受到很多学者的关注,且进行了大量的研究工作,但还没有二茂铁时于液相或固相燃烧的火焰的作用方面的相关研究.为此,建造了小尺寸的二茂铁灭火实验平台,用于二茂铁对液体火焰抑制作用的研究.该实验台可以测试二茂铁灭火过程中火焰的温度、烟气的成分和燃料的质量等参数的变化.本文对该实验台的装置的设计进行了详细的介绍,并列出了实验中的部分数据,实验数据表明,二茂铁在实验设计的工况下可以有效地熄灭酒精火.     

Prevention and suppression of explosions in gas-air and dust-air mixtures using powder aerosol-inhibitor

The prevention and suppression of explosions is a very topical field of research because annually hundreds of coal mine workers became their victims. In this research a very effective powder “powder for suppression of explosions” (“PSE”) for the suppression of explosions has been developed and tested. The experiments on suppression of explosions of a methane–air mixture (MAM) at a laboratory conditions using “PSE”-powder have been carried out. The possibility of lowering the power of coal-dust explosion with the help of a “PSE”-powder has been investigated. The feasibility of almost instantaneous disperse of powders using intentionally created mini-explosions (ammonal) was investigated. The barrel-suppressor of explosion in the experimental adit (tunnel) was studied and the large-scale tests for suppression of MAM-explosions in experimental adit were also subjects of study.     

基于锥形量热仪实验的卷烟及其包装材料燃烧特性研究

用ISO5660锥形量热仪研究了成品卷烟及其包装材料的燃烧特性,获得了这些材料在不同热辐射强度下的点燃时间和热释放速率等火灾特性参数.结果表明:烟支及其包装材料受热辐射时均可被点燃,热辐射强度越大,引燃时间越短;随辐射强度的升高样品的热释放速率呈递增趋势;在较强热辐射强度(≥25 kW/m2)下,组合样品的火灾危险性相对较大.     

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.     

不同粒径磷矿粉对玉米吸收积累重金属的影响

通过盆栽试验研究土壤中添加不同粒径磷矿粉对玉米吸收积累重金属的影响。结果表明,土壤中添加不同磷矿粉均可显著地降低玉米地上部和地下部的生物量。玉米植株对Cd、Zn、Cu和As的吸收积累也受不同粒径磷矿粉添加的影响。与对照处理相比,添加200μm、22μm和0.8μm的磷矿粉可导致玉米地上部Cd和As质量比分别降低14.1%~26.8%和15.4%~22.9%,玉米地上部Cu质量比和地下部As质量比分别提高5.2%~10.5%和56.3%~75.6%。与200μm和22μm相比,0.8μm磷矿粉可显著降低玉米根系对土壤Cu、Cd和Zn的吸收,说明该粒径磷矿粉是修复复合重金属污染土壤具有潜力的材料。     

Suppression of gas explosion using vacuum chamber at different break-up times of diaphragm

Vacuum chamber is a new method to suppress the gas explosion. The explosion propagation characteristics have been studied in an L-shaped channel (tubes joined a right angle) with a vacuum chamber in the region of joining of the tubes. The vacuum chamber separated from the inner tubular space with the help of a diaphragm pierced by firing pin. The results demonstrate that the effect of explosion suppression of vacuum chamber is related to the break-up time of diaphragm and the position of the explosive flame front. When the diaphragm breaks up, the shorter the distance of flame front propagation is, the closer the flame front gets to the vacuum chamber, and the better effect of explosion suppression is, conversely, the worse the effect of explosion suppression is.