Application of inherent safety principles to dust explosion prevention and mitigation

The aim of the current work is to explicitly link the inherent safety principles of minimization, substitution, moderation and simplification with strategies for dust explosion prevention and mitigation. A brief review of inherent safety and its basic principles is first given. This is followed by a discussion of various ways in which the dust explosion hazard can be minimized, substituted, moderated and simplified. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between each inherent safety principle and (i) various dust explosibility parameters, (ii) alternate methods of processing, (iii) selection of process equipment, and (iv) development and implementation of safe-work procedures. Original research results are presented, along with industrial case studies and previously published results that have been reinterpreted in terms of inherent safety and its basic principles. It is anticipated that this research will be of value to industry as a complement to the relatively well-established suite of engineered and procedural dust explosion risk reduction measures.     

Recent trends in rock dust modifications for improved dispersion and coal dust explosion mitigation

Underground coal mine explosions is perhaps the most hazardous danger in the coal mining industries. Efforts have been made to abate the coal dust explosion by applying rock dust either dry or wet. Dry dust has the best lift characteristic which efficiently quenches the flame propagation of a potential explosion. As a trade-off, undesired respirable dust particles are thereby generated imposing a severe health hazard on coal miners. Wet dusting is an alternative to dry dusting which significantly reduces the exposure to respirable dust particles. However, wet dust is subject to adverse caking issues which lead to a drastic reduction in the dispersibility of the particles. The present work summarizes the studies conducted to date regarding the surface modification of rock dust particles for the purpose of eliminating or alleviating the problems accompanying coal mine dusting applications, meanwhile improving the dispersive properties of dust particles and the ability to suppress the coal dust explosion.     

木制品企业粉尘爆炸灾害与防治

分析了木制品企业发生粉尘爆炸的潜在危险性，以某木制品企业的一起木材粉尘爆炸事故为例，对事故发生的过程和原因进行了仔细分析，在此基础上从预防和防护两个方面提出了防止类似系统发生火灾及粉尘爆炸事故的措施。     

Applications of dust explosion hazard and disaster prevention technology

Powdered materials are widely used in industrial processes, chemical processing, and nanoscience. Because most flammable powders and chemicals are not pure substances, their flammability and self-heating characteristics cannot be accurately identified using safety data sheets. Therefore, site staff can easily underestimate the risks they pose. Flammable dust accidents are frequent and force industrial process managers to pay attention to the characteristics of flammable powders and create inherently safer designs.This study verified that although the flammable powders used by petrochemical plants have been tested, some powders have different minimum ignition energies (MIEs) before and after drying, whereas some of the powders are released of flammable gases. These hazard characteristics are usually neglected, leading to the neglect of preventive parameters for fires and explosions, such as dust particle size specified by NFPA-654, MIE, the minimum ignition temperature of the dust cloud, the minimum ignition temperature of the dust layer, and limiting oxygen concentration. Unless these parameters are fully integrated into process hazard analysis and process safety management, the risks cannot be fully identified, and the reliability of process hazard analysis cannot be improved to facilitate the development of appropriate countermeasures. Preventing the underestimation of process risk severity due to the fire and explosion parameters of unknown flammable dusts and overestimation of existing safety measures is crucial for effective accident prevention.     

Manganese mill dust explosion

A process dust explosion in a manganese pulverizing plant is described and probable causes of the incident are discussed. Explosibility and ignition characterization data are presented. An assessment is made of the feasibility of the use of deflagration suppression as a method of explosion protection in fine metal powder process systems.     

Ignitability assessment of shredder dusts of refrigerator and the prevention of the dust explosion

Explosibility of polyurethane dusts produced in the recycling process of refrigerator and the ways to prevent the dust explosion were studied. In recent years, cyclopentane is often used as the foaming agent and this produces explosive atmosphere in the shredding process. The minimum explosive concentration of polyurethane dust, influence of coexisting cyclopentane gas on the explosibility, effect of relative humidity on the minimum explosive concentration of polyurethane dusts, the minimum ignition energy, influence of cyclopentane mixture on the explosion severity, etc. were investigated.The minimum explosive dust concentration decreased with the increase of cyclopentane concentration and increased with the increase of relative humidity. The minimum ignition energy was about 11 mJ. The ignition energy decreased with the increase of the cyclopentane gas concentration. The cyclopentane gas concentration up to about 5300 ppm did not influence too much on the explosion index (K_st) and maximum explosion pressure. From these, it would be a good way to increase the relative humidity and to regulate the cyclopentane concentration in the shredding process to prevent the dust explosion hazard.     

除尘管道内木粉尘爆炸压力传播规律研究

为了探明除尘管道中粉尘爆炸压力的传播规律,利用自制通风除尘管道爆炸特性测试装置进行试验。研究结果表明:整个管道中粉尘爆炸压力波的传播过程可以分为自由传播阶段、管壁反射阶段和一维传播阶段;压力波在传递过程中处于边移动边生长的状态,具有压力累积效应;除尘管道中粉尘爆炸压力波幅及平均升压速率均与粒径呈负相关关系,二者随浓度变化呈现先上升后下降的趋势;利用Matlab分析了浓度、粒径对压力波的交互效应,表明二者交互作用显著。     

Aluminium dust explosion risk analysis in metal workings

The aim of this paper is to present a risk analysis method that can be applied to factories where combustible dust is handled, in the form of raw materials, products or by-products, and therefore at risk to explosion. The work was carried out on site: a consistent number of companies that deal with the surface finishing of objects in aluminium through grinding were examined. The aluminium powder produced as a by-product is generally captured by suction plants and then subjected to dry or wet type abatement. In order to provide a rational approach to the risk assessment and frequency estimation, each company was divided into the so-called fields of study; and four risk assessment topics were identified for each field. A brief review of the methods that are available for the consequence magnitude estimation, regarding both the pressure wave and the launching of missiles, is also provided.     

Risk assessment method of polyethylene dust explosion based on explosion parameters

The explosion characteristic parameters of polyethylene dust were systematically investigated. The variations in the maximum explosion pressure (P_max), explosion index (K_st), minimum ignition energy (MIE), minimum ignition temperature (MIT), and minimum explosion concentration (MEC) of dust samples with different particle sizes were obtained. Using experimental data, a two-dimensional matrix analysis method was applied to classify the dust explosion severity based on P_max and K_st. Then, a three-dimensional matrix was used to categorize the dust explosion sensitivity based on three factors: MIE, MIT, and MEC. Finally, a two-dimensional matrix model of dust explosion risk assessment was established considering the severity and sensitivity. The model was used to evaluate the explosion risk of polyethylene dust samples with different particle sizes. It was found that the risk level of dust explosion increased with decreasing particle size, which was consistent with the actual results. The risk assessment method can provide a scientific basis for dust explosion prevention in the production of polyethylene.     

Current status and expected future trends in dust explosion research

In spite of extensive research and development for more than 100 years to prevent and mitigate dust explosions in the process industries, this hazard continues to threaten industries that manufacture, use and/or handle powders and dusts of combustible materials. Lack of methods for predicting real dust cloud structures and flame propagation processes has been a major obstacle to prediction of course and consequences of dust explosions in practice. However, work at developing comprehensive numerical simulation models for solving these problems is now on its way. This requires detailed experimental and theoretical studies of the physics and chemistry of dust cloud generation and combustion. The present paper discusses how this kind of work will promote the development of means for prevention and mitigation of dust explosions in practice. However, progress in other areas will also be discussed, e.g. ignition prevention. The importance of using inherently safe process design, building on knowledge in powder science and technology, and of systematic education/training of personnel, is also emphasized.     

粉碎研磨设备粉尘爆炸的预防

粉碎研磨设备火灾爆炸事故发生率较高。针对该过程的火险特点,防火对策应从防止粉尘沉积,消除粉尘源,防止摩擦、撞击、生热,消除静电危害,搞好工艺防火,惰性介质保护,设置防爆泄压装置,粉尘爆炸的抑制,火灾事故处理措施,加强消防安全教育诸方面加以考虑。     

Experiment-based investigations of magnesium dust explosion characteristics

An experimental investigation was carried out on magnesium dust explosions. Tests of explosion severity, flammability limit and solid inerting were conducted thanks to the Siwek 20 L vessel and influences of dust concentration, particle size, ignition energy, initial pressure and added inertant were taken into account. That magnesium dust is more of an explosion hazard than coal dust is confirmed and quantified by contrastive investigation. The Chinese procedure GB/T 16425 is overly conservative for LEL determination while EN 14034-3 yields realistic LEL data. It is also suggested that 2000-5000 J is the most appropriate ignition energy to use in the LEL determination of magnesium dusts, using the 20 L vessel. It is essential to point out that the overdriving phenomenon usually occurs for carbonaceous and less volatile metal materials is not notable for magnesium dusts. Trends of faster burning velocity and more efficient and adiabatic flame propagation are associated with fuel-rich dust clouds, smaller particles and hyperbaric conditions. Moreover, Inerting effectiveness of CaCO₃ appears to be higher than KCl values on thermodynamics, whereas KCl represents higher effectiveness upon kinetics. Finer inertant shows better inerting effectiveness.     

Flameless venting of dust explosion: Testing and modeling

Flameless venting is a sort of dual mitigation technique allowing, in principle, to vent a process vessel inside a building where people are working without transmitting a flame outside the protected vessel. Existing devices are an assembly of a vent panel and a metal filter so that the exploding cloud and the flame front is forced to go through the filter. Within the frame of ATEX Directive, those systems need to be certified. To do so a standard (NF EN 16009) has been issued describing which criteria need to be verified/measured. Among them, the “efficiency” factor as defined earlier for standard vents. This implies that flameless venting systems are basically considered as vents. But is it really so? This question is discussed on the basis of experimental results and some implications on the practical use and certification process are drawn. The practical experience of INERIS in testing such systems is presented in this paper. Schematically, with a flameless vent the pressure is discharged but not the flame so that combustion is proceeding to a much longer extent inside the vessel than with a classical vent so that the physics of the explosion is different. In particular it is shown that besides the problem of the unloading of the confined explosion, there is a highly complicated fluid mechanics problem of a fluid-particle flow passing through a porous media (the flameless device grids arrangement in the filter), which passing surface is progressively reduced. To characterize Flameless venting the problem can be addressed sequentially, considering separately the vent panel and the flameless mesh. A model is proposed to estimate the overall venting efficiency of the flameless vent. However, it does not address the flame quenching issue, which is a different problem of heat exchange between the devices and the evacuated burnt products.     

Experimental mine and laboratory dust explosion research at NIOSH

This paper describes dust explosion research conducted in an experimental mine and in a 20-L laboratory chamber at the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The primary purpose of this research is to improve safety in mining, but the data are also useful to other industries that manufacture, process, or use combustible dusts. Explosion characteristics such as the minimum explosible concentration and the rock dust inerting requirements were measured for various combustible dusts from the mining industries. These dusts included bituminous coals, gilsonite, oil shales, and sulfide ores. The full-scale tests were conducted in the Lake Lynn experimental mine of NIOSH. The mine tests were initiated by a methane–air explosion at the face (closed end) that both entrained and ignited the dust. The laboratory-scale tests were conducted in the 20-L chamber using ignitors of various energies. One purpose of the laboratory and mine comparison is to determine the conditions under which the laboratory tests best simulate the full-scale tests. The results of this research showed relatively good agreement between the laboratory and the large-scale tests in determining explosion limits. Full-scale experiments in the experimental mine were also conducted to evaluate the explosion resistance characteristics of seals that are used to separate non-ventilated, inactive workings from active workings of a mine. Results of these explosion tests show significant increases in explosion overpressure due to added coal dust and indications of pressure piling.     

Efficiency of triggered barriers in dust explosion suppression in galleries

The paper describes large-scale tests of triggered barriers of different design. Main stress was put on examining suitability of the flame detector developed in US Bureau of Mines to work as a trigger for the barriers. It was found that the detector works satisfactorily with the barriers of different design providing a suitable mean to suppress explosions in galleries, either in mines or in other industries.     

Incendiary characteristics of electrostatic discharge for dust and gas explosion

Paying attention to the ignition potentiality of static electricity, the relation between the discharge characteristics and the ignition of a dust cloud and the gas produced was studied, applying an electrical power supply of which the electrical circuit is adjustable. The effect of ignition characteristics on dust and gas explosions was investigated. The results of the study indicate that the probability of an explosion is influenced by the minimum ignition energy, spark duration time, feeding rate of ignition energy, circuit capacitance, ignition voltage, etc.     

不同粒径镁铝合金粉尘爆炸与抑爆特性研究

为了研究镁铝合金粉爆炸危险特性,利用20L球形爆炸容器进行测试,结果表明:180目 (80 μm)、 120目(125 μm) 和60目(250 μm)3种粒径下的金属粉尘爆炸下限浓度分别为45 g/m3,55 g/m3和95 g/m3。相同浓度下最大爆炸压力随粒径增大的而减小。以碳化硅和石墨为代表的研究中,60目,120目和180目的镁铝合金粉以10%的浓度梯度加入碳化硅浓度分别至50%,70%和80%,石墨浓度至30%,50%和60%时,镁铝合金粉不会发生爆炸。表明碳化硅及石墨等惰性粉尘都能对粉尘爆炸有抑制作用,其中石墨对镁铝合金粉的抑爆作用明显优于碳化硅。     

Simple devices to prevent dust explosion propagation in charge chutes and pipes

This paper is a report of an experimental programme of work to develop inexpensive dust explosion propagation prevention devices. Two types of device were investigated: one is intended for use with charge chutes attached to process vessels and one is intended for use with pipes attached to process vessels. Three dusts were used with K_St values up to 308 bar m s^-1. Both devices were found to be effective and resulted in the elimination or significant reduction in the flame from the charge chute or the pipeline.     

硬脂酸粉尘爆炸特性试验研究

为研究硬脂酸粉尘的爆炸特性,采用20 L球型爆炸仪对4个粒径范围的硬脂酸粉尘进行粉尘爆炸试验研究。结果表明:一定浓度范围内增大粉尘浓度能够提升硬脂酸粉尘的爆炸能量和燃烧速率。增大粉尘浓度,爆炸猛烈度先增强后减弱;减小粉尘粒径,能增强爆炸猛烈度和敏感度。粒径小于58 μm粉尘的爆炸猛烈度和敏感度最大,浓度500 g/m3时,该粉尘有最大爆炸压力1.12 MPa和最大升压速率142.00 MPa/s。