Theoretical estimation of the lower flammability limit of fuel-air mixtures at elevated temperatures and pressures

We present an approach for predicting the lower flammability limits of combustible gas in air. The influence of initial pressure and temperature on lower flammability limit has been examined in this study. The lower flammability limits of methane, ethylene and propane in air are estimated numerically at the pressure from one to 100 bar and the temperature from ambient to 1200 K. It was found that the predicted LFLs of methane, ethylene and propane decrease slightly with the elevated pressure at the high temperature. The LFLs variation for methane-air mixture is 0.17, 0.18, 0.18 volume% with the initial pressure from one to 100  bar at the initial temperature of 800 K, 1000 K and 1200 K respectively, which is significantly higher than that at lower temperature. And the LFL of methane-air mixture at 1200 K and 100 bar reaches 1.03 volume% which is much lower than that at 1 bar and ambient temperature. On the other hand, the LFLs variation is 0.11–0.12 volume% for ethylene-air mixture and 0.06–0.07 volume% for propane-air mixture with the initial temperature from 800 K to 1200 K at the same range of pressure. The LFL values at high temperatures and pressures represent higher risk of explosion.     

Flow and flame visualization near the upper flammability limits of methane/air and propane/air mixtures at elevated pressures

In this study, direct visualization of flow and flame from the ignition of methane/air and propane/air mixtures near the UFL at elevated pressures of up to 2.0 MPa were obtained with a test cell comprised of double-sided plexiglass and a containment vessel with double-sided glass. These visualizations allowed direct observations of ignition and flame near UFL at elevated pressures. Two distinctive features were observed in ignition at elevated pressures that differ from those under ambient pressure: the hot igniter formed a convective plume, rather than a convection cell; and the flame initiated from the top of the test cell and propagated downwards, rather than directly from the igniter. Both these distinctive features are characteristics of convection at high Rayleigh number accompanied with increased gas density at elevated pressures. Our study also shows that visualization of the formation of planar flame provides the most objective criterion for defining flammability limits at elevated pressures.     

A correlation of the lower flammability limit for hybrid mixtures

Hybrid mixtures are widely encountered in industries such as coal mines, paint factories, pharmaceutical industries, or grain elevators. Hybrid mixtures explosions involving dust and gas can cause great loss of lives and properties. The lower flammability limit (LFL) is a critical parameter when conducting a hazard assessment or developing mitigation methods for processes involving hybrid mixtures. Unlike unitary dust or gas explosions, which have been widely studied in past decades, only minimal research focuses on hybrid mixtures, and data concerning hybrid mixtures can rarely be found. Although methods to predict the LFL have been developed by using either Le Chatelier's Law, which was initially proposed for homogeneous gas mixtures, or the Bartknecht curve, which was adopted for only certain hybrid mixtures, significant deviations still remain. A more accurate correlation to predict an LFL for a hybrid mixtures explosion is necessary for risk assessment. This work focuses on the study of hybrid mixtures explosions in a 36 L dust explosion apparatus including mixtures of methane/niacin, methane/cornstarch, ethane/niacin and ethylene/niacin in air. By utilizing basic characteristics of unitary dust or gas explosions, a new formula is proposed to improve the prediction of the LFL of the mixture. The new formula is consistent with Le Chatelier's Law.     

Experimental investigation of the lower flammability limit of volatile liquid fuel-aluminum powder mixtures in air

Aluminum powder was always chosen as an additive to improve the explosive performance. In this work, experiments were performed to investigate the lower flammability limit (LFL) of volatile liquid fuel-aluminum powder mixtures using a 20 L closed spherical stainless steel vessel at a temperature of 20 °C (293 K) and 40 °C (313 K). The volatile liquid fuels tested in the work were diethyl ether (DEE), epoxypropane (PO), n-pentane and n-hexane. DEE, PO and n-pentane are in the liquid phase at room temperature and can easily transition to the gas phase at 40 °C (313 K). Through a series of experiments carried out, it was found that the change in phase would affect the interaction between the components. Aluminum powder always has an inhibitory effect on the flammability of the mixtures when it is mixed with gas-phase fuels. The inhibition effect was most obvious when the aluminum powder concentration reached 200 g/m³. While the interaction between aluminum powder and liquid-phase volatile fuels was promotion and was influenced by the component proportion and the type of the volatile fuels.     

Validation of a new formula for predicting the lower flammability limit of hybrid mixtures

A correlation of the lower flammability limit for hybrid mixtures was recently proposed by us. The experimental conditions including ignition energy and turbulence which play a primary role in a gas or dust explosion were at fixed values. The sensitivity of such experimental conditions to the accuracy of the proposed formula was not thoroughly discussed in the previous work. Therefore, this work studied the effect of varying the ignition energy and turbulence intensity to the formula proposed in our previous paper. For ignition energy effect, results from methane/niacin mixture demonstrated that the MEC and LFL will not be affected by changing ignition energy. There is no distinguishable difference among gas explosion index (K_G) and dust explosion index (K_St) derived from tests with every ignition energy (2.5 kJ, 5 kJ and 10 kJ) in a 36 L vessel. The proposed formula is independent of ignition energy. For turbulence effect, the proposed formula can have a good prediction of the explosion and non-explosion zone if the ignition delay time is within a certain range. The formula prediction is good as the ignition delay time increases up to 100 ms in this work. Propane/niacin and propane/cornstarch mixtures are also tested to validate the proposed formula. It has been confirmed that the proposed formula predicts the explosion and non-explosion zone boundary of such mixtures.     

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.     

On the explosion and flammability behavior of mixtures of combustible dusts

In the work presented in this paper, the explosion and flammability behavior of combustible dust mixtures was studied. Lycopodium, Nicotinic acid and Ascorbic acid were used as sample dusts.In the case of mixtures of two dusts, the minimum explosive concentration is reproduced well by a Le Chatelier's rule-like formula, whereas the minimum ignition energy is a linear combination of the ignition energies of the pure dusts.An unexpected behavior has been found in relation to the explosion behavior and the reactivity. When mixing Lycopodium and Nicotinic acid or Ascorbic acid, the rate of pressure rise of the mixture is much higher than the rate of pressure rise obtained by linearly averaging the values of the pure dusts (according to their weight proportions), thus suggesting that strong synergistic effects arise; but it is comparable to that of the most reactive dust in the mixture.The observed behavior seems to be linked to the presence of minerals in the Lycopodium particles which catalyze oxidation reactions of Nicotinic acid and Ascorbic acid, as suggested by TG analysis.In the case of mixtures of three dusts, a similar behavior is observed when the concentration of Lycopodium is twice that of the other two dusts.     

Effects of N2 and CO2 on the flammability of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene at elevated temperatures

The flammability characteristics of refrigerants are affected by environmental factors, making them prone to flammability and explosion accidents in cooling systems. In this paper, the flammability characteristics of R1234yf–air mixtures with N₂ and CO₂ were investigated comparatively at temperatures between 20 and 50 °C at 80% relative humidity. The lower and upper flammability limits of R1234yf were measured. The limiting oxygen concentration (LOC), critical flammable ratio (CFR), and critical flammable concentration (CFC) of the R1234yf–air mixtures with inert gases were investigated. The paper developed a linear formula between the flammability limit of R1234yf and the temperature. The changes in CFC with different temperatures were negligible for R1234yf. Furthermore, the mixed refrigerant had both non-flammability and the lowest vapor pressure when the CFR of the R1234yf/CO₂ mixture was 2.9. The experimental results were used to propose a new prediction model to estimate the flammability limits of R1234yf. Finally, molecular simulation explained the effect of inert gases on the flammability of R1234yf from a microscopic point of view. The research aimed to provide valid evidence and data for preventing flammable and explosive refrigerant incidents.     

Effect of initial pressure on the lower explosion limit of nicotinic acid/acetone mixture

In the work presented in this paper, the effect of initial pressure on the lower explosion limit (LEL) of the hybrid nicotinic acid/acetone mixture was investigated through standard explosion tests carried out in the 20 L sphere. From experimental results, the flammability diagram was built in the plane (concentration/minimum explosive concentration) of nicotinic acid versus (concentration/LEL) of acetone. Interestingly, it has been found that, in going from low pressures (P < 1 atm) to high pressures (P > 1 atm), the extension of the flammability region increases. This behavior has been attributed to the fact that the turbulence kinetic energy (and thus the energy dissipation) decreases with increasing initial pressure. Bartknecht's correlation for LEL of hybrid mixtures was modified to take into account the effect of pressure, and two correlations were obtained able to give satisfactory predictions of experimental data at both low pressures and high pressures.     

瓦斯爆炸过程中火焰传播的实验与数值模拟研究

为了研究矿井瓦斯爆炸火焰发展过程中结构与参数的动态变化特征,建立小尺寸管道气体爆炸实验平台,结合高速纹影摄影技术,探测了不同浓度的甲烷-空气预混气体火焰在管道内传播的结构变化特性,并得出速度变化特征曲线。同时建立相应的数学模型和物理模型,通过模拟实验研究管道内气体爆炸反应过程中火焰传播速度变化过程,计算图像和实验图像走向趋向一致。     

乙醇汽油自燃温度及爆炸极限测试

为评估不同标号乙醇汽油(E10)的燃爆危险特性,补充完善乙醇汽油的技术指标,首次采用AIT551自燃温度测试仪和FRTA爆炸极限测试仪测试了E10的自燃温度和爆炸极限,并分析了温度对乙醇汽油爆炸极限的影响规律。结果表明:90号、93号、97号E10自燃温度分别为373℃、339℃、373℃,对应着火延迟时间为8 s、9 s、8s;90号、93号、97号E10的爆炸范围分别为1.223%~8.292%、1.343%~8.893%、1.294%~8.546%;温度从20℃升高至120℃,93号E10的爆炸范围从1.491%~8.765%变宽至1.318%~9.103%,即E10蒸气爆炸极限范围随温度升高而变宽;推导了测量E10蒸气爆炸极限时待测样品量预估计的公式。     

管道内天然气爆炸火焰及压力波传播规律实验研究

天燃气安全不仅仅局限在企业内部,而是面向全社会,关系到社会稳定和市民生命财产安全。随着天然气市场开拓和广泛利用,庞大的管网系统和多样的用气环境给安全工作提出了更高的要求。采用理论分析、实验研究相结合的方法研究了管道内天然气爆炸火焰及压力波的传播规律。应用直径为700mm,长度为93m的管道进行了三次天然气爆炸传播实验。得出爆源点最大压力值并不是整个爆炸过程的最大值;压力波最大压力值在爆源点附近先降低,然后上升到某一峰值之后再逐渐衰减;最大压力值在衰减过程中不是单调衰减,有点起伏;随着天然气浓度的增大,其爆炸平均升压速率反而减小;随着天然气浓度的增大,其爆炸平均升压速率反而在减小;爆源附近火焰传播速度较小,上升到某一峰值后逐渐衰减。     

Determination of explosion parameters of methane-air mixtures in the chamber of 40 dm3 at normal and elevated temperature

The experimental results of the measurements of the explosion pressure and rate of explosion pressure rise as a function of molar methane concentration in the mixture with air in the 40 dm³ explosion chamber are presented. The research was aimed at determination of the explosion limits, according to the EU Standard. The influence of initial temperature of the mixture (changing in the range of 293–473 K) on the fundamental explosion parameters was also investigated. The ignition source was an induction electrical spark of the power equal to approximately 10 W. It was stated, that the increase of initial temperature of the methane-air mixture causes a significant increase of the explosion range.     

封闭管道油气爆炸超压及火焰传播特性

对油气在封闭管道内的爆炸特性进行研究，发现爆炸超压发展过程可以分为3个阶段:第1次超压上升阶段、第2次超压上升阶段和超压下降阶段。初始油气浓度对爆炸初始阶段的发展有很大影响，油气浓度为1.73%时发展最激烈；当初始油气浓度较高时，在最大超压峰值附近，会产生压力振荡现象；初始油气浓度对Tulip火焰的形成及发展有较大影响，各种浓度油气的爆炸，都有形成Tulip火焰的趋势；当油气浓度适中时，Tulip火焰会一直传播到管道末端，当油气浓度较高或较低时，火焰锋面会经由鲨鱼嘴形状火焰转变为刀尖形火焰，当初始油气浓度为1.73%时，最容易发展形成Tuilp火焰。     

Coupling effects of foam ceramics on the flame and shock wave of gas explosion

The coupling of gas explosion flame and shock wave is analyzed. In the gas explosion process, shock wave is affected by the flame directly, and shock wave also induces the flame. Inhibiting explosion can be achieved by the interference between the flame and shock wave propagation. If the coupling effects can be damaged, the adverse effects caused by the explosion should be mitigated and controlled. According to the structure characteristics of foam ceramics, the coupling effects mechanism of ceramic foam on gas explosion flame and shock wave is researched. When the explosion goes through the structure of foam ceramics, the flame can be quenched and the shock wave be attenuated. After the flame is quenched, the supply of precursor shock wave energy is cut off. Due to lack of energy supply, the destructive effects of blast wave will be reduced effectively. Coupling effects of the flame and shock wave can be damaged by the special structure of foam ceramics. Studies suggest that a certain function to represent the structure characteristics of foam ceramics must exist. For a certain material of foam ceramics, the sure porosity δ and the pore diameter d also can be get, which is the key to research and develop foam ceramic suppression technology of gas explosion.     

Experimental flammability limits and associated theoretical flame temperatures as a tool for predicting the temperature dependence of these limits

The utility and limitations of adiabatic flame temperature calculations and minimum mixture energies in predicting the temperature dependence of flammability limits are explored. The limiting flame temperatures at constant pressure (1 bar) are calculated using a standard widely-used thermodynamic computer program. The computation is based on the calculated limiting flame temperature value at the reference initial temperature and the experimental limit concentration. The values recently determined in large chambers for the lower and upper flammability limits of a variety of simple organic and inorganic gases (methane, ethylene, dimethy lether, and carbon monoxide) are used as the basis for the predictions of the limiting flame temperature concept. Such thermodynamic calculations are compared with more traditional ones based on a limiting mixture energy and a constant average heat capacity of the reactant mixture. The advantages and limitations of the methods are discussed in this paper.     

柱形连通容器内预混气体爆炸过程的火焰传播模拟

为研究连通容器内气体爆炸规律,采用Fluent(经典流体动力学软件)对柱形连通容器内预混气体爆炸过程进行模拟,模拟了不同点火位置和火焰传播方向条件下连通容器内火焰传播过程和压力变化,并分析了连通容器内不同时刻的速度场.结果表明:火焰面在传播过程中并非完全对称,当火焰到达传爆容器后,湍流燃烧剧烈,火焰不规则变形显著;端面点火后在传爆容器内产生的压力峰值和压力波动比中心点火时更大;当起爆容器为大容器时,传爆容器内气体预压缩程度更大,压力峰值更高.     

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.     

Numerical simulation and study on the transmission law of flame and pressure wave of pipeline gas explosion

Based on FLUENT simulation software, the laws of transmission of flame and pressure wave in pipeline gas explosion were studied. It turned out that, the maximum pressure value of the explosion point is not the maximum value of the whole explosion process; the maximum pressure value of the pressure wave lowers firstly near the explosion point, then rises to a peak, and then drops gradually; two waves divide the space in the pipeline into three sections during the gas explosion transmission. The result is basically consistent between numerical simulation and experiment, and the conclusion from the simulation provides theoretical basis for research on explosion-proof and suppression devices for underground gas pipeline, as well as for technical regulations of installation.