Explosibility of hydrogen–graphite dust hybrid mixtures

To evaluate the hazard of combined hydrogen/dust explosions under severe accident conditions in International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), standard method of 20-L-sphere was used to measure the explosion indices of 4-μm fine graphite dust in lean hydrogen/air mixtures. The mixtures were ignited by a weak electric spark. The tested fuel concentrations were 8–18 vol% H₂ and 25–250 g/m³ dust. If the hydrogen content is higher than 10 vol%, the dust constituent can be induced to explode by the hydrogen explosion initiated by a weak electric spark. Depending on the fuel component concentrations, the explosions proceed in either one or two stages. In two-stage explosions occurring at low hydrogen and dust concentrations, the mixture ignition initiates first a fast hydrogen explosion followed by a slower phase of the dust explosion. With increasing dust concentration, the dust explodes faster and can overlap the hydrogen-explosion stage. At higher hydrogen concentrations, the hybrid mixtures explode in one stage, with hydrogen and dust reacting at the same time scale. Maximum overpressures of hybrid explosions are higher than those observed with hydrogen alone; maximum rates of pressure rise are lower in two-phase explosions and, generally, higher in one-stage explosions, than those characteristic of the corresponding H₂/air mixtures.     

Theoretical evaluation of lower explosion limit of hybrid mixtures

Lower explosion limits of hybrid fuel mixtures are usually determined through time consuming and expensive experiments. Although, mathematical expressions like Le-Chatelier's Law and Bartknecht curve have been used by many researchers to predict the LEL of hybrid mixtures, significant deviations remain unexplained. This research work, presents a more sophisticated and general approach for the determination of LEL of hybrid mixtures.Assuming that the combustion kinetics of pure species are independent and unchanged by the presence of other combustible species, complete conversion of the reactants and no heat losses, a simple mathematical model has been derived from the enthalpy balance of the whole system. For the experimental validation of the modelled values, modified version of 20L sphere has been employed, following the European standard (EN 14034-3: 2011) as experimental protocol. Hybrid mixtures of three dusts with two gases were selected for the scope of this publication. By analyzing the modelled as well as the experimental values, it can be concluded that the LEL values of the individual components in the hybrid mixture set the upper and lower limit for the LEL of the hybrid mixture provided the total amount of fuel in the system is considered as the concentration of the hybrid mixture. Moreover, the amount of dust or gas required to render the hybrid mixture flammable mainly depends on the energy contribution upon combustion of the individual species to raise the temperature of the whole system from ambient to the flame temperature.Le-Chatelier's Law and Bartknecht curve are empirical relations, which might hold true for a first-order approximation of LEL of hybrid mixtures, but do not represent the most conservative values of LEL reported in literature. This implies that there is a non-zero probability of occurrence of an explosible mixture in the non-explosible concentrations ranges defined by these relations. Considering these arguments, the authors suggest to employ the model presented in this paper – which presents reasonably conservative values of LEL of hybrid mixtures – for theoretical calculation of LEL of hybrid mixtures, when no precise experimental data is available.     

粉胶比对沥青混合料安全性能影响的试验研究

为研究出合理的、适合大兴安岭通县公路沥青混凝土路面的粉胶比,选用大兴安岭本地石材、大庆AH-130基质沥青,按密级配AC-16Ⅰ上限配比,通过标准马歇尔、浸水马歇尔、车辙、小梁低温弯曲等试验对沥青混合料的安全性能进行了研究。结果表明：最佳沥青用量OAC为6.0%,沥青混合料的抗水侵性能满足要求;在同一油石比的条件下,随着粉胶比的增大,动稳定度有显著增大的趋势,但当粉胶比超过1.0时,增长趋势逐渐缓慢,并且在粉胶比达到1.3之后达到峰值,然后开始下降;随着粉胶比的逐渐增大,弯拉应变有增大的趋势,粉胶比在1.0-1.1左右沥青混合料低温抗弯拉性能最佳。     

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.     

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 complex deflagration phenomena of hybrid mixtures of activated carbon dust/hydrogen/air

This paper aims to develop quantitative insights based on measured deflagration parameters of hybrid mixtures of activated carbon (AC) dust and hydrogen (H₂) gas in air. The generated experimental evidence is used to reject the claim of the null hypothesis (H₀) that severity of deflagrations of H₂/air mixtures always bound the severity of deflagrations of heterogenous combustible mixtures of AC dust/H₂/air containing the same H₂ concentrations as in the H₂/air binaries. The core insights of this investigation show that the maximum deflagration pressure rise (ΔP_MAX) and maximum rate of pressure rise ((dP/dt)_MAX) of this hybrid mixture are greater than those corresponding to deflagrations of H₂/air mixtures for all the dust and H₂ concentrations being examined. The deflagration severity indices (K_St and ES) of the hybrid mixture containing 29 mol% H₂ are found to be greater than those of the H₂/air mixture containing 29 mol% H₂. Also, the minimum explosible concentration (MEC) of the hybrid mixture is lower than that of the AC dust in air only. The insights gained should lead to better realization of the severity of a postulated safety-significant accident scenario associated with on-board cryoadsorption H₂ storage systems for fuel-cell (FC) powered light-duty vehicles. The identified insights could also be relevant to other industrial processes where combustible dusts are generated in the vicinity of solvent vapors. Moreover, these insights should be useful for supporting quantitative risk assessment (QRA) of on-board H₂ storage systems, designing improved safety measures for cryoadsorption H₂ storage tanks, and guiding H₂ safety standards and transportation regulations.     

半密闭空间油气爆炸初期火焰特性研究

为了研究半密闭空间内部油气着火爆炸初期火焰特性,进行了不同油气体积分数下的油气着火爆炸实验,通过高速摄影等技术手段对爆炸过程中火焰形态进行了捕捉,分析了不同油气体积分数下爆炸初期火焰着火模式、火焰形态、传播过程和火焰浮力稳定性的变化规律。结果表明:油气体积分数为决定容器内部着火模式的关键因素,随着油气体积分数的逐渐增大,着火模式呈现出燃烧-爆炸-爆燃后持续燃烧的转变;爆炸下的火焰具有明显的分区现象,而其他的着火模式则没有;随着油气体积分数的增加,越靠近化学当量比,纵向和横向火焰阵面速度越大;油气体积分数小于等于1.1%或大于等于2.6%时,火焰稳定性受浮力影响显著。     

酒精蒸气/烟草粉尘两相混合体系最小点火能试验研究

在烟草加工的加香工序,挥发的酒精和搅拌混料产生的烟草粉尘形成气粉混合体系,其燃爆特性相较于单相烟草粉尘有较大变化。对20 L爆炸球进行了部分改造,可完成20℃～80℃环境温度、100%LEL以下酒精蒸气浓度、最大2 J电火花能量组合的气粉混合物的最小点火能测试。选用烘丝和加香烟草粉尘做对比,探究了环境温度和酒精蒸气浓度对酒精蒸气/烟草粉尘两相混合体系点火能的影响规律。结果表明：相同环境温度下,加香烟草粉尘的最小点火能比烘丝烟草粉尘低;加香粉尘、烘丝粉尘及混合体系的最小点火能随环境温度变化的趋势一致,均随温度的升高而降低;加入10%LEL的酒精蒸气后,相同温度下气粉混合体系的最小点火能低于单相烟草粉尘。随着环境温度的升高,二者的差值逐渐减小,酒精蒸气诱导烟草粉尘最小点火能降低的能力逐步减小甚至消失;在电点火条件下,当酒精蒸气浓度低于50%LEL时,气粉混合体系较难被点燃,当酒精蒸气浓度高于75%LEL时,混合体系较易被点燃。     

Influences of coal dust components on the explosibility of hybrid mixtures of methane and coal dust

In order to study the influences of coal dust components on the explosibility of hybrid mixture of methane and coal dust, four kinds of coal dust with different components were selected in this study. Using the standard 20 L sphere, the maximum explosion pressure, explosion index and lower explosion limits of methane/coal dust mixtures were measured. The results show that the addition of methane to different kinds of coal dust can all clearly increase their maximum explosion pressure and explosion index and decrease their minimum explosion concentration. However, the increase in the maximum explosion pressure and explosion index is more significant for coal dust with lower volatile content, while the decrease in the minimum explosion concentration is more significant for coal dust with higher volatile content. It is concluded that the influence of methane on the explosion severity is more pronounced for coal dust with lower volatile content, but on ignition sensitivity it is more pronounced for coal dust with higher volatile content. Bartknecht model for predicting the lower explosion limits of methane/coal dust mixture has better applicability than Le Chatelier model and Jiang model. Especially, it is more suitable for hybrid mixtures of methane and high volatile coal dust.     

Influence of different ignition delay times on the pressure rise rate in hybrid mixture explosions in the 20-L sphere

For the development of a standardized method for measuring the explosion safety characteristics of combustible hybrid dust/vapor mixtures, the influence of the ignition delay time needs to be investigated. The ignition delay time, defined as the time between the injection of dust and the activation of the ignition source, is related to the turbulence of the mixture and thus to the pressure rise rate. The ignition source for pure vapors, however, has to be activated in a quiescent atmosphere according to the standards. Nevertheless, when measuring the explosion safety characteristics of hybrid mixtures, it is important that the dust be in suspension around the igniter. Like pure dust/air mixtures, hybrid dust/vapor/air mixtures need to be ignited in a turbulent atmosphere to keep the dust in suspension.This work will therefore investigate the influence of ignition delay times on the severity of hybrid explosions. It was generally found that at shorter ignition delay times, (dp/dt)_ex increased due to higher turbulence and decreases as the dust sinks to the bottom of the 20 L-sphere. This effect is more pronounced for hybrid mixtures with higher vapor content compared to dust content.     

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.     

燃油流量对防火试验火焰特征的影响

为了研究燃油流量对防火试验火焰特征的影响,为防火试验方案的设计提供参考和指导,采用Ansys Fluent软件对NexGen燃烧器进行三维定常数值模拟,分析了不同燃油流量条件下的火焰特征。结果表明:燃油流量对火焰最高温度和火焰形状几乎没有影响,但对火焰长度、监测面上温度分布、7个测量点的平均温度和热流密度有很大影响,通过分析各燃油流量条件下的火焰特征,发现当空气流量为35.8 g/s时,燃油流量在2.0~2.11 g/s——即余气系数为1.15~1.22时,能够用于防火试验。     

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.     

考虑非均匀地基原水管道受力特征模型试验研究

为了解决上海市长江引水三期非均匀地基区间管道爆管问题,采用缩尺试验研究非均匀地基条件下原水管道受力变形特征,针对非均匀地基的密实度和长度进行逐级划分,并设计不同的试验工况研究管道的受力特征。结果表明:管道下方非均匀地基的密实度对管道所受应力有较大影响,即密实度越高,应力值越低,管底处的应力受密实度和非均匀地基长度的影响最大。非均匀地基区域边缘处截面应力与管道中央截面应力相比,非均匀地基长度为1D时,截面Ⅰ上测点的应力值与截面Ⅱ的应力值大小相近,而在1.5D和2D长度条件下,呈现出截面Ⅰ的应力值高于截面Ⅱ的规律。研究成果对非均匀地基区域的原水管道运营维护具有重要的指导作用。     

基于多孔环形喷嘴的可燃爆粉尘分散特征的密度效应研究*

为了研究不同密度的可燃爆粉尘在内置多孔环形喷嘴的20 L爆炸特性测试装置中的分散特征,基于负载粒子流方法、耦合DPM动量平衡方程和时间平均 Navier Stokes控制方程组,实现3种不同密度的煤粉、铝粉和锆粉在20 L爆炸测试装置中粉尘分散全过程的数值模拟。研究结果表明:多孔环形喷嘴的分散较为均匀,但是约束管道末端存在局部粉尘残留区,致使爆炸仓内真实粉尘浓度远低于形式浓度;爆炸仓中心位置的最大湍动能随着粉尘密度的增加而减小,只有显著地变化粉尘密度才能展示区分度较高的浓度峰值和抵达浓度峰值的时间。