Experimental investigation on explosion flame propagation of wood dust in a semi-closed tube

In order to explore flame propagation characteristics during wood dust explosions in a semi-closed tube, a high-speed camera, a thermal infrared imaging device and a pressure sensor were used in the study. Poplar dusts with different particle size distributions (0–50, 50–96 and 96–180 μm) were respectively placed in a Hartmann tube to mimic dust cloud explosions, and flame propagation behaviors such as flame propagation velocity, flame temperature and explosion pressure were detected and analyzed. According to the changes of flame shapes, flame propagations in wood dust explosions were divided into three stages including ignition, vertical propagation and free diffusion. Flame propagations for the two smaller particles were dominated by homogeneous combustion, while flame propagation for the largest particles was controlled by heterogeneous combustion, which had been confirmed by individual Damköhler number. All flame propagation velocities for different groups of wood particles in dust explosions were increased at first and then decreased with the augmentation of mass concentration. Flame temperatures and explosion pressures were almost similarly changed. Dust explosions in 50–96 μm wood particles were more intense than in the other two particles, of which the most severe explosion appeared at a mass concentration of 750 g/m³. Meanwhile, flame propagation velocity, flame propagation temperature and explosion pressure reached to the maximum values of 10.45 m/s, 1373 °C and 0.41 MPa. In addition, sensitive concentrations corresponding to the three groups of particles from small to large were 500, 750 and 1000 g/m³, separately, indicating that sensitive concentration in dust explosions of wood particles was elevated with the increase of particle size. Taken together, the finding demonstrated that particle size and mass concentration of wood dusts affected the occurrence and severity of dust explosions, which could provide guidance and reference for the identification, assessment and industrial safety management of wood dust explosions.     

Flame behaviors and pressure characteristics of vented dust explosions at elevated static activation overpressures

Dust explosion venting experiments were performed using a 20-L spherical chamber at elevated static activation overpressures larger than 1 bar. Lycopodium dust samples with mean diameter of 70 μm and electric igniters with 0.5 KJ ignition energy were used in the experiments. Explosion overpressures in the chamber and flame appearances near the vent were recorded simultaneously. The results indicated that the flame appeared as the under-expanded free jet with shock diamonds, when the overpressure in the chamber was larger than the critical pressure during the venting process. The flame appeared as the normal constant-pressure combustion when the pressure venting process finished. Three types of venting processes were concluded in the experiments: no secondary flame and no secondary explosion, secondary flame, secondary explosion. The occurrence of the secondary explosions near the vent was related to the vent diameter and the static activation overpressure. Larger diameters and lower static activation overpressures were beneficial to the occurrence of the secondary explosions. In current experiments, the secondary explosions only occurred at the following combinations of the vent diameter and the static activation overpressure: 40 mm and 1.2 bar, 60 mm and 1.2 bar, 60 mm and 1.8 bar.     

Study of dust cloud behaviour in the modified Hartmann tube using the image subtraction method (ISM)

A dispersion of fine particles in the air is needed for a dust explosion to occur since an explosion is the fast combustion of particles in the air. When particles are poorly dispersed, agglomerated, or their concentration is low, the combustion velocity decreases, and deflagration would not occur. The combustion rate is strictly related to dust concentration. Therefore, the maximum explosion pressure rise occurs at dust concentration close to stoichiometric. Conversely, Minimum Explosion Concentration (MEC) is the lower limit at which self-sustained combustion and a pressure rise are possible. Dust explosion tests are designed to reproduce the dispersion and generation of dust clouds in industrial ambiences by using dispersion devices activated by pressurised air pulses. The resulting dust cloud, which has a marked transient character, is considered representative of real clouds by current standards. Over time, several studies have been carried out to optimise these devices (e.g. to reduce the inhomogeneity of the cloud in the 20 L sphere). The Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE) of dust is measured using the Mike3 modified Hartmann tube, where the ignition attempt is made 60–180 ms after dust dispersion regardless of dust characteristics.This work investigates the dust clouds’ actual behaviour inside the modified Hartmann tube before ignition using high-velocity video movies and a new image post-treatment method called Image Subtraction Method (ISM). Movies are recorded with high-speed cameras at a framerate of 2000 fps and elaborated with an on-purpose developed LabVIEW® code. Concentration (mass per volume) and dispersion pressure are varied to evaluate their effect on dust clouds. Maise starch, iron powder and silica powder are chosen to investigate the effect of particle density and size on the cloud structure and turbulence. This approach will help to investigate the structure of the dust cloud, the shape and size of the particle lumps and the change in dust concentration over time. In addition, information on the actual concentration and cloud turbulence at the ignition location and delay time were obtained, which may help identify the local turbulence scale and widen the characterisation of the cloud generated in the Hartmann tube.     

Effects of thermal radiation heat transfer on flame acceleration and transition to detonation in particle-cloud hydrogen flames

The current work examines regimes of the hydrogen–oxygen flame propagation and ignition of mixtures heated by radiation emitted from the flame. The gaseous phase is assumed to be transparent for the radiation, while the suspended particles of the dust cloud ahead of the flame absorb and reemit the radiation. The radiant heat absorbed by the particles is then lost by conduction to the surrounding unreacted gaseous phase so that the gas phase temperature lags that of the particles. The direct numerical simulations solve the full system of two phase gas dynamic time-dependent equations with a detailed chemical kinetics for a plane flames propagating through a dust cloud. It is shown that depending on the spatial distribution of the dispersed particles and on the value of radiation absorption length the consequence of the radiative preheating of the mixture ahead of the flame can be either the increase of the flame velocity for uniformly dispersed particles or ignition either new deflagration or detonation ahead of the original flame via the Zel'dovich gradient mechanism in the case of a layered particle-gas cloud deposits. In the latter case the ignited combustion regime depends on the radiation absorption length and correspondingly on the steepness of the formed temperature gradient in the preignition zone that can be treated independently of the primary flame. The impact of radiation heat transfer in a particle-laden flame is of paramount importance for better risk assessment and represents a route for understanding of dust explosion origin.     

Agricultural waste pulverised biomass: MEC and flame speeds

A modified Hartmann dust explosion tube was employed to determine the Minimum Explosible Concentration (MEC) and the flame speed for three Pakistani agricultural wastes: bagasse, rice husk and wheat straw. Agricultural biomass had a higher ash content than for woody biomass and this influenced the MEC. The dispersion, ignition and MEC were influenced by the particle size distribution, as also demonstrated by high speed video. There was a strong linear correlation between the MEC and the sum of the ash and moisture content of these and other biomasses, indicating that this inert mass in the particles acted to reduce the flame temperature and reduce the lean flammability limit or MEC. Comparison of the results was made with non-agricultural waste pulverized biomass. Peak flame speeds were approximately 2.5 m/s. The lean limits for these pulverised agricultural waste biomasses were comparable to that of pulverised wood but were much leaner than those for coal and hydrocarbon fuels, which indicate that these biomasses are highly reactive.     

混合金属粉尘爆炸最小点火能量影响因素研究*

为探究混合金属粉尘爆炸危险性及与单一粉体爆炸特性差异,确保车间安全生产,采用粉尘云点火能量测试系统对车间混合金属粉尘及铝粉最小点火能量在不同影响因素下的变化规律及2种粉尘火焰变化特征进行测试。研究结果表明:混合金属粉尘和铝粉最小点火能量在一定范围内（38~96 μm）与粒径呈正相关性,当混合金属粉尘粒径大于75 μm时,所需最小点火能量大于1 000 mJ,其爆炸敏感性迅速降低,此时铝粉仍有较强爆炸敏感性;2种粉尘最小点火能量随质量浓度增加呈先降低后升高的趋势,最小点火能分别为295,15 mJ,对应的敏感质量浓度为600,1 000 g/m3,混合金属粉尘在质量浓度为500~700 g/m3时具有较大爆炸危险性;同铝粉相比,混合金属粉尘点火能量更高、火焰燃烧时间更短、火焰高度更低、爆炸剧烈程度更弱。     

Detailed analysis of flame propagation during dust explosions by UV band observations

It is important to sufficiently understand the phenomena during the dust explosions in order to take appropriate measures preventing dust explosion accidents. However, at present basic knowledge on flame propagation mechanisms during dust explosions is not enough. In this study, therefore, the flame propagation mechanisms during dust explosions are examined by detailed analyses using a special observation at UV band. Small scale experiments were performed to analyze flame propagating processes in detail. In the experiments, the stearic acid was used as the combustible particle, suspended particles were ignited by an electric spark, and flame propagation through the combustible dust was observed by using a special observation system at UV band. The leading combustion zone is observed to consist of discrete burning blue spot flames by the observation using ordinary photograph system. It is questionable how the leading flame of such discrete structure propagates. In this study, high-speed video images at UV band through a band-pass filter were taken to detect OH emission from combustion reaction zone. Using this method, the propagating flame could be detected clearly and the flame propagation mechanism could be examined in detail. In the conditions performed in this study, discrete flame propagation was not observed and the leading flame was observed to propagate continuously. This result is of importance for understanding the flame propagation phenomena during dust explosion.     

Effects of multiple annular obstacles on flame propagation of local corn starch dust in a vertical pipe

With high-speed camera technology, the propagation behavior of explosion flame for the local dust cloud of corn starch in a semi-open vertical pipe under the action of the annular obstacle was studied experimentally, and the blockage rate and the annular obstacle numbers as well as impact of dust cloud concentration on the flame propagation were investigated. The researches showed that both the blockage rate and the annular obstacle numbers have significant effects on the flame speed and propagation process for the dust cloud explosion of corn starch. The increase of the blockage rate of such annular obstacles will cause that the combustion of dust cloud with high concentration is mainly concentrated in the lower part of the pipe. The increase of the annular obstacle numbers will lead to the acceleration of combustion of the dust cloud. With the increase of the blockage rate and the annular obstacle numbers, the maximum flame speed shows a trend of the first increasing and then decreasing, and the phenomenon of accelerated propagation of the flame becomes more and more obvious, however, the distance of continuous acceleration for the flame is gradually decreased and the maximum flame speed is farther from the outlet of the pipe. Under the action of such annular obstacles, the concentration of dust cloud has a significant effect on the flame speed and shape of the dust cloud of the corn starch. The increase of the concentration of the dust cloud will decrease the acceleration effect of such annular obstacles to result in maximum flame speed showing a trend of the first increasing and then decreasing. However, the acceleration distance of the flame is longer, and the maximum flame speed is closer to the outlet of the pipe. The increasing concentration will make the flame speed develop more slowly, the flame color will be darker, and the flame segmentation phenomenon will be more obvious.     

障碍物对瓦斯煤尘爆炸火焰传播规律的影响

为了进一步探究瓦斯煤尘耦合爆炸火焰的传播规律,用自行搭建的半封闭垂直管道爆炸试验系统,研究障碍物对瓦斯煤尘耦合爆炸火焰传播规律的影响。研究结果表明:障碍物能显著提高瓦斯煤尘爆炸火焰的传播速度,其加速机理主要是障碍物诱导的湍流区会促进火焰的传播;火焰在传播过程中的加速度不是一直增加,随着火焰速度的增加会出现上下波动;煤尘的加入会使瓦斯爆炸产生的火焰传播速度显著增大及速度的最大值距离点火端较远;通过障碍物时爆炸产生的火焰形状发生较大的改变,出现拉伸和褶皱现象。     

泄爆口参数对氢气火焰传播过程影响的数值模拟

为了减少管内气体爆炸造成的损失与破坏,基于大涡模拟LES模型和Zimont燃烧模型,研究泄爆尺寸(直径为40,60,80 mm)和泄爆位置(侧方距点火端1,3,5 m)等泄爆条件对受限空间中氢气燃爆特性的影响。研究结果表明：大孔径泄爆口更好的排放效果造成火焰锋面在通过泄爆口时发生严重畸变,而泄爆口与点火端距离的增加则会削弱火焰锋面畸变的程度,且不同尺寸泄爆口产生的泄压效果差异较大。因此,应考虑将合适尺寸的泄爆口设置于靠近易燃点处。通过探索不同泄爆孔径与泄爆口位置对氢气火焰传播的影响规律,可为实际应用中的安全泄爆起到指导性作用。     

Ignition temperatures and flame velocities of metallic nanomaterials

The production of materials with dimensions in the nanometre range has continued to increase in recent years. In order to ensure safety when handling these products, the hazard potential of such innovative materials must be known. While several studies have already investigated the effects of explosions (such as maximum explosion pressure and maximum pressure rise) of powders with primary particles in the nanometre range, little is known about the ignition temperatures and flame velocities. Therefore, the minimum ignition temperature (MIT) of metallic nano powders (aluminium, iron, copper and zinc) was determined experimentally in a so called Godbert-Greenwald (GG) oven. Furthermore, the flame velocities were determined in a vertical tube. In order to better classify the test results, the tested samples were characterised in detail and the lower explosion limits of the tested dust samples were determined. Values for the burning velocity of aluminium nano powders are higher compared to values of micrometre powders (from literature). While MIT of nanometre aluminium powders is within the range of micrometre samples, MIT of zinc and copper nano powders is lower than values reported in literature for respective micrometre samples.     

三通管支管位置对爆炸火焰传播影响分析*

为研究分支管道位置对丙烷爆炸火焰传播的影响规律,通过多组数值模拟与已有实验数据对比,分析不同工况下三通管内火焰传播形态变化特征及温度变化。结果表明:向右传播的爆炸气流在支管左侧形成湍流旋涡,火焰受到拖拽及壁面制约,贴支管右侧壁面呈尖刀状传播;封闭管道中,火焰传播受主管道高速前驱压力波回波影响更显著,垂直支管中火焰与高温风险更大;实验支管位置距离点火源5.6 m时岔口处监测点温度高达2 214.08 K,支管位置增加至5.71 m时,支管处湍流旋涡拖拽火焰,使火焰出现中断,支管移至5.825 m后高温火焰无法传播至支管口,支管中的爆炸风险显著降低。研究结果为工业生产三通管支管位置的选择和支管内二次爆炸风险预测提供科学参考。     

Effects of particle thermal characteristics on flame microstructures during dust explosions of three long-chain monobasic alcohols in a half-closed chamber

To reveal clearly the effects of particle thermal characteristics on flame microstructures during organic dust explosions, three long-chain monobasic alcohols, solid at room temperature and similar in physical-chemical properties, were chosen to conduct experiments in a half-closed chamber. In the experiments, the dust materials were dispersed into the chamber by air to form dust clouds and the hybrids were ignited by an electrical spark. A high-speed optical schlieren system was used to record the flame propagation behaviors. A fine thermocouple and an ion current probe were respectively used to measure the flame temperature profile and the reaction behaviors of the combustion zone. Based on the experimental results, combustion behaviors and flame microstructures in dust clouds with different thermal characteristics were analyzed in detail. As a result, it was found that the dust flame surfaces were completely covered by cellular structures that significantly increased the flame frontal areas. Flame propagated more quickly and the number of the cellular cells increased as increasing the volatility of the particles. On the contrary, maximum temperature and the thickness of the preheated zone decreased as increasing the volatility of the particles. According to the ion current profile, the particles in the preheat zone were pyrolyzed to intermediate radicals and the radicals' fraction in the higher volatile dust flame was higher than that in the lower volatile dust flame.     

Wire-mesh inhibition of jet fire induced by explosion venting

Explosion venting is widely applied in industrial explosion-proof designs due to the convenient, economical and practical features of this method. Natural gas is usually stored in storage tanks. If the gas in the vessel is mixed with air and encounters an ignition source, explosion venting might occur, producing jet fire, generating new secondary derivative accidents and causing casualties and property losses. In this paper, a set of test platforms including wire-mesh suppression devices is established to study the inhibition of jet fire induced by explosion venting by wire mesh. The experimental research shows that a wire mesh significantly inhibits the jet fire induced by explosion venting. The flame propagation velocity and pressure clearly decrease with increasing numbers of wire-mesh layers. The wire-mesh structure significantly affects the flame propagation, and the more layers of mesh there are, the better the suppression effect is. The flame temperature gradually decreases with the addition of the wire mesh. The mesh size significantly affects the pressure propagation of explosion venting. The explosion pressure gradually decreases with the addition of the wire mesh. With increasing distance between the wire mesh and the explosion vent, the maximum temperature first increases and then decreases, and the maximum explosion pressure first decreases and then increases. In the case of single gas cloud, the flame suppression effect is the most obvious when the wire mesh is 0.2 m away from the explosion vent. In the case of double gas clouds, the flame suppression effect is the most significant when the distance between the wire mesh and the first gas cloud is 0.4 m.     

Flame propagation behaviors of nano- and micro-scale PMMA dust explosions

Flame propagation behaviors of nano- and micro-polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) dust explosions were experimentally studied in the open-space dust explosion apparatus. High-speed photography with normal and microscopic lenses were used to record the particle combustion behaviors and flame microstructures. Simple physical models were developed to explore the flame propagation mechanisms. High-speed photographs showed two distinct flame propagation behaviors of nano- and micro-PMMA dust explosions. For nano-particles, flame was characterized by a regular spherical shape and spatially continuous combustion structure combined with a number of luminous spot flames. The flame propagation mechanism was similar to that of a premixed gas flame coupled with solid surface combustion of the agglomerates. In comparison, for micro-particles, flame was characterized by clusters of flames and the irregular flame front, which was inferred to be composed of the diffusion flame accompanying the local premixed flame. It was indicated that smaller particles maintained the leading part of the propagating flame and governed the combustion process of PMMA dust clouds. Increasing the mass densities from 105 g/m³ to 217 g/m³ for 100 nm PMMA particles, and from 72 g/m³ to 170 g/m³ for 30 μm PMMA particles, the flame luminous intensity, scale and the average propagation velocity were enhanced. Besides, the flame front became more irregular for 30 μm PMMA dust clouds.     

A simple design method of dust explosion venting size at elevated static activation pressure

To develop the application of explosion venting technology in high-pressure vessels, a new model for the design of dust explosion venting size was presented, which took the physicochemical phenomenon deriving from the elevation of the static activation pressure into account. Firstly, for confined pressure rise, the wall quenching effect originating from the dust flame thickness was considered by adopting the three-zone model. Secondly, for the venting pressure rise, the energy loss due to the discharge of high-energy burnt mixture (quantified as the specific surface area loss of the flame) was taken into account and the induced turbulence factor was introduced. Thirdly, for the venting pressure drop, a dynamic pressure relief capability evaluation model which takes into account the flame morphology evolution (tear-shaped flame) and the proportion of discharged mixture (relative volume ratio) at elevated activation pressure was proposed. The predicted maximum reduced pressure and venting size were checked against the PMMA explosion experiments and a more great performance was obtained compared with standards.     

超细CaCO3惰化剂对铝合金抛光伴生粉尘爆炸的防控效果*

为探究超细粉体惰化剂对铝合金抛光伴生粉尘爆炸特性的影响规律,利用标准化实验装置及自行搭建的实验平台,在对爆炸基本参数进行测试的基础上,分别研究超细CaCO3粉体对抛光废弃物粉尘点燃敏感度的钝化作用以及对爆炸火焰传播进程的惰化效果,并在相同条件下与同等粒径高纯度铝粉的实验效果进行比对。研究结果表明:铝合金抛光废弃物粉尘最小点火能量为280 mJ,而同等粒径高纯度铝粉最小点火能量为35 mJ;在铝合金抛光废弃物粉尘质量浓度为300 g/m3条件下,发生爆炸的火焰传播速度峰值为7.4 m/s,约为高纯度铝粉的57%,铝合金抛光废弃物粉尘的爆炸敏感度及猛烈度均低于高纯度铝粉;当超细CaCO3粉体的惰化比为30%时,可将铝合金抛光废弃物粉尘的最小点火能量钝化至约1 J,爆炸火焰失去持续传播能力,惰化作用效果充分显现。     

A numerical model for the prediction of the minimum ignition temperature of dust clouds

This paper presents a numerical model for the prediction of the minimum ignition temperature (MIT) of dust clouds. First, a physical model is developed for the dust cloud ignition in the Godbert-Greenwald furnace. A numerical approach is then applied for the MIT prediction based on the physical model. The model considers heat transfer between the air and dust particles, the dust particle reaction kinetics, and the residence times of dust clouds in the furnace. In general, for the 13 dusts studied, the calculated MIT data are in agreement with the experimental values. There is also great accordance between the experimental and numerical MIT variation trends against particle size. Two different ignition modes are discovered. The first one consists in ignition near the furnace wall for bigger particles characterized by rather short residence times. In the second mode, the ignition starts from the center of the furnace by self-heating of the dust cloud for smaller particles with longer residence times. For magnesium, as dust concentration increases, the lowest ignition temperature of the dust cloud IT(conc) decreases first, then transits to increase at a certain point. The transition happens at different dust concentrations for different particle sizes. Moreover, the MIT of the magnesium dust cloud generally increases as particle size increases, but the increasing trend stagnates within a certain medium particle size range.     

三环唑粉尘爆炸特性研究

利用激光粒度仪对三环唑粉尘的粒径分布进行分析,并用20 L爆炸球测试装置、哈特曼管装置探讨了粉尘质量浓度、点火延迟时间、点火能量、粒径分布对粉尘爆炸的影响并总结了相关规律。实验结果表明:粉尘粒度是影响粉尘最小点火能和爆炸下限的单调因素,粉尘质量浓度是影响粉尘爆炸压力的极值因素,点火延迟时间是影响粉尘最小点火能的极值因素。     

Does the dust explosion risk increase when moving from μm-particle powders to powders of nm-particles?

Based on experience with powders of particle sizes down to the 1–0.1 μm range one might expect that dust clouds from combustible nm-particle powders would exhibit extreme ignition sensitivities (very low MIEs) and extreme explosion rates (very high K_St-values). However, there are two basic physical reasons why this may not be the case. Firstly, complete transformation of bulk powders consisting of nm-particles into dust clouds consisting of well-dispersed primary particles is extremely difficult to accomplish, due to very strong inter-particle cohesion forces. Secondly, should perfect dispersion nevertheless be achieved, the extremely fast coagulation process in clouds of explosive mass concentrations would transform the primary nm-particles into much larger agglomerates within fractions of a second. Furthermore, for organic dusts and coal the basic mechanism of flame propagation in dust clouds suggests that increased cloud explosion rates would not be expected as the particle size decreases into the <1 μm range. An overall conclusion is that dust clouds consisting of nm primary particles are not expected to exhibit more severe K_St-values than clouds of μm primary particles, in agreement with recent experimental evidence. In the case of the ignition sensitivity recently published evidence indicates that MIEs of clouds in air of some metal powders are significantly lower for nm particles than for μm particles. A possible reason for this is indicated in the paper.