Regimes and critical conditions of detonation propagation in expanding channels in gas suspensions of ultrafine aluminum particles

Under study are the regimes of detonation propagation in channels with linear expansion filled with monodisperse mixtures of oxygen and ultrafine aluminum particles of various loading; the methods of numerical simulations are used. The detonation combustion of submicron aluminum particles is described within the semi-empirical model of reduced kinetics with due regard to the transition from the diffusion-limited regime of combustion to the kinetic one. Waves of both planar and developed cellular detonation are considered as initial conditions. The characteristics of the main flow regimes are obtained and described: the subcritical (detonation failure), critical (detonation failure in some part of the channel) and supercritical (continuous detonation propagation). The maps of flow regimes in suspensions of 200-nm – 400-nm particles are presented in the plane of parameters: the channel width, expansion angle. The obtained critical conditions are similar to those observed in the gas detonation. The critical channel width linearly depends on the expansion angle up to a first critical value (35°–38°). Behind the second critical value (50°), the channel width is independent on the expansion angle. Between these values, there is an interval of nonmonotonicity similar to the detonation of micro-sized suspensions of aluminum particles. The effect of particle loading on the critical conditions in poor mixtures appears in the form of a sharp increase in the critical channel width, if the mass concentration falls below 0.25.     

多层丝网结构抑制瓦斯爆炸传播的数学模型

在多层金属丝网结构对瓦斯爆炸传播的抑制作用机理上建立了多层丝网结构抑燃抑爆的数学模型,表述了火焰传播参数、爆炸反应波参数与丝网结构参数之间的关系.     

Detonation flows in aluminium particle gas suspensions,inhomogeneous in concentrations

A physical and mathematical model of the reduced kinetics is presented describing heterogeneous detonation in suspensions non-uniform in particle concentration. The model is based on the heterogeneous media approaches, semi-empirical laws of ignition and combustion, and data on the dependence of the detonation velocity on particle concentration. Formation of suboxides and incomplete combustion of aluminum are taken into account integrally. The dependence of the heat release of chemical reactions and the fraction of unburnt particles on the initial composition is determined from the solution of the stationary problem of the structure of the detonation wave. In the calculations of unsteady detonation flows, it is supposed to solve an additional equation for the spatial distribution of initial concentrations. The problems of initiation and development of cellular detonation in flat channels in suspensions of micron-sized aluminum particles are studied. Dependences of the cell size on particle concentration in uniform suspensions are determined. The flow patterns of cellular structures, the forms of the leading front, and the propagation velocities in channels with longitudinal or transversal gradients of particle concentration are analyzed.     

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.     

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.     

Suppression of flame propagation in a long duct by inertia isolation with inert gases

Experimental studies were done with a small pipe with a diameter of 0.043 m and a large pipe with a diameter of 0.49 m to demonstrate the flame propagation suppression with inertia isolation in a long duct. Tests were carried in an ignition section containing propylene/air mixture near stoichiometric concentration and generating a peak flame propagation speed of approximately 100 m/s. The ignition section is connected to a section filled with an inert gas, another section with flammable mixtures, and finally a sufficiently long, ambient section to accommodate flame propagation. The critical length of the inert gas section required for successful suppression of flame from the igniting the flammable section is found to be 0.6 m for CO₂ and 0.9 m for N₂ in the large pipe and 0.2 m for CO₂ and 0.3 m for N₂ in the small pipe. Additional tests with a 3 m of ignition section and peak flame propagation speed of 225 m/s showed that the critical length for successful suppression by CO₂ is only increased slightly to 0.9 m, confirming that the suppression is a result of inertia isolation rather than inert gas dilution. Finally, application of the results in responding to large-scale leak into a long, underground duct is discussed.     

Comments on explosion problems for hydrogen safety

The future widespread use of hydrogen as an energy carrier brings in safety issues that have to be addressed before public acceptance can be achieved. The prediction of the consequences of a major accident release of hydrogen into the atmosphere or the contamination of high-pressure hydrogen storage facilities by air entrainment requires a good knowledge of the explosion parameters of hydrogen–air mixtures. The present paper reviews and comments on the current knowledge of dynamic parameters of hydrogen detonation for hazard assessment. The major problem that remains to be resolved involves the understanding of the effect of turbulence on the cellular detonation structure, the propagation of high-speed deflagrations and the transition from deflagration to detonations. It is recommended that future research should be aimed towards experiments that permit the quantitative understanding of the mechanisms of high-speed turbulent combustion rather towards large-scale tests in complex geometries where minimal quantitative information of fundamental significance could be extracted. In spite of its wide flammability and sensitivity to ignition and detonation initiation, it is felt that hydrogen can be produced, stored and handled safely with the appropriate considerations in the design of the hydrogen facilities.     

High resolution numerical simulation of methane explosion in bend ducts

In this paper we developed a parallel code, adopting a fifth-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme with a third-order TVD Runge-Kutta time stepping method for the two-dimensional reactive Euler equations, to investigate the propagation process of methane explosion in bend ducts. In the simulations, an inverse Lax-Wendroff procedure is adopted to construct a high order boundary in order to treat the complex boundaries. The numerical results show that when the bend angle is 30° and 45°, it cannot inhibit the propagation of the detonation wave; while when the angle reaches 60° and 75°, the detonation wave finally attenuates to the shock wave. It indicates that the propagation of the detonation wave can be inhibited. Furthermore, the temperature and the pressure at the entrance of the bend are low. When the angle arrives at 90°, the detonation wave evolves into cellular detonation when it passes through the bend. When the angle is larger than 90°, the detonation wave dramatically attenuates at the diffracting point, and later some hot spots can be formed, which can ignite the combustible gas nearby. Thus the second explosion occurs and finally the detonation is formed. When the angle is larger than or equal to 90°, the temperature and the pressure at the entrance of the bend is too high that the rescue efforts in the methane explosion accidents will encounter great difficulties. Hence, the laneway with 60° and 75° bend can inhibit the propagation of the detonation wave, and the temperature and the pressure at the entrance of the bend is not too high as well. All the results above can provide an important basis for the design and optimization of the mine laneway.     

Propagation and extinction of dust flames in narrow channels

This article has investigated the propagation and extinction of aluminum dust cloud flame in a narrow channel. The burned and burning dust particles act as heat sources and the channel walls act as heat sinks. In this method, discrete heat source has been used to analyze dust combustion in a narrow channel. Using the superposition of sources and sinks, the preheat zone temperature is predicted as an indicator of flame propagation or extinction. Dust concentration and channel width are two major parameters which affect the quenching distance and flame propagating speed. Wall temperature affects the heat loss; and by preheating the walls, quenching distance is reduced and flame propagation speed is increased.     

Study on the effect of explosion suppression equipment on hydrogen explosions

Hydrogen safety is a critical component of modern industrial safety production. In this study, a set of hydrogen explosion suppression equipment is designed independently. The suppression effects of the equipment on hydrogen explosions are studied at normal room temperature and pressure. The experimental results show that the actuation time of the equipment and the spraying mode of the suppressant are the main factors leading to the failure of the hydrogen explosion suppression equipment. The flame, with a hydrogen equivalence ratio of 0.7 and 1.0, spreads out of control when the suppressant touches the flame front. At this time, the addition of the suppressant enhances flame propagation and increases pressure. In addition, because the suppressant does not fully cover the developing flame, the hydrogen flame with the equivalence ratio of 0.5 eventually breaks through the suppressant cloud, and the explosion happens. However, when the initial flame is completely covered by the suppressant, the hydrogen explosion is suppressed by hydrogen explosion suppression equipment. This research provides a solid and reliable foundation for hydrogen explosion suppression equipment in industrial safety and production protection.     

大长径比管道汽油-空气混合气爆炸与抑制实验研究*

为探究狭长受限空间中油气爆炸失控时的发展状态,探索高效环保的油气爆炸抑制方法,利用长径比155的管道开展92号汽油-空气混合气爆炸发展规律和七氟丙烷主动抑爆技术研究。通过测量不同端部开口条件下油气爆炸超压、火焰传播速度、火焰强度等参数,对比研究空爆和抑爆工况下的油气爆炸变化规律,探讨长直管道中的油气爆炸特性,分析七氟丙烷抑爆效果。结果表明:大长径比管道中,端部开口泄爆对降低油气爆炸破坏能力的作用较小,开口与否对最大超压峰值的出现位置有影响;长直管道空爆时,油气爆炸由爆燃发展成爆轰,管道尾部的爆轰波速可达近2 000 m/s;密闭管道中,爆轰发生前火焰传播呈“已燃区-火焰锋面-待燃区-前驱激波-未燃区”的2波3区结构;主动抑爆方式下七氟丙烷抑爆效果良好,最大超压峰值降低幅度可达90%,火焰传播被及时阻断。     

Inerting characteristics of ultrafine Mg(OH)2 on starch dust explosion flame propagation

Experiments on the flame propagation of starch dust explosion with the participation of ultrafine Mg(OH)₂ in a vertical duct were conducted to reveal the inerting evolution of explosion processes. Combining the dynamic behaviors of flame propagation, the formation law of gaseous combustion products, and the heat dissipation features of solid inert particles, the inerting mechanism of explosion flame propagation is discussed. Results indicate that the ultrafine of Mg(OH)₂ powders can cause the agglomeration of suspended dust clouds, which makes the flame combustion reaction zone fragmented and forms multiple small flame regions. The flame reaction zone presents non-homogeneous insufficient combustion, which leads to the obstruction of the explosion flame propagation process and the obvious pulsation propagation phenomenon. As the proportion of ultrafine Mg(OH)₂ increases, flame speed, flame luminescence intensity, flame temperature and deflagration pressure all show different degrees of inerting behavior. The addition of ultrafine Mg(OH)₂ not only causes partial inerting on the explosion flame, but also the heat dissipation of solid inert particles affects the acceleration of its propagation. The explosion flame propagation is inhibited by the synergistic effect of inert gas-solid phase, which attenuates the risk of starch explosion. The gas-solid synergistic inerting mechanism of starch explosion flame propagation by ultrafine Mg(OH)₂ is further revealed.     

Methane/coal dust/air explosions and their suppression by solid particle suppressing agents in a large-scale experimental tube

Methane/coal dust/air explosions under strong ignition conditions have been studied in a 199 mm inner diameter and 30.8 m long horizontal tube. A fuel gas/air manifold assembly was used to introduce methane and air into the experimental tube, and an array of 44 equally spaced dust dispersion units was used to disperse coal dust particles into the tube. The methane/coal dust/air mixture was ignited by a 7 m long epoxypropane mist cloud explosion. A deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) was observed, and a self-sustained detonation wave characterized by the existence of a transverse wave was propagated in the methane/coal dust/air mixtures.The suppressing effects on methane/coal dust/air mixture explosions of three solid particle suppressing agents have been studied. Coal dust and the suppressing agent were injected into the experimental tube by the dust dispersion units. The length of the suppression was 14 m. The suppression agents examined in this study comprised ABC powder, SiO₂ powder, and rock dust powder (CaCO₃). Methane/coal dust/air explosions can be efficiently suppressed by the suppression agents characterized by the rapid decrease in overpressure and propagating velocity of the explosion waves.     

惰性气体抑制瓦斯爆燃火焰传播特性实验研究*

为研究惰性气体抑制瓦斯爆燃火焰传播特性,在自行搭建的中尺度爆炸激波管道上,采用数据采集系统、压电式传感器、火焰传感器、同步控制系统和激光纹影测试系统,通过对比4种不同喷射压力（0.5,1.5,2.5,3.5 MPa）的实验工况,选用N2做为惰性介质时抑制火焰的传播特性与喷射压力密切相关,火焰传播速度随着喷射压力增加呈现先增加后减弱的趋势。研究结果表明:少量N2在管道中扩散,加剧了未反应预混气体的扰动状态,造成火焰阵面褶皱的卷吸能力增强,进而加速化学反应进程,促进预混气体燃烧;喷射压力为1.5 MPa时,火焰阵面拉升、变形最强,火焰传播速度提高,最高可达到250 m/s;喷射压力为3.5 MPa时,火焰阵面出现明显三维凹陷结构,运动发生明显滞后现象,火焰传播速度大幅度降低至5.4 m/s,惰性气体抑制火焰传播效果明显。     

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.     

惰性物对爆炸的遏制

利用爆炸激波管技术研究了部分惰性物对爆炸特性的影响。用多通道辐射高温计测量了氮气对汽油爆轰温度的影响。研究表明，增加氮气含量可以较明显地降低汽油爆轰温度。采用化学当量配比氢氧混合物爆轰产生水蒸气的方法研究了水蒸气对汽油爆轰特性的影响。研究表明，水蒸气能明显降低爆炸压力，水蒸气压力增加到0．1MPa时可导致爆炸熄灭；硝基甲烷和氧气混合物中充人氮气后爆炸压力明显下降，采用光多通道分析系统(OMA谱仪)和多台单色谱仪的光谱测量结果表明，反应中间产物的CH3O、CH辐射强度迅速衰减，反应衰竭。