Investigations into the influence of dustiness on dust explosions

A new safety characteristic the “dustiness” according to VDI 2263 – part 9 (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure, 2008) is investigated. Dustiness means the tendency of a dust to form clouds. The paper deals with the influence of the dustiness on vented dust explosions. In order to look into the effects of the dustiness on dust cloud formation and explosion properties experiments and simulations in a vertical dust dispersion glass tube apparatus were carried out.Preliminary explosion experiments showed that the dustiness has an influence on the reduced explosion pressure in a vented 75 L test apparatus. Dusts with comparable p_max and K_St values and different dustiness were tested. Dusts with higher dustiness produced higher overpressures, despite comparable safety characteristics. In order to verify the results for applications in the process industries further tests with different settings are planned as well as industrial scale experiments. Characteristics of the dust such as particle size, density, specific surface area and particle shape, which influence the dispersibility, have been determined experimentally.The Euler/Lagrange and the Euler/Euler approaches are compared for simulating an exemplary dust/air mixture. Especially sedimentation and the ability of the approaches to simulate the tendency of dust to stay airborne were investigated. The Euler/Lagrange approach is better suited for simulating local dust concentrations, particle size distributions and particle forces. It could be used to point out regions of high dust concentrations in a vessel. With the Euler/Euler method it is possible to achieve fast solutions for one specified diameter, but the simulated dust/air mixtures are always more homogenous than in reality. ANSYS CFX version 13 was used in all simulations.     

Classification of dispersibility for combustible dust based on Hausner ratio

Mixing of combustible dust and oxidant is one of five essential prerequisites in the dust explosion pentagon, requiring that particles originally in mutual contact within the deposits be separated and suspended in the air. However, dust dispersion never proceeds with 100% efficiency, with inevitable particle agglomeration, and an inherent trend toward settling out of suspension. Dispersibility is defined to describe the ease of dispersion of a dust and the tendency of the particulate matter to remain airborne once a dust cloud has been formed. Pioneers made contributions to classify dust dispersibility by introducing dustiness group (DG), dustability index (DI), NIOSH dispersion chamber and in-situ particle size analysis. Issues remained including the difficulty in comparing results from different methods, as well as the availability of some high-tech testing apparatus.This study aims to provide a quick and universal testing method to estimate the dispersion property of combustible dust. A new dispersibility classification was developed based on dimensionless numbers Hausner ratio and Archimedes number. Four dispersibility classes (DCs) were proposed from one to four, with a larger number meaning better dispersibility. Results for more than a dozen dust samples and mixtures thereof showed the new method is useful in dust explosion research. The consistency in classifying dust dispersion properties between the DC method and previous methods was good. Changes in DC well explained our earlier findings on suppressant enhanced explosion parameter (SEEP) phenomenon attributed to the improvement in dust dispersibility. Hausner ratio and Archimedes number, as easily measured parameters, can be quite advantageous to assess dust dispersibility, permitting a proper risk assessment for the formation of explosible dust clouds.     

铝粉分散过程中粒径效应的三维数值研究

为了研究不同粒径的铝粉在20 L爆炸测试装置中的分散规律,基于计算模型的非结构网格划分,耦合欧拉和拉格朗日方法,实现了描述可压缩气体演化的时间平均Navier-Stokes方程组和粒子运动的DPM动量平衡方程的求解,获得了不同粒径（25,50和100 μm）的铝粉在20 L爆炸仓内分散的三维时空演化规律。研究结果表明:铝粉粒径的差异对爆炸仓点火中心的湍动能和速度的演化过程影响不显著,但对粉尘浓度的变化率和峰值均具有重要影响;随着粒径的增大,峰值浓度越小,但均高于形式浓度0.25 kg/m3,达到峰值浓度的时间越滞后。     

Dustiness in workplace safety and explosion protection – Review and outlook

Behavior of dust/air mixtures is very complex and difficult to predict since it depends on material properties as well as boundary conditions. Without other influences airborne particles deposit due to gravity but the time it takes for total deposition as well as easiness of resurrection depends very much on the specific dust sample and the boundary conditions. It still lacks a complete understanding of all interacting reasons and one approach is using experimentally determined characteristics, one is named dustiness.Dustiness is the tendency of dust to form clouds and to stay airborne. Dustiness is determined with two basic principles, which are light attenuation and ratio of filled-in and measured mass. Assessment of dustiness of industrial powders has been done for a long time regarding work place safety. Dustiness is used there to determine inhalable fraction and to evaluate health risks. Lately it became interesting in dust explosion protection as well. Dustiness could be used to optimize determination of zones, adaption of venting area and/or for positioning of suppression systems.Dustiness can be useful in many ways but is not a physical property of dusts, therefore it depends on material properties such as density, particle size distribution, shape and water content as well as boundary conditions or determination method. This makes it very difficult to compare dustiness for different techniques and apparatuses and determination method as well as results should be considered carefully. This work gives an overview of existing standards, recent research and suggests improvements to the new dustiness as proposed for dust explosion protection.     

Experimental study of the influence of particle size on Minimum Explosible Concentration of sulfur dust

Despite the extensive use of sulfur in the industry, very little information is available in the literature on its key dust explosion properties. The work presented in this paper contributes to filling the current knowledge gaps on sulfur dust explosion properties and focuses on the experimental determination of the MEC of sulfur dust using a Modified Hartmann Tube and a 20 L dust explosion sphere. First, the MEC of sulfur dust samples collected at a sulfur production facility from areas prone to the generation of fine sulfur dust was measured. The results showed that these sulfur dust samples are fine enough to cause dust explosions with 55 ± 5< MEC <105 ± 5 g/m³. Second, the influence of the particle size of sulfur dust was investigated with both equipment. The use of the Modified Hartmann Tube for MEC determination showed that the MEC increases with increasing particle size in the particle size range of 0–2000 μm. Unlike the Modified Hartmann Tube, MEC experiments done in the 20 L Sphere did not allow the quantification of the influence of the particle size on the MEC. These results were explained by the phenomenon of particle breakage induced by the 20 L Sphere's dispersion mechanism. Additional experiments with the 20 L sphere confirmed the particle breakage of sulfur dust particles and showed that it is inversely proportional to dust concentration and proportional to the dust's original particle size distribution.     

EVA树脂粉尘/甲烷/空气杂混物爆炸特性

在20 L爆炸实验装置中,开展了3种不同中值粒径的EVA树脂粉尘/甲烷/空气所组成的杂混物爆炸特性研究,探究了甲烷浓度对粉尘爆炸下限、最大爆炸压力的影响。结果表明,尽管添加的甲烷气体浓度低于爆炸下限,仍使得粉尘爆炸下限得以降低,粒径较大的EVA III粉尘,当甲烷体积分数为1%时,爆炸下限降低约25%;粒径较小的EVA I粉尘,当混入甲烷体积分数为4%时,爆炸下限则降低80%;甲烷体积分数每增加1%,可燃粉尘最大爆炸压力上升约10%,但对于粒径较小的EVA I粉尘,当甲烷体积分数为4%时,最大爆炸压力的上升呈现突变趋势,上升近50%。     

Effect of particle morphology on metal dust deflagration sensitivity and severity

Combustible dust explosions continue to present a significant threat toward industries processing, storing, or pneumatically conveying metal dust hazards. Through recent years, investigations have observed the influence of particle size, polydispersity, and chemical composition on dust explosion sensitivity and severity. However, studies characterizing the effect of particle shape (or morphology) on metal dust explosibility are limited and merit further consideration. In this work, high-purity aluminum dust samples of three unique particle morphologies were examined (spherical granular, irregular granular, and dry flake). To maintain consistency in results obtained, all samples were procured with similar particle size distribution and polydispersity, as verified by laser diffraction particle size analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) experiments were executed to confirm supplier claims on morphology and to quantify the effective surface area associated with each sample, respectively. Investigations performed in a Kühner MIKE3 minimum ignition energy apparatus and a Siwek 20 L sphere combustion chamber resulted in the direct characterization of explosion sensitivity and severity, respectively, as a function of suspended fuel concentration and variable particle morphology. Recommendations to standard risk/hazard analysis procedures and to existing design guidance for the mitigation of deflagrations that originate from ignition of distinctively processed metal dust fuels have been provided.     

Scaling of dust explosion violence from laboratory scale to full industrial scale – A challenging case history from the past

The standardized K_St parameter still seems to be widely used as a universal criterion for ranking explosion violence to be expected from various dusts in given industrial situations. However, this may not be a generally valid approach. In the case of dust explosion venting, the maximum pressure P_max generated in a given vented industrial enclosure is not only influenced by inherent dust parameters (dust chemistry including moisture, and sizes and shapes of individual dust particles). Process-related parameters (degree of dust dispersion, cloud turbulence, and dust concentration) also play key roles. This view seems to be confirmed by some results from a series of large scale vented dust explosion experiments in a 500 m³ silo conducted in Norway by CMI, (now GexCon AS) during 1980–1982. Therefore, these results have been brought forward again in the present paper. The original purpose of the 500 m³ silo experiments was to obtain correlations between P_max in the vented silo and the vent area in the silo top surface, for two different dusts, viz. a wheat grain dust collected in a Norwegian grain import silo facility, and a soya meal used for production of fish farming food. Both dusts were tested in the standard 20-L-sphere in two independent laboratories, and also in the Hartmann bomb in two independent laboratories. P_max and (dP/dt)_max were significantly lower for the soya meal than for the wheat grain dust in all laboratory tests. Because the available amount of wheat grain dust was much larger than the quite limited amount of available soya meal, a complete series of 16 vented silo experiments was first performed with the wheat grain dust, starting with the largest vent area and ending with the smallest one. Then, to avoid unnecessary laborious changes of vent areas, the first experiment with soya dust was performed with the smallest area. The dust cloud in the silo was produced in exactly the same way as with the wheat grain dust. However, contrary to expectations based on the laboratory-scale tests, the soya meal exploded more violently in the large silo than the wheat grain dust, and the silo was blown apart in the very first experiment with this material. The probable reason is that the two dusts responded differently to the dust cloud formation process in the silo on the one hand and in the laboratory-scale apparatuses on the other. This re-confirms that a differentiated philosophy for design of dust explosion vents is indeed needed. Appropriate attention must be paid to the influence of the actual dust cloud generation process on the required vent area. The location and type of the ignition source also play important roles. It may seem that tailored design has to become the future solution for tackling this complex reality, not least for large storage silos. It is the view of the present author that the ongoing development of CFD-based computer codes offers the most promising line of attack. This also applies to design of systems for dust explosion isolation and suppression.     

基于响应面法的木粉尘最大爆炸压力试验研究——以桑木粉尘为例

为研究粉尘质量浓度、粒径和点火延迟时间对木粉尘最大爆炸压力影响,以桑木粉尘为对象,利用1.2 L的Hartmann管进行试验。研究结果表明:最大爆炸压力随着粉尘质量浓度的增加先增大后减小,随着粉尘粒径的增大而减小,随着点火延迟时间的增大而增大。在单因素试验基础上,运用Design-Expert软件对Box-Behnken所设计的响应面试验方案分析,得到影响粉尘最大爆炸压力大小顺序为:点火延迟时间>质量浓度>粒径,同时Design-Expert软件预测出最危险爆炸强度的试验条件为:质量浓度840.24 g/m3,粒径260目,点火延迟时间12 s,最大爆炸压力为0.511 775 MPa,经检验,拟合性较好,为防爆设备本质安全强度设计提供了一定的参考价值。     

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。     

Insight into vented explosion mechanism and premixed flame dynamics in linked vessels: Influence of membrane thickness and blocking rate

To effectively prevent and mitigate explosion hazards and casualties, relief venting of flammable gas explosions has been applied in production processes in a broad variety of industries. This work conducted fully vented experiments to investigate the influence of venting membrane thickness, and partially vented experiments to investigate the influence of baffle blocking rate on the explosion characteristics of 9.5 vol% methane-air mixtures in linked vessels with a 0.5 m long vented duct. Results indicate that the membrane thickness and blocking rate for the two types of vented explosions significantly affected the explosion overpressure. The smaller the membrane thickness and blocking rate, the lower the explosion overpressure. Secondary explosions were observed in the vented duct through experiments and a weaker explosion flame appeared at a small blocking rate of 20%. With the further increase in the blocking rate, the flame became extremely weak, and no secondary explosions occurred. The overpressure evolution process at different positions in the explosion duct and secondary explosion phenomenon in the vented duct were investigated. This work could probably serve as an important reference for the selection of technical parameters of explosion venting in the practical industrial processes.     

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。     

初始压力对连通容器甲烷-空气混合物泄爆压力的影响

建立球形容器与管道、2个球形容器与管道组成的2种形式的连通容器试验装置,研究初始压力对连通容器甲烷-空气混合物泄爆压力的影响。结果表明:连通容器内泄爆超压随初始压力增加而增大,并与初始压力近似成线性关系;对于2个球形容器与管道组成的连通容器,起爆容器的泄爆超压始终小于传爆容器;泄爆方式和点火方式对连通容器泄爆超压有较大影响,大容器点火时,2个容器的泄爆压力差随初始压力增加而增大,但小容器点火时,2个容器的泄爆压力差随初始压力的增加变化较小;初始压力对不同结构和尺寸的连通容器的泄爆压力的影响不同,当令初始压力对大容器点火时,小容器内泄爆压力受影响最大,而当对单球形容器与管道组成的连通容器的小容器点火时,小容器内泄爆压力受影响最小。     

激波诱导下煤粉的爆炸压力测试

因气体爆炸导致沉积粉尘的二次爆炸的威力远大于单纯的气体或者粉尘爆炸产生的威力,利用自制的装置,诱导煤粉爆炸的激波由甲烷气体爆炸产生,对激波诱导下煤粉的爆炸压力Pmax、爆炸压力上升速率(dp/dt)max进行了实验研究。该实验分别研究煤粉浓度及煤粉粒度对爆炸指数的影响,其结果表明:对于不同的煤粉浓度,存在一个理想煤粉浓度值,在这个浓度下的煤粉爆炸压力值最大;随着煤粉粒度的减小,其爆炸压力不断升高。     

Correlations for blast effects from vented dust explosions

Empirical correlations are often used to estimate safety distances in the event of dust explosions. In Europe, there are two main correlations available in VDI 3673 and EN 14491. Whereas the VDI 3673 correlation is based on experimental investigations of vented dust explosions using large vessels, and assumes an external explosion, the EN 14491 correlation is derived from SKJELTORP et al. internal explosion tests in ammunition storage facility. This paper provides an overview of the experimental studies of vented gas and dust explosion. It aims to highlight the main findings of such studies, while defining the conditions for a secondary explosion to occur and comparing experimental data with the application of standards, in order to propose elements to choose the more appropriate correlation.     

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.     

The effect of admixed material on the minimum explosible concentration of oil shale

The minimum explosible concentration (MEC) in the air atmosphere at the boundary between an explosion and no explosion in a dust cloud, has been investigated for several particle sizes of oil shale and for mixtures of oil shale and inert powder of different particle size. Limestone, stone dust and coarse particle size of oil shale were used as inert materials. Measurements were made in a standard small vertical tube apparatus. The results obtained indicated that the minimum explosible concentration is dependent on the particle size, i.e., values of MEC decrease with a decrease in the size of the particles. Below 70 μm, values of MEC become almost constant. Admixture of limestone as low as 5% to oil shale is sufficient to reduce the MEC values significantly.     

点火延迟时间对粉尘最大爆炸压力测定影响的研究

根据粉尘云形成时颗粒分散及沉降的时间效应,指出目前国际通行的球型爆炸装置采用固定点火延迟时间测定粉尘最大爆炸压力的方法具有不确定性,并以煤粉为介质在20 L标准爆炸球装置上进行系列爆炸实验,研究装置点火延迟时间对粉尘爆炸压力的影响。结果表明:点火延迟时间对粉尘爆炸压力测定有十分显著的影响,不同粒径粉尘的最大爆炸压力有不同点火延迟时间,目前仅以气相湍流度所确定的固定点火延迟时间下,所测粉尘最大爆炸压力可能严重偏离实际。     

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。     

Effectiveness of dust dispersion in the 20-L Siwek chamber

The Siwek 20-L chamber is widely used throughout the world to evaluate the explosibility of dusts. This research evaluated the quality of dust dispersion in the Siwek 20-L chamber using Pittsburgh coal, Gilsonite, and purple K dusts. A Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) optical dust probe was used to measure optical transmittance through the dust cloud at various locations within the chamber. A total of 540 tests were performed, with triplicate tests at five nominal dust concentrations and six locations. The two standard dispersion nozzles (rebound and perforated annular nozzle) were compared. The transmissions corresponding to the normal ignition delay period were used to: (a) determine variations in spatial uniformity of dispersion obtained with both nozzles; (b) make comparisons between the experimental transmission data and those calculated from theory for the three dusts; and (c) make comparisons with transmission data measured in the PRL 20-L and Fike 1-m³ dust explosion chambers.The uniformity of dispersion for the three dusts was similar with both nozzles, despite the differences in nozzle geometry and mode of operation. Transmission data of the three dusts were all significantly lower than those calculated from theory. This was discovered to be, in part, due to significant reduction in particle size that occurred during dispersion. By measuring particle sizes before and after dispersion, values of 60%, 50%, and 20% reduction in particle size (based on the surface-weighted mean diameter) were obtained for Pittsburgh coal, Gilsonite, and purple K, respectively. Transmission data from the PRL 20-L, Fike 1-m³ and the Siwek 20-L chambers indicated comparable results in terms of uniformity of dispersion. However, transmission data from the Siwek 20-L chamber were significantly lower than those of the PRL and Fike chambers. Again, this was attributed, in part, to the significant reduction in particle size that occurred during dispersion in the Siwek chamber. The design of the outlet (dispersion) valve of the Siwek 20-L apparatus charge vessel was largely responsible for the particle break-up. The contribution to particle break-up by the dispersion nozzles and the high level of turbulence in the chamber were found to be minimal. This is a significant finding in that the dust particle size tested for explosibility in the Siwek chamber is considerably smaller than the original dust sample.