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Dust explosion risk moderation for flocculent dusts

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 03:13 authored by Amyotte, PR, Cloney, CT, Faisal KhanFaisal Khan, Ripley, RC
The research presented in this paper is focused on dust explosions of coarse and fine flocculent (or fibrous) samples of wood and polyethylene. Hybrid mixtures of fibrous polyethylene and admixed ethylene were also studied. Experimentation was conducted by following standardized test procedures and using standardized apparatus for determination of maximum explosion pressure, size-normalized maximum rate of pressure rise, minimum explosible concentration, minimum ignition energy, and minimum ignition temperature. A general trend was observed of enhanced explosion likelihood and consequence severity with a decrease in material diameter, as well as enhanced consequence severity with admixture of a flammable gas to the combustion atmosphere. The same phenomena are well-established for dusts composed of spherical particles; this highlights the importance of inherently safer design and the principle of moderation in avoiding the generation of fine sizes of flocculent dusts and hybrid mixtures of such materials with flammable gases. In addition to presenting experimental findings, the paper describes phenomenological modelling efforts for the flocculent polyethylene using four geometric equivalence models: radial equivalence, volumetric equivalence, surface area equivalence, and specific surface area equivalence. The surface area equivalence model was found to yield the best estimates of maximum rate of pressure rise for the flocculent polyethylene samples investigated experimentally. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

History

Publication title

Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries

Volume

25

Issue

5

Pagination

862-869

ISSN

0950-4230

Department/School

Australian Maritime College

Publisher

Elsevier Sci Ltd

Place of publication

The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, England, Oxon, Ox5 1Gb

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Environmentally sustainable mineral resource activities not elsewhere classified