Premium
Laboratory investigation into fractal characteristics of methane explosion flame
Author(s) -
Nie Baisheng,
Wang Cheng,
Meng Junqing,
Xue Fei,
Dai Linchao
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
process safety progress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.378
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1547-5913
pISSN - 1066-8527
DOI - 10.1002/prs.11713
Subject(s) - methane , fractal dimension , equivalence ratio , volume (thermodynamics) , mechanics , intensity (physics) , fractal , materials science , gas explosion , fractal analysis , equivalence (formal languages) , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , thermodynamics , forensic engineering , engineering , optics , mathematics , physics , combustion , chromatography , mathematical analysis , organic chemistry , combustor , discrete mathematics
This article presents the results of an experimental study which aims to examine flame propagation pattern occurring during methane explosion under different gas concentrations. Five methane‐to‐air volume concentration ratios are tested, namely 8, 9.5, 9.7, 10, and 11%. Flame images are captured with high‐speed camera and examined with fractal analysis of triple‐prismatic surface area. The experimental results suggest that the closer the methane concentration is to the optimal equivalence ratio, the greater the maximum fractal dimension of the explosion. It is shown that the maximum fractal dimension occurs at a methane concentration of 9.5% when the methane concentration moves closer to the optimal equivalence ratio and the explosion is most intense. The fractal dimension and its rate of change serve directly as indicators of the explosion intensity, the gradient of intensity, and the propagation pattern of the entire flame. These results shed light on the dynamic characteristics of flame propagation occurring in methane explosion. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 34: 244–249, 2015