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Effect of small vent area on a small‐scale methane‐air explosion
Author(s) -
Zhang Kai,
Wang Zhirong,
Wang Supan,
Jiang Juncheng
Publication year - 2018
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.11945
Subject(s) - dimensionless quantity , gas explosion , mechanics , methane , environmental science , thermodynamics , materials science , chemistry , physics , forensic engineering , engineering , organic chemistry
A series of small‐scale experiments on vented methane‐air explosions are carried out in a 22 L spherical vented vessel with small vent areas. The experiment is conducted under both constrained and unconstrained circumstances where the dimensionless vent ratios are different. A discussion of the various characteristics of the explosion is presented. Under the constrained circumstances, reduced dimensionless vent ratios can lead to an increase in the maximum explosion venting pressure and in the maximum explosion rising rate, called nonbalanced vented explosions. However, when the dimensionless vent ratios are higher than a certain value, the maximum explosion venting pressure and maximum explosion rising rate do not change, which is called as balanced vented explosions. When the dimensionless vent ratios are between 0.009 and 0.025, it has a remarkable effect. When the dimensionless vent ratio is between 0.00169 and 0.009, it doesn't affect the explosion pressure. However, a very high explosion venting pressure appears. Moreover, the pressure is close to the maximum explosion pressure in a closed vessel. When the dimensionless vent ratios are lower than 0.00169, the maximum explosion venting pressure is higher than the maximum explosion pressure in a confined space. Nevertheless, under the unconstrained circumstances, the maximum explosion venting pressure is always lower than the maximum enclosed explosion pressure despite of different dimensionless vent ratios. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 37: 294–299, 2018