Partitioning Effect on a Dust Explosion

Abstract

The aim of this work is to verify the partitioning effect on the chain propagation of a dust explosion and the formation of overpressures inside a partitioned vessel. A calculation methodology, particularly interesting in the field of the risk assessment is developed to simulate the transmission of the explosion from one compartment to another adjacent compartment by means of the hot flow through the shared orifice and finally to generalize this methodology to a complex multipartitioned structure. The basic characteristics of the model have been developed for the ignition and combustion of propulsive powders and adapted to dust suspensions with appropriate parameters linked to simplified kinetics. A simple representation of the combustion phenomena based on energy transfers and the action of specific molecular species is presented. The model allows the study of various parameters such as the initial thermodynamical conditions, the size of the inner openings or the vent areas and finally the location of the ignition energy and of overpressures inside the structure. The calculations have been compared with experimental data available for usual dust suspensions and indicate correct preliminary tendencies.

Keywords:

• Compartments
• Dust suspensions
• Overpressures
• Pressure pilling