Experimental study of the venting characteristics of dust explosion through a vent duct

• Published in: Journal of loss prevention in the process industries Vol. 65; p. 104144
• Main Authors: Pang, Lei, Zhang, Zhiwen, Cui, Shiqi, Sun, Siheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2020
• Subjects: Dust explosion; Explosion venting; Secondary explosion; Three-peak-structure; Vent duct; Vent duct; Dust explosion; Secondary explosion; Three-peak-structure; Explosion venting
• ISSN: 0950-4230
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jlp.2020.104144

To further understand the dynamic mechanism of dust explosion through a vent duct, we designed a small-scale cylindrical vessel connected with a vent duct and performed a dust explosion venting experiment under different opening pressures using corn starch as the explosive medium in this study. The results show that weakening effect of duct on venting is positively correlated with the opening pressure. The explosion pressure in the duct presents a three-peak-structure with time, successively caused by the membrane breaking shock wave, the secondary explosion in the tube, and the continuous combustion, and decreases gradually with the propagation distance. Meanwhile, the three pressure peaks are positively correlated with the opening pressure, while the time interval between them goes to contrary. The increase of opening pressure leads to the increase of secondary explosion intensity and reverse flow in the vessel, further accelerates the reaction rate in the vessel, and then shortens the duration of combustion in the vessel until the phenomenon of flame reignition in the vessel disappears. •The explosion pressure in the duct presents a three-peak-structure with time.•The peak is positively correlated with the opening pressure, while the Δt is contrary.•The higher the opening pressure, the shorter the combustion duration in the vessel.•Weakening effect of duct on venting is positively correlated with opening pressure.