SPEME

SPEME
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

Vented Gas Explosions in Small

Vessels with an L/D of 2

Fakandu, B., Kasmani, R.M, Kumar, P., Andrews, G.E.

and Phylaktou, H.N.
Energy and Resources Research Institute

Scope
Introduction
Venting Theory
Vent Design equations
Possible Problems
Aim
Experimental Method
Results

Introduction
Explosion Safety is a legal requirement in industry in most
countries.
The venting technique is a popular and most cost effective
explosion protective measure for reducing explosion
hazards in industries containing of flammable gases,
liquids, mist and dust.
The design guidance on the design of vents in Europe
and the US as specified in NFPA 68 is based on the
original work of Bartknecht

Scope
Introduction
Venting Theory
Vent Design equations
Possible Problems
Aim
Experimental Method
Results

Explosion Venting

Explosion venting is process of channelling excessive

pressure into the atmosphere as a result of explosion to
protect the integrity of the process vessel.
Most installations have openings in the vessel walls of area Av
that fails at a static burst pressure Pstat that is well below the
failure pressure of the vessel to be protected. Experimentally
based design equations are used to predict the reduced
vessel peak pressure, Pred.

Explosion venting (cont)

Vent
Panel

Scope
Introduction
Venting Theory
Vent Design equations
Possible Problems
Aim
Experimental Method
Results

Design Equations
1/Kv = a Pred-b

--------------- (1)

where Kv = V2/3/Av
Pred = The maximum overpressure during the vented explosion
V = The vessel volume
1/Kv = (0.1265 log KG 0.0567) Pred-0.5817 ---------Av/As = C1Pred0.5
Av/V2/3 = 1/Kv =

(2)

---------------------------

(3)

C1C2 Pred0.5 = a Pred0.5 -----------

(4)

Design Equations (cont)

1/Kv = C3 C2 Su (Ep-1) Pred-0.5
C3 = [u0.5 / (Cd 20.5)]

------------ (5)

--------------

(6)

A/S = [12.3/Pred]0.5 = (Cd/KvC2)[av/Su(Ep-1)]

---------

(7)

where A = Cd Av/As= Cd /Kv C2

S = Su(Ep-1)/av where av is the velocity of sound at the initial conditions (343 m/s).
1/Kv = 0.0169 C2 Su(Ep-1)Pred-0.5

--------------

(8)

Design Equations (cont)

Gas - air

KG
bar/ms

a Eq.1
(bar)0.5

b Eq.1

Su
m/s

a
(bar)0.5
Swift

a Eq. 1
Laminar
Flame Eq.5bar0.5

a
Eq.8
bar0.5

Methane

55

0.164

0.5729

0.4

0.22

0.063

0.26

Propane

100

0.200

0.5797

0.45

0.27

0.077

0.32

Coal Gas

130

0.212

0.5900

Hydrogen

550

0.290

0.5850

3.1

0.515

2.14

Ethylene

177

0.228

0.5817

0.80

0.154

0.645

Eq. 2

Bartknechts vent constants from Eq. 1 with comparison with Swift and
laminar flame theory.

Scope
Introduction
Venting Theory
Vent Design equations
Possible Problems
Aim
Experimental Method
Results

Possible Problems
Most theories of explosion venting have had to invoke a turbulence
parameter to force agreement between predictions and experimental
measurements of overpressures in vented explosions.
The phenomenon of self acceleration of flames with the development
of cellular flame structure can occur. This is a function of the vessel
size or diameter, as self acceleration increases with vessel diameter or
distance from the spark to the vent.
The presence of a bursting disc on a vent can give rise to the
generation of pressure waves that disturb the laminar flame front, but
the bursting pressure has to be large for this to be significant. The main
effect of vent burst pressure is that the initial spherical flame is larger
when the vent bursts, so that the initial mass burning rate is higher.

Scope
Introduction
Venting Theory
Vent Design equations
Possible Problems
Aim
Experimental Method
Results

Aim

To separate the turbulence generation by venting from that

of self acceleration, by undertaking venting experiments on
a very small scale with free venting, where self acceleration
of flames and vent flow turbulence and pressure wave
generation could be considered not to occur.

Scope
Introduction
Venting Theory
Vent Design equations
Possible Problems
Aim
Experimental Method
Results
Conclusion

Experimental Methods
A vented explosion vessel of 0.0067 m3 (L= 0.324 and D= 0.162m) was
used which was a cylinder with length to diameter ratio, L/D, of 2.

T3

324

Flame Speed Measurements

P re s s u re -T im e fo r 6 .5 % E th yle n e
0 .4

Overpressure (bar)

T3
0 .3

T2

0 .2

T1

0 .1

0 .0
0

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

T im e (m s )

Pressure time record for ethylene/air vented explosions with the time of
arrival at the outer wall marked at 35ms.

Scope
Introduction
Venting Theory
Vent Design equations
Possible Problems
Aim
Experimental Method
Results
Conclusions

Influence of Ignition Position

the 0.2 m3 vessel that for a stratified explosion in a vessel

with L/D of 2, a Kv of 16.4 and a vent pipe attached that the
maximum overpressure occurs for end ignition opposite the
vent and not for central ignition , the same was found for
premixed combustion in the same geometry.
The present work investigated central and end ignition for
free venting at Kv = 16.4 with no vent pipe attached.

Ignition Positions

Influence of Ignition Positions

3.5 C 2H4/air

CH4/air

0.40
0.35

Centre ignition

Centre ignition

2.5

P m a x (b a rg )

P m a x (b a rg )

0.30

End ignition

3.0

End ignition

0.25

2.0

0.20

1.5

0.15

1.0

0.10
0.05

0.5

0.00

0.0

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

Equivalence ratio

1.4

1.6

0.5

0.7

0.9

1.1

1.3

1.5

1.7

Equivalence ratio

Comparison of end and central ignition on Pred for a cylinder

with V=0.2 m3 and L/D=2 (0.5m diameter) for a) methane and
b) ethylene for Kv = 16.4

Maximum Flame Speed- on

centreline upstream of Vent

40.0

CH4/air

C2H4/air

25.0

35.0

Endignition

Centre ignition

30.0

Centreignition

F lam e s pe e d (m /s )

20.0

End ignition

F la m e s p e e d s ( m /s )

25.0

15.0

20.0
15.0

10.0

10.0

5.0

5.0

0.0
0.8

0.9

1.1

1.2

Equivalence ratio

1.3

1.4

1.5

0.0
0.4

0.6

0.8

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Equivalenceratio

Maximum flame speeds on the vent centreline just upstream of

the vent for V=0.2 m3, L/D = 2 and Kv=16.4 with end and central
ignition for a) methane=air and b) ethylene-air.

Flame Movement

Ignition
position

Diagram on the flame movement at end ignition and

the unburnt gases left inside the vessel

Influence of Kv on Pred

P re d -K v fo r 4 % P ro p a n e

10

B a rtk n e c h t
S w ift
B ra d le y a n d M itc h e n s o n
E x p e rim e n ta l
L a m in a r F la m e

Pred(bar)

0 .1

0 .0 1

10

Kv

Experimental result compared with other correlations showing mixture reactivity.

Note that the measured overpressures are below the laminar flame predictions with the flame
area = As, thus the actual maximum flame area must be <As and no turbulence factor or self
acceleration factor is required. All other predictions are an order of magnitude too high.

Influence of Kv on Pred

Pred-Kv for Hydrogen

Pred(bar)

10

Bartknecht
Experim ental
Lam inar Flam e

0.1
1

10

Kv

Experimental result of hydrogen compared with

Bartknecht and laminar flame theory.

Conclusions
Overpressures in small explosion vesssels are much lower
than for design methods based on the Bartknecht venting
equation for methane, propane and ethylene.
These small volume explosions are laminar explosions and
there is no need for turbulence factors to predict the
overpressure.
The results for hydrogen in a small explosion vessel with
L/D of 2 and end ignition were substantially higher than the
overpressures measured by Bartknecht in a 1m3 cubic vessel
with central ignition.
Self acceleration of flames depends on vessel volume.

Recommendation

There is need for more work to be carried out on the

mixture reactivity for hydrogen explosion venting.

THANK YOU FOR YOU ATTENTION

Questions