An investigation on minimum ignition energy (MIE) and thermodynamic analysis of typical fibrous dust

Abstract

This study focused on several natural fibrous dust (cotton, silk, and linen fibers) and synthetic fibrous dust (polyester and nylon fibers) obtained from textile mills. Potential relationships between minimum ignition energy (MIE) values and equivalent diameters calculated via four phenomenological models were explored to explain the dependence of the MIE values on geometry. Diameter and material composition are the most critical factors influencing MIE of fibrous dust. However, the impact of length on MIE involving a fixed-diameter fiber cannot be ignored. To explain higher MIE values with increased fiber length per given diameter, an axial heat transfer mechanism model of fibrous dust was constructed in terms of energy conservation. In addition, the pyrolysis processes, pyrolysis mechanisms, and thermodynamic parameters (i.e., activation energy (E), pre-factor (A), and enthalpy(ΔH)) of typical fibrous dust were analyzed to provide a theoretical basis for the numerical simulation of this dust type.