Effect of particle size reduction due to dust dispersion on minimum ignition energy (MIE)

Abstract

The 20-L dust explosion apparatus is widely used for dust explosion risk assessment, however the 1-m3 apparatus remains the gold standard for explosion testing by generating a turbulent dust cloud consistent with industrial scenarios. Recent studies show a 1-m3 dispersion leads to particle breakage, which can impact risk assessment. However, the effect of particle breakage on explosion risk assessment is not quantified.The focus of this work is to measure particle breakage in a 1-m3 and to quantify the effect of resulting particle size distribution shift on the explosion risk assessment by measuring change in the minimum ignition energy (MIE). We observed Ascorbic Acid particle size reduction in a 1-m3, resulting in a reduced post-dispersion MIE as compared to the pre-dispersion sample. This work aims to create awareness of dust particle breakage to improve the risk assessment process, to better prevent incidents.