Abstract
The effect of porous flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) barriers on the kinetic properties of propane explosions is investigated based on fluid dynamics and combustion-related theory. Furthermore, using small-sized cylindrical pipes, separate experimental studies on propane deflagration are conducted with different types of flexible PVC barriers placed in the pipeline. The results show that when the conditions of the same nature as the obstacles appear at the outlet end of the pipeline and the blocking rate is low, the presence of porous flexible PVC barriers counteracts the effect of tail-end barriers on propane deflagration. In the tail-end opening experiment, the porous flexible PVC obstacle has a significant effect on the flame pattern passing through it but has a weaker effect on the flames before they pass through it. Furthermore, it only affects the degree of “fingertip” sharpening of finger-shaped flames; the fewer the number of holes in the obstacle, the higher the sharpness of the fingertip flame. The porous flexible PVC barriers can reduce the rate of flame propagation and creasing of propane deflagration. The porous flexible PVC barriers have a lifting effect on the overpressure of the blast and a delaying effect on the onset of peak overpressure; the larger the number of holes in the barrier, the stronger the delaying effect.
Highlights
Propane is a common alkane gas in nature, and it is a major component of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) with an explosion limit of 2.1%–9.5%
In cases 1–4, the flame bifurcation disappears because the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) obstacle has a shunting effect on the explosion flame during the propane deflagration, and the degree of the flame disorder increases when the flame propagates to the second section of the pipe, so the flange at the end has a weak influence on the deflagration flame and the flame does not bifurcate
After the flame passes through the PVC obstacle, the flame image in the second section of the pipe has a smaller area and it develops toward the end of the pipe and the pipe wall, while in condition 2, after the flame passes through the PVC obstacle, the flame image in the second section of the pipe has a larger area, which is mainly because the spacing between the circular holes is larger than the other cases
Summary
Propane is a common alkane gas in nature, and it is a major component of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) with an explosion limit of 2.1%–9.5%. It can act as an obstacle during the explosion process, i.e., it increases the flame propagation speed and explosion overpressure and affects the flame morphology. This phenomenon is similar to the effect of a rigid obstacle that does not undergo deformation during the explosion, so it is important to understand the effect of flexible PVC materials on the flame and pressure during propane deflagration for the prevention of propane explosions. Huang et al., Qin and Chen, and Chen et al. experimentally examined the effect of obstacle shape and obstruction ratio on the flame and pressure of gas explosions in space under different conditions. Flexible PVC material is used to make porous barriers and its effect on the kinetic properties of the propane gas explosion process is systematically examined
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