Experimental study on the minimum ignition energy of cornstarch particle-air flows in a horizontal pipeline

Abstract

Pipelines and process equipment are commonly interconnected in a network of dust extraction or pneumatic conveying in lines industry. History has shown that the severity of a dust deflagration could be much accentuated if the initial fireball is allowed to propagate further through pipelines. However, less is known about the hazard of a primary ignition in a pipeline conveying system with combustible dust and high airflow velocity. This paper presents an experimental study on the ignitability of cornstarch particle-air flow in a lab-scale piping system. The results show that minimum ignition energy (MIE) of dried cornstarch flow at 12–28 m/s was less than 300 mJ, and the minimum explosible concentration (MEC) was less than 100 g/m3. An increase in airflow velocity increased both MIE and MEC, as well as stretching the spark plasma. Moisture in the dust significantly decreased its ignitability, with this being a more marked factor than airflow velocity in influencing the ignition hazard in a pipeline.