Influence of vacuum degree on the effect of gas explosion suppression by vacuum chamber

Abstract

In order to study the influence of vacuum degree on gas explosion suppression by vacuum chamber, this study used the 0.2 mm thick polytetrafluoroethylene film as the diaphragm of vacuum chamber to carry out a series of experiments of gas explosion suppression by vacuum chamber with the vacuum degree from −0.01 MPa to −0.08 MPa. The experimental results show that: under the condition of any vacuum degree, vacuum chamber can effectively suppress the explosion flame and overpressure; as vacuum degree changes, the effect of gas explosion suppression using vacuum chamber is slightly different. Vacuum chamber has obvious influence on propagation characteristics of the explosion flame. After explosion flame passes by vacuum chamber, the flame signal weakens, the flame thickness becomes thicker, and the flame speed slows down. With the increase of the vacuum degree of vacuum chamber, the flame speed can be prevented from rising early by vacuum chamber. The higher the vacuum degree is, the more obviously the vacuum chamber attenuates the explosion overpressure, the smaller the average overpressure is, and the better effect of the gas explosion suppression is. Vacuum chamber can effectively weaken the explosion impulse under each vacuum degree. From the beginning of −0.01 MPa, the vacuum chamber can gradually weaken explosion impulse as the vacuum degree increases, and the effect of gas explosion suppression gradually becomes better. When the vacuum degree is greater than −0.04 MPa, the increase of vacuum degree can make the explosion overpressure decrease but have little influence on the explosion impulse. Therefore, the vacuum chamber has the preferable suppression effect with equal to or greater than −0.04 MPa vacuum degree.