Multi-ignition of cornstarch dusts in a vessel with compartments

Abstract

The aim of this work is to study the effects of a multi-source ignition in a wide energy range on a dust explosion. More particularly, we focus on the pressure history inside a partitioned vessel. The initiation is introduced in the form of internal energy and a calculation methodology, particularly interesting in the field of the risk assessment is used to simulate the transmission of the explosion from one compartment to another adjacent one by the means of the hot flow through the shared orifice and finally to generalise this methodology to a complex multi-partitioned structure.The basic characteristics of the model have been developed for the ignition and the combustion of propulsive powders and adapted to dust suspensions with appropriate parameters linked to simplified kinetics. A simple representation of the combustion phenomena based on energy transfers and the action of specific molecular species is presented. The model allows the study of the influence of various parameters such as the dust concentration, the different ignition energies and their locations, the size of the inner openings or the venting areas. The theoretical results have been compared with many data available in the literature and indicate correct preliminary trends.