How A Detonation Arrestor Works

By Young Lindsay


Basically, hydrocarbons are flammable but the levels in which they burn can be figured and calculated and thus it may be controlled as well with the appropriate ratio of it mixed in with air. With this in mind, combustion may be stopped depending on the environment it is in. This process may be called as deflagration which means burning down the flames.

A lot of industries needs to have more control and safety when it comes to managing hazardous liquids and flammable materials. Because of the Clean Air Act of the USA, industries are required to minimize the combustions of gasses in order to maintain the safety of both the environment and the people. That is why detonation arrestor is invented.

In 1990, Nicholas Roussakis and other inventors made Flame Arresters or Arrestors as their initial mechanism to burn down any ignition inside a pipe. This is in order to prevent it from tracing back to the source of the tank and further make damages. But there is a difference between that and a detonation arrester.

For the detonation, it is built in order to manage high pressures like 1,500 psi or 10 MPa and that it travels through the pipes in a supersonic speed which is about 2,500 meters per second. Generally this works by placing this device in between pipes to make a demarcation in cases of ignition on either side and to stop it from further burning. Although it still allows flow of the gas between the two sides.

This device is passive and the parts it has are non moveable which means that when it is installed, it would work right away. The core of the device is made of thin layers of metal ribbons that are fashioned in waves and crumples. What it does is extinguish the flames in those tight spaces but still lets gas to freely flow.

There are studies on the limit of these hydrocarbons up until which point of the ratio between them and the air composition for them to burn and stop. This is called their Lower Explosive and Upper Explosive Limits or LEL and UEL. The tests conducted would help determine up to which point to the metal ribbons should be compressed in order to work.

The LEL is the first start of the hydrocarbon and air composition where it starts small and increase and up to which percentage it would begin burning, while the UEL is the percentage to which it stops after increasing it further. So the air and the hydrocarbon percentage would be recorded appropriately depending on which point it burns and stops. With these calculations, the arrestor is made according to it.

For example, Methane gas is shown to have five percent of its Lower Explosive Limit. Therefore, at five percent methane as to ninety five percent air, it would start to combust already. While at fifteen percent methane composition with eighty five percent of the air, it would then start to stop burning. Although there are some gasses that require no oxygen at all for them to combust.

The industries that are utilizing this may call this as their vapor control system. The gases contained may be vented to the atmosphere and therefore controlling them should be a requirement and to ensure safety precautions for the workers and especially the environment. This prevents any fire or explosions within the area.




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