Effect of pipe diameter and volume ratio on dust explosion in interconnected vessels

Abstract

The explosion process of 150 nm polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) dust in the interconnected vessels is studied through CFD, which supports the safety protection of the powder-related industry. The simulation results are verified by the overpressure and the flame propagation velocity, which are in excellent agreement with the experimental results and have high reliability. The results show that with the expansion in the pipe diameter, the turbulent velocity in the primary vessel decreases while the precompression increases. With the growth of the volume ratio, the maximum explosion overpressure decreases first and then mounts after reaching the trough. For industrial explosion-proof design, it should be avoided to use pipe diameters for the most dangerous conditions. The existence of an optimal volume ratio is the optimal choice for explosion-proof designs. This study supports an in-depth understanding of the evolution mechanism of pressure-piling in interconnected vessels and contributes effective methods for designing equipment with explosion risk.