Influence factors of gas explosion venting in linked vessels

A series of experiments were conducted to study the factors influencing gas explosion venting in methane-air mixture explosion in linked vessels. For the linked vessels, the maximum explosion venting pressure in both the big vessel and the small vessel increases when the rupture disk bursting pressure and the dimensionless ratio of the vent area to the vessel volume decrease. At the same dimensionless ratio, the maximum explosion venting pressure in the secondary vessel increases with the pipe length regardless of the ignition occurring in the big or in the small vessel. The maximum explosion venting pressures in the primary and in the secondary vessels are higher than that in the single vessel for ignition in the big vessel without a rupture disk. However, when the pipe length is 0.45 m, the maximum explosion venting pressures in the primary and in the secondary vessel are lower than that in the single vessel for ignition occurring in the small vessel without a rupture disk. At the same dimensionless ratio of the vent area to the vessel volume, the maximum explosion venting pressure in the big vessel and that in the small one are close to each other when the pipe length is 0.45 m for explosion venting in linked vessels without a rupture disk. However, when the pipe length is 2.45 m, the maximum explosion venting pressure in the primary vessel is higher than that in the secondary vessel for ignition in the small vessel. When the pipe length is 4.45 m or 6.45 m, the maximum explosion venting pressure in the secondary vessel is higher than that in the primary vessel.