• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.55-63
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• 2016

A dust explosion is a phenomenon of strong blast wave propagation involving destruction which results from dust pyrolysis and rapid oxidation in a confined space. There has been some research done to find individual explosion characteristics and common physical laws for various dust types. However, there has been insufficient number of studies related to the heat of combustion of materials and the oxygen consumption energy about materials in respect of dust explosion characteristics. The present study focuses on the relationship between dust explosion characteristics of wood dust samples and oxygen consumption energy. Since it is difficult to estimate the weight of suspended dust participating in explosions in dust explosion and mixtures are in fuel-rich conditions concentrations with equivalent ratios exceeding 1, methods for estimating explosion overpressure by applying oxygen consumption energy based on unit volume air at standard atmospheric pressure and temperature are proposed. In this study an oxygen consumption energy model for dust explosion is developed, and by applying this model to TNT equivalent model, initial explosion efficiency was calculated by comparing the results of standardized dust explosion experiments.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.32-37
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• 2012

The aim of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of explosion and flame velocity that can be utilized to factories where Mg-Al alloy metal powders are handled in the form of raw materials, products or by-product for similar dust explosion prevention and mitigation. Because the strength of the blast pressure is the result due to flame propagation, flame velocity in dust explosion can be utilized as a valuable information for damage prediction. An experimental investigation was carried out on the influences of content ratio of Mg-Al alloy (mean particle size distribution of 151 to 161 ${\mu}m$). And a model of flame propagation velocity based on the time to peak pressure and flame arrival time in dust explosion pressure, assuming the constant burning velocity, leads to a representation of flame velocity during dust explosion. As the results, the maximum flame velocity of Mg-Al(60:40 wt%), Mg-Al(50:50 wt%) and Mg-Al(40:60 wt%) was estimated 15.5, 18 and 15.2 m/s respectively, and also tend to change with content ratio of Mg-Al.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.589-597
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• 2017

This study aims to verify experimentally the specifications of the data acquisition system required for the precise measurement of signals in an underwater explosion (UNDEX) experiment. The three data acquisition systems with different specifications are applied to compare their precision relatively on maximum shock pressures from UNDEX. In addition, a method of assessing the acquired signals is suggested by introducing the concept of measurement uncertainty. The underwater explosion experiments are repeated five times under same conditions, and assessment is conducted on maximum quantities acquired from underwater pressure sensors. It is confirmed that the concept of measurement uncertainty is very useful method in accrediting the measurement results of UNDEX experiments.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.59-65
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• 2016

It is imperative to use suitable explosion proof equipments to prevent explosion in different gas facilities. There is no technical standard for the classification of hazardous areas though standard of explosion proof is regulated. In this study, we have adopted Industrial Standard KS to develop the methodology for the prediction of the explosion risk in the natural gas facility with low pressure using the important factors including hole size, hypothetical volume, validation of ventilation effectiveness. The applicability of the developed methodology was evaluated by the comparison with the data obtained from experiments of natural gas explosion.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 1989

Molten salt-water explosion caused by the contact between molten salt and water is one of vapour explosions. An experimental study of the vapour explosion, which occurs when the molten mixture of Na$_2$CO$_3$-NaOH and water come in contact was performed. The pressure wave generated in each composition Of molten mixtures was measured. The results obtained are as follows： 1) The vapour explosion didn't occur for a molten salt of 100%-Na$_2$CO$_3$- 2) For a molten salt of Na$_2$CO$_3$ 80％-NaOH 20% mixture, a small vapour explosion occured initially, and a large vapour explosion, which showed the largest pressure wave among the present experiments, occurred after an induced period. 3) For molten salt of Na$_2$CO$_3$60％ - NaOH 40％ mixture and Na$_2$CO$_3$ 40％ - NaOH 60％ mixture, the vapour explosion occurred near the water surface shortly after they come in contact with water. This explosion would be caused by fragmentation of the molten salts due to impulse generated when thee molten salts and water come in contact.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2024

Fuel gases such as methane and propane are used in explosion hazardous area of domestic plants and can form non-uniform mixtures with the influence of process conditions due to leakage. The fire-explosion risk assessment using literature data measured under uniform mixtures, damage prediction can be obtained the different results from actual explosion accidents by gas leaks. An explosion characteristics such as explosion pressure and flame velocity of non-uniform gas mixtures with concentration change similar to that of facility leak were examined. The experiments were conducted in a closed 0.82 m long stainless steel duct with observation recorded by color high speed camera and piezo pressure sensor. Also we proposed the quantification method of non-uniform mixtures from a regression analysis model on the change of concentration difference with time in explosion duct. For the non-uniform condition of this study, the area of flame surface enlarged with increasing the concentration non-uniform in the flame propagation of methane and was similar to the wrinkled flame structure existing in a turbulent flame. The time to peak pressure of methane decreased as the non-uniform increased and the explosion pressure increased with increasing the non-uniform. The ranges of K_G (Deflagration index) of methane with the concentration non-uniform were 1.30 to 1.58 [MPa·m/s] and the increase rate of K_G was 17.7% in methane with changing from uniform to non-uniform.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.517-534
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• 2021

Hydrogen fuel is emerging as an new energy source to replace fossil fuels in that it can solve environmental pollution problems and reduce energy imbalance and cost. Since hydrogen is eco-friendly but highly explosive, there is a high concern about fire and explosion accidents of hydrogen fueled vehicles. In particular, in semi-enclosed spaces such as tunnels, the risk is predicted to increase. Therefore, this study was conducted on the applicability of the equivalent TNT model and the numerical analysis method to evaluate the hydrogen explosion pressure in the tunnel. In comparison and review of the explosion pressure of 6 equivalent TNT models and Weyandt's experimental results, the Henrych equation was found to be the closest with a deviation of 13.6%. As a result of examining the effect of hydrogen tank capacity (52, 72, 156 L) and tunnel cross-section (40.5, 54, 72, 95 m²) on the explosion pressure using numerical analysis, the explosion pressure wave in the tunnel initially it propagates in a hemispherical shape as in open space. Furthermore, when it passes the certain distance it is transformed a plane wave and propagates at a very gradual decay rate. The Henrych equation agrees well with the numerical analysis results in the section where the explosion pressure is rapidly decreasing, but it is significantly underestimated after the explosion pressure wave is transformed into a plane wave. In case of same hydrogen tank capacity, an explosion pressure decreases as the tunnel cross-sectional area increases, and in case of the same cross-sectional area, the explosion pressure increases by about 2.5 times if the hydrogen tank capacity increases from 52 L to 156 L. As a result of the evaluation of the limiting distance affecting the human body, when a 52 L hydrogen tank explodes, the limiting distance to death was estimated to be about 3 m, and the limiting distance to serious injury was estimated to be 28.5~35.8 m.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1-5
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• 2017

Leaking of natural gas, which is mostly methane, in a confined living space creates flammable atmosphere and gives rise to explosion accident. The minimum amount of leaked methane for explosion is highly dependent on the degree of mixing in the confined space. This paper proposes a method for estimating minimum amount of flammable gas for explosion by using Gaussian distribution explosion model(GDEM) and experimental explosion data. The explosion pressure in the confined space can be estimated by assuming the Gaussian distribution of flammable gas along the height of an enclosure and estimating the maximum amount of gas within flammable limits, combustion of the estimated gas with constant volume and adiabatic or isothermal mixing in the confined space. The predicted minimum gas amount for an explosion is tied to explosion pressure that results in a given building damage level. The result shows that very small amount of methane leaking in the confined space may results in a serious gas explosion accident. This result could be applied not only to setting the leak criteria for developing a gas safety appliance but also to accident investigating of explosion.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2002.08a
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• pp.407-410
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• 2002

A series of steam explosion experiments using real core materials of $ZrO_2$ and corium(a mixture of $ZrO_{2}\;and\;UO_{2}$) has been performed to evaluate the risk of steam explosion load in nuclear power plants. Surprisingly, spontaneous steam explosions are observed far both materials, which have been thought to be inexplosive so far. The dynamic pressure and morphology of the debris clearly indicate the evidence of an explosion. The experimental results also indicate that $ZrO_2$ is more explosive than corium.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.107-113
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• 1993

Small rectangular explosion chamber of its size 25cmX25cmX32cm with a circular bursting diaphram at the top was used to study the mechanism of gas explosion to fire transition phenomena, the process of ignition of solid combustibles during a gas explosion. To visulize the explosion to fire transition phenomena, transparent acryl window and high speed camera system were used. The test piece of solid combustible in this experiments was a 5cm$\times$5cm square sheet of newspaper which was placed in the explosion chamber filled with a LPG-air mixture. The mixture was ignited by an electric spark at the center of the chamber. Explosion to fire transition phenomena and the behavior of out flow and in flow of gas through the opening yielded by bursting the diaphram was visualized with shlieren system and without shlieren system. Diameter of a bursting dlaphram at the top of the explosion chamber was varied 5cm, 10cm, and 15cm, and the position of test piece were varied with 6 point. Explosion pressure was measured with strain type pressure transducer, and the weight difference of the test piece before and after each experimental run was measured. By comparing the weight difference of solid combustibles before and after the experiment and the behavior of out flow and inflow of gas after explosion, it was found that the possibility of ignition was depends on the LPG-air mixture concentration and the exposure period of test piece to the burnt gas. Test result of this experiments it was found that the main factor of this phenomena are that heat transfer to the test piece, and the pyrolysis reaction of test piece. Based on the results, the mechanism of the explosion to fire transition phenomena were inferred ; gas explosion- heat transfer to solid combustibiles ; pyrolysis reaction of solid combutibles : air inflow ; mixing of the pyroly gas with air ignition.