Explosions have been carried out in mixtures of town gas and natural gas
in air, in a bunker containing two partitions each with large openings. One
end of the bunker contained a large opening which almost filled the bunker
cross-section. The layout of the bunker was designed to simulate the conditions
that might occur when explosions pass from room to room in domestic premises
before explosion relief to the outside. The gas was present in the form of a
layer 0.9 m (3.0 ft) thick. Pressures substantially larger were obtained than
those which might have been expected if no partitions were present and if the
bunker were completely filled with most explosible mixtures of gas and air.
However, the enhanced explosion pressures took place over a narrow range of
gas mixtures and it was important to control the composition of the gas layer
accurately to obtain these high pressures.
