Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

Explosions in a cyclone plant have been investigated to obtain information on their behaviour in a full scale dust handling plant. The dusts used were cork, phenol-formaldehyde resin, wheat flour and polypropylene. The effects of vent position and vent shape on explosion pressures in a cyclone have been studied and vent sizes necessary to relieve the explosion pressures to low values have been determined. The effect on explosion pressures in a cyclone of venting through lengths of ducting has been studied. A relationship between the weight of the vent cover and explosion pressure has also been established. The work has shown the extent to which rotary valves limit the propagation of dust explosions.