Advances in Dust Explosion Protection Techniques: Flameless Venting

Despite a much greater awareness of dust explosion hazards, numerous accidents continue to happen each year throughout the world, resulting in casualties, property losses and business interruption. Prevention constitutes the first line of defense, and remains an essential part of risk mitigation when dealing with dust explosions; in addition, explosion protection techniques (such as containment, venting, isolation and suppression) also need to be implemented to deal with consequences and effects of explosion when they do occur. While conventional venting remains the most common and popular method of protection used, its implementation is not always straightforward, especially for indoor equipment. A new technology - flameless venting - has been developed for dust explosions, thanks to extensive large scale test programs. In comparison with conventional venting devices, the most notable benefits of using flameless venting devices are flame extinguishment and dust retention, resulting in blast, thermal radiation and noise minimization outside the protected equipment. Another distinct advantage is that it can be easily retrofitted to existing installations, without requiring significant changes to the process. In addition to describing the concept of flameless venting and its design, this article presents results of test programs conducted by Fike, as well as current standardization activities related to flameless venting, both in Europe and in the United States of America.