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- Acetylene (4)
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- Acetylen (2)
- Acetylendruckgasbehälter (1)
- Acetylene cylinders (1)
- Aufheizverhalten (1)
- CFD-Modellierung (1)
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Preventing the explosion of acetylene cylinders involved in fire with help of numerical modeling
(2012)
The current paper describes a mathematical model, which was developed to simulate the heat transfer in acetylene cylinders during exposure to a fire. The cases of a direct engulfment of the cylinder in the flames and of exposure to a distant fire were considered. Furthermore, the model was also applied to the prediction of the heat transfer during the cooling with water of heated acetylene cylinders, in order to assess the effectiveness of this procedure as a measure to prevent the burst of the cylinder. To provide data for the definition and validation of the model a total of 13 bonfire tests with 8.9-, 10- and 50-dm³-cylinders were performed, where pressure and temperature measurements in the samples were performed. During 5 experiments the fire was extinguished before the expected cylinder burst and a cooling with water was applied. In the paper a short description of the experimental set-up and of the test results is given. Finally, a comparison with the model predictions is provided, showing reasonable agreement.
Acetylenflaschen im Feuer
(2012)
Acetylen ist eines der wichtigsten technischen Gase und findet insbesondere Anwendung beim Schweißen und Schneiden verschiedener Werkstoffe. Damit Acetylen in entsprechenden Mengen vor Ort zur Verfügung gestellt werden kann, wird es in Druckgasbehälter abgefüllt. Im Falle eines Brandes stehen Acetylenflaschen im Verdacht, jederzeit – auch nach Löschen des Feuers – aufgrund einer möglicherweise initiierten Zerfallsreaktion zu bersten. Um insbesondere Personenschäden zu vermeiden, evakuieren und sperren die Rettungskräfte einen Sicherheitsbereich mit einem Radius von mindestens 200 m um die verdächtige Flasche ab. Gleichzeitig wird umgehend mit der Kühlung der Flasche begonnen. Wie lange muss aber eine Acetylenflasche gekühlt werden, bis sie sicher abtransportiert werden kann, und wie lange muss der Sicherheitsbereich mit dem großen Radius aufrecht erhalten werden? Diesen Fragen ist die BAM in den vergangenen Jahren im Rahmen verschiedener Untersuchungen und Projekte nachgegangen.
In this paper two different approaches for predicting the heating-up of an acetylene cylinder involved in a fire and the afterward cooling with water are presented. In the simulations polynomial functions were used to describe the temperature dependency of the thermal properties of the cylinder interior, which is a complex system composed by a solid porous material, a solvent (typically acetone) and acetylene dissolved in it. Model equations covered heat conduction in the cylinder interior and at its walls. In the first approach the cylinder surroundings were simulated as a further domain constituted by CO2, during the fire exposure, and for water, during the cooling. In this domain the coupled heat transfer (convection and conduction) and the momentum equation (Navier-Stokes) were solved. In the second approach no further domain was considered but boundary conditions were set directly on the cylinder walls. Results of the calculations performed with both approaches are presented. This work could prove helpful in predicting to which extent the interior of an acetylene cylinder exposed to fire reaches temperatures capable of initiating the decomposition of acetylene and to determine how long a water cooling should be applied, so that the system is brought again under non-critical conditions.
Fire exposure tests of acetylene cylinders were performed. The purpose of the experiments was to gather information on the behavior in fire of such vessels, depending on the initial charge of acetylene. In fact "empty" acetylene cylinders still contain the solvent in which acetylene is dissolved plus the amount of acetylene to saturation at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature and may still constitute a threat to safety. In the fire exposure tests performed the hazardousness of these vessels was demonstrated, since it was observed that not only fully charged acetylene cylinders but also cylinders with saturated solvent can explode, provided the heat transfer to the vessel is sufficient. The times to explosion were shorter for fully charged cylinders, due to the higher initial pressure and to the faster pressure increase. The effects of the explosions are comparable for both fully charged cylinders and for cylinders with saturated solvent, except for the smaller fireball which is produced in the second case, due to the smaller amount of fuel available. In both cases the cylinder walls or at least fragments can fly further than 100 m away from the burst location. Results of the experiments are presented in the paper. During the tests, temperature measurements at the cylinder walls and in the cylinder interior were performed. Furthermore, the pressure in the cylinder was recorded. The collected data will serve for the validation of a numerical model for the simulation of the heating of acetylene cylinders involved in fire and of the afterward cooling with water, which has been developed. The constitutive model equations and the results of some simulations are presented in the paper.
Prevention of the explosion of acetylene cylinders involved in fire: experiments and simulations
(2011)
In order to assess the effectiveness of water cooling of acetylene cylinders involved in fire, a total of 13 bonfire tests with 8.9-, 10
and 50-l-cylinders were performed. During the experiments the pressure
in the cylinder and the temperature at different locations within the porous material and on the Shell surface as well as the flame temperature were measured. Overall 8 burst tests were performed, in order to determine the times to explosion for the cylinders. Cylinders failed not later than 15 minutes from the ignition of the bonfire, often with generation of a fireball. During the other 5 tests, the fire was extinguished before the expected burst and the cylinder was cooled with water. In 2 of the 5 extinction experiments, the explosion of the cylinder could be prevented. Noticeably, in one case the on-set of the decomposition of acetylene had already been observed, before the cooling was started. In spite of that, the cooling was still effective. The interpretation of the current results and of the data from previous tests with 40-l-cylinder suggests that single acetylene cylinders involved in fire might be saved by cooling, if their pressure does not exceed a value of about 45 bara. The recorded values of pressure and temperature were used to develop and validate a mathematical model for the prediction of the heat transfer in acetylene cylinders during the exposure to fire and the afterward cooling. The predictions agreed well with the experimental results.
In this paper a mathematical model for predicting the heating-up of an acetylene cylinder involved in a fire is presented. In the simulations polynomial functions were used to describe the temperature dependency of the thermal properties of the cylinder interior, which is a complex system composed by a solid porous material, a solvent and acetylene dissolved in it. Model equations covered heat conduction in the cylinder interior and at its walls, while the fire surrounding the cylinder was simulated by solving the coupled heat transfer and the momentum equation. Results of the calculations and the effects of some model parameters are discussed.