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Erscheinungsjahr
- 2013 (3) (entfernen)
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- Englisch (3)
Schlagworte
- ESR 4 (2)
- PETN (2)
- Squibs (2)
- Underwater initiating capability (2)
- CFD simulation (1)
- EN 13763-15 (1)
- Explosion (1)
- Industrial fires (1)
- Overpressure (1)
- Pyrotechnic (1)
Industrial fire and explosion hazards due to accidents in fuel storage units have gained a considerable attention in recent years. Both, the regulatory bodies and scientific communities are heavily concerned about the proper safety measures to avoid such calamities in the future. This paper aims to bring some essentials related to the hazards that arose from recent fuel storage fire accidents occurring in Buncefield, UK (2005), Puerto Rico, USA (2009) and Sitapura, India (2009). The potential similarities behind occurrence of these accidents are studied. The applicability of various methods (models) and also computer simulations to estimate the safety distances according to the international standards for both explosion and fire hazard are verified. The overpressures caused by the Vapor Cloud Explosions (VCE) and radiation fluxes emitted by the fires are considered for respective explosion and fire hazard estimations. The prime focus is placed on the regulations laid down by the National Fire Protection Agency of the United States and the European Norms.
Experiments in this study reveal that the initiating capability ofcommonly used squibs is not high enough to initiate PETN in all cases. The fulfilment of the 'new ’ essential safety requirement 4 as set out in the European directive 2013/29/EU and the categorization of squibs as theatrical pyrotechnic articles (T2) can therefore be justified, as the explosive investigated belongs to quite a sensitive type (Initiation with low Impulse energiespossible). Underwater initiating capability tests according to EN 13763-15 led to meaningful results, showing that squibs are usually unable to initiate a secondary explosive. For a general assessment of the initiating capability of squibs and comparable (theatrical) pyrotechnic articles a threshold ränge of an equivalent initiation capability in grams of PETN on the basis of the performed underwater initiating capability tests was determined. It was found that squibs are generally not capable of initiating secondary explosives if the underwater initiating capability fest showed an equivalent Initiation capability below 0.25 g PETN. As a consequence of this result, the underwater initiating capability fest gives an effective and safer alternative to the experimental confirmation of the ‘new ’ESR 4 by direct contact of the article with the secondary explosive and should then be preferred to it.
Experiments in this study reveal that the initiating capability of commonly used squibs is not high enough to initiate PETN in all cases. The fulfilment of the ‘new’ essential safety requirement 4 as set out in the European directive 2013/29/EU and the categorization of squibs as theatrical pyrotechnic articles (T2) can therefore be justified, as the explosive investigated belongs to quite a sensitive type (Initiation with low impulse energies possible). Underwater initiating capability tests according to EN 13763-15 led to meaningful results, showing that squibs are usually unable to initiate a secondary explosive. For a general assessment of the initiating capability of squibs and comparable (theatrical) pyrotechnic articles a threshold range of an equivalent initiation capability in grams of PETN on the basis of the performed underwater initiating capability tests was determined. It was found that squibs are generally not capable of initiating secondary explosives if the underwater initiating capability test showed an equivalent Initiation capability below 0.25 g PETN. As a consequence of this result, the underwater initiating capability test gives an effective and safer alternative to the experimental confirmation of the ‘new’ ESR 4 by direct contact of the article with the secondary explosive and should then be preferred to it.