Vent panels solutions

Vent panels

An explosion is a sudden oxidation reaction, with elevation of temperature, pressure or both simultaneously. A gas or dust explosion can be described as a consequence of the rapid combustion of gas or dust in a mixture with air.

What is a deflagration?

Deflagration occurs when the combustion zone advances at high velocity generating large amounts of heat.

What is a dust explosion?

A “DUST EXPLOSION” is defined as a combustion of a dust cloud that propagates itself and develops fast enough so that the gases and vapor produced by this combustion generate in a confined environment a pressure rise high enough and at a very fast speed to produce the rupture of the confinement and generate the effects of an explosion.

What is required for a Dust explosion to occur?

Explosion Risk

The risk of a dust explosion depends on a set of factors such as:

1. Explosive characteristics of the dust
2. Dust composition
3. Particle size
4. Dust concentration
5. Moisture content
6. Ambient temperature and pressure
7. Turbulence of the dust cloud
8. Presence of flammable gas
9. Volume of the container

VENT

The vent panel, one of the most common and effective forms of explosion protection, offers protection against the excess pressure that is a potential hazard in various industrial sectors, providing a planned pathway for the expansion of gases.

• Vent Panels
• Compounds
• Sanitary
• High Performance
• Flameless Vent (Flame Arrester)

ISOLATION

Fike’s effective explosion isolation systems prevent the spread from one part of the process to another through the use of chemical barriers and fast-acting explosion isolation valves.

• Isolation (Valvex Valve)
• Explosion Inhibitor
• Isolation (Ventex valve)

SUPRESSION

This type of mitigation not only protects the equipment from explosion, but also extinguishes the fire generated inside the vessel. The operation of this type of system is based on electronic pressure sensors and dry fire extinguishing product triggers.

Fike explosion suppression systems are ATEX, NFPA 69 and CSA approved.

What are Dust Explosion Suppression Systems?

Dust explosion suppression systems are systems designed to:

• Contain the pressure wave
• Extinguish the flame
• Prevent propagation

How to protect against a Dust Explosion?

The Fike product line focuses on mitigation technology. Fike not only supplies the venting, which as mentioned, is passive protection; therefore, the important thing is to protect people.

In a deflagration, fire travels upstream and arrives with a speed greater than the speed of sound to the dust collection points, where there are always people in an environment enriched with dust-saturated air. Therefore, the effect of the explosion must be mitigated. Fike specializes in active protection, that is, not only in protecting the equipment from an explosion, but also in isolating and extinguishing the fire before it spreads.