Baum Pneumatics Inc offers Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations for dust explosion safety, a powerful tool for NFPA hazard scenario design assessment and explosion protection by deflagration venting.
A computational Siwek chamber is used for testing explosibility of dust clouds as described in ASTM E 1226 standard. Explosibility index Kst, Pmax, and size distribution from standard lab results will be used to simulate dust behavior and verify convergence of computational model. Figure 1 shows the explosion of wood dust particles in the computational Siwek chamber.
Standard: ASTM E 1226
Sample: Wood Flour
Explosibility Index (Kst, bar-m/sec): 209
Maximum Pressure (Pmax, bar): 10.5
Ref: NFPA Guide to Combustible Dust
Figure 1. computational Siwek chamber for model verification
Figure 2 shows an example of utilizing the verified dust explosion model being used to simulate explosion inside a cyclone cluster. Different pathways of flame propagation can be visualized and the optimized location and size for improved safety can be achieved.
Figure 2. simulating explosion in a cyclone cluster