DUST EXPLOSION RESEARCH - STATE-OF-THE-ART AND OUTSTANDING PROBLEMS

Increased knowledge creates a justified request for a steadily more differentiated approach to design of preventive and mitigative measures against dust explosions in industry. In this process, cross-fertilisation between fundamental research and applied research and development is beneficial. Central research topics include formation of, ignition of and flame propagation in dust clouds, blast waves from exploding dust clouds, and test methods. Due to the complexity of the various problem areas, comprehensive theories are scarce. However, computer simulation models, carefully calibrated against experiments, may become useful tools in the future. Expert systems should be welcomed, but adequate Quality Assurance is essential.