Explosion propagation in a dust removal pipeline under dust collector explosion

The shockwave and high-temperature flame of dust explosion in the dust collector are often transmitted through the dust removal pipeline, and then cause secondary harm. In this study, the dust explosion propagation in a typical dry dust collector connected with dust removal pipelines was studied by CFD. The impacts of static activation pressure of the pressure relief panels on the explosion propagation were also addressed. The dust explosion propagation in the dust removal pipeline showed multiple accelerated combustion processes and severe pressure shocks. The explosion pressure and temperature first increase and then decrease along with the pipeline. Under a higher static activation pressure, the maximum explosion pressure along with the pipeline increases by 144%, where the average velocity of the dust propagation, dust consumption, pressure shock wave, and flame propagation increase by 82.2%, 32.1%, 25.3%, and 70.1%, respectively. When the static activation pressure increases from 0.01 MPa by more than 25%, the changes of the dust explosion pressure and flame propagation in the pipeline are observed limited. The explosion-proof valve should be set between 5 m and 10 m in the dust removal pipeline. And the lower the static activation pressure, the closer the explosion-proof valve. This research provides a scientific basis for the effective control of dust explosion disasters in dust removal systems.