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Firedamp Explosion Characteristics

The document discusses key topics related to firedamp explosions in mines, including: 1. Ignition point and ignition lag, which describes the minimum temperature needed to ignite a gas mixture and the delay that can occur before ignition. 2. Explosion characteristics such as flame temperature, pressure, length, and velocity of propagation, which are influenced by factors like gas concentration and confinement. 3. The difference between a direct blast that travels ahead of the flame and an indirect backlash caused by vacuum and cooling of gases. 4. Common causes of firedamp explosions like negligence, damaged safety equipment, blasting, fires, friction, and electric sparks.

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Ajeet Kumar
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1K views

Firedamp Explosion Characteristics

The document discusses key topics related to firedamp explosions in mines, including: 1. Ignition point and ignition lag, which describes the minimum temperature needed to ignite a gas mixture and the delay that can occur before ignition. 2. Explosion characteristics such as flame temperature, pressure, length, and velocity of propagation, which are influenced by factors like gas concentration and confinement. 3. The difference between a direct blast that travels ahead of the flame and an indirect backlash caused by vacuum and cooling of gases. 4. Common causes of firedamp explosions like negligence, damaged safety equipment, blasting, fires, friction, and electric sparks.

Uploaded by

Ajeet Kumar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Ignition point or ignition temperature
It is the minimum temperature to which a portion of the mixture must be raised in order to initiate or
cause a rapidly accelerating reaction in the whole of the accumulation with the accompaniment of flame.
It does not refer to the temperature of the ignition source which must obviously be at a higher
temperature.
Ignition point of pure methane in oxygen is 550C.
Ignition point of flammable firedamp air mixtures is 650C to 750C.
It is not a definite temperature but depends upon the following factors:
Nature of the source of ignition whether flame, spark, etc
Shape and size of the space where ignition occurs
Methane content
Temperature of surroundings
Pressure
Oxygen concentration
Presence of other gases
Turbulence
Ignition lag: When fire damp comes into contact with an igniting source, the temperature of which is
comparatively a little above its ignition point, a certain time must elapse before it is ignited. This period
is known as ignition lag.
It has been estimated that a 6.5% methane air mixture and a source of heat at a temperature of
700C, the lag was 11 s and at 1175C only 0.1 s.

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Explosion characteristics
Flame temperature
Explosion pressure
Flame length
Velocity of propagation of flame or flame velocity
Direct blast and backlash
Explosion gases.

(a) Flame temperature


It is the flame temperature of the firedamp-air mixture just at the moment of its explosion. It
depends on:
-concentration of firedamp
-uniformity of the mixture
-turbulence
-confinement
-heat losses
It is maximum at the stoichiometric concentration and is less at the lower and upper flammable units.
The temperature does not remain constant. The adiabatic flame temperature for a stoichiometric methane-air
mixture is 2200K.

(b) Explosion pressure


depends on:
-flame temperature
-confinement
The maximumwww.mineportal.in
explosion pressure ofCall/Whatsapp-
a methane-air8804777500 www.fb.com/mineportal.in
mixture (760 mm Hg, 20C) when ignited in a closed
vessel is 7.2 bar. But in mine workings, explosion pressure may exceed this value.
A shock wave travels ahead of the explosion flame which compresses any firedamp accumulation
encountered on its way to a pressure greater than 1 bar. This accumulated further and can become more than
7.2 bar.

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Using some inhibitors the peak ratio can come down:

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(c) Flame length
Based on experiments, the length of flame increases as the gas concentration in a gas zone increases from
the lower limit of flammability to about 12%, after which it decreases.
The length of the flame is directly proportional to the volume of the zone and, for a given roadway
cross-section, the total flame length is four-and-a-half times the length of the gas zone for 9.5% mixtures and
five times the length for 12% mixtures.
(d) Velocity of propagation of flame
It is very small and depends on the following factors:
(1)Methane content of mine air
The velocity of flame propagation increases with increasing firedamp content from the lower flammable limit
upwards. After reaching the maximum value at the optimum concentration, the velocity decreases.

(2)Condition of the gas mixture, whether it is at rest or in motion


In quiescent mixtures in tubes, the maximum velocity of propagation is not greater than 0.6 m/s. On the other
hand, when the gas mixture is in motion, the velocity may quickly increase to a few hundreds of metres per
second.

(3)Point of ignition
effects velocity of propagation
at the close end of a roadway----maximum damage
at the outbye end of the roadway----rapid burning, less damage

(4)Length of gas zone


Experiments shows that the velocity of flame propagation of a gas explosion increases from zero
at the point of ignition to a maximum distance of about twice that of the original length of the gas body.
The maximum flame velocity for the 7.5 m zone is about 99 m/s and that for the 15 m zone is
533 m/s.

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(5)Presence of Call/Whatsapp-
obstacles in the path or change in8804777500
area of roadwaywww.fb.com/mineportal.in
cross-section
roadway with obstacles if reducing the cross-sectional area of the surrounding, the velocity of
Direct blast and backlash
Firedamp explosion characterised by two distinct operations: direct blast &
indirect blast or backlash.
In case of direct blast, a pressure wave of great force and speed travels
ahead of the explosion flame.
Whereas backlash is caused by the vacuum arising out of the cooling of
explosion gases and condensation of water vapour and is of less intensity than
the direct blast but traverse the same path backwards.
If Methane concentration >9.5%, then there are two types of explosion
flame occur, primary flame and secondary flame.
The primary flame propagates at a greater velocity and consumes the entire
available oxygen.
The secondary flame propagates in the opposite direction and it is produced
by the burning of the unburnt gases with the help of oxygen supplied by the
backlash.
Explosion gases
The chemical composition of the products of a firedamp explosion depends
greatly upon the whether it is pure firedamp explosion or a mixed explosion of
firedamp and coaldust.
With the pure firedamp explosion, carbon dioxide is always formed and
carbon monoxide is frequently
www.mineportal.in
found, A certain amount
Call/Whatsapp- 8804777500
of oxygen is also found
www.fb.com/mineportal.in
due to fresh air supplied by backlash where as in mixed explosion carbon dioxide
Causes of firedamp explosions
Mostly firedamp explosion occurs in an active mine in face areas and
headings. The various causes may be grouped under the following headings:
I. Negligence of miners
II. Use of damaged safety lamps and their improper handling
III. Blasting
IV. Mine fires
V. Friction
VI. Electric sparks
VII. Other special causes

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