Size Effect on Explosion Intensity of Methane-air Mixture in Spherical Vessels and Pipes

Size effect on explosion intensity of methane-air mixture in spherical vessels and pipes was studied in this paper. The experimental results suggested diameter of the spherical vessel, the length of connection pipes of single vessel and the length of connection pipes between two spherical vessels played a significant role in explosion intensity of methane-air mixture in spherical vessels and pipes. The maximum explosion pressure was almost constant, while the maximum rate of pressure rise decreased with an increasing diameter of the vessel. The maximum explosion pressure and the maximum rate of pressure rise in single vessel with connection pipes both decreased due to the increase of the length of connection pipes. There was a linear relationship between explosion intensity and the length. And the maximum explosion pressure and the maximum rate of pressure rise appeared at the end of connection pipes. For linked vessels, the explosion intensity in secondary vessel increased with an increasing length of connection pipes with linear relationships. The conclusions provided important references for safety design of explosion venting and explosion resistance.