HEALTH & SAFETY ISOLATION SYSTEMS
REMBE
Explosion isolation should not be missing in a safety concept
Explosion isolation is absolutely essential for comprehensive explosion protection . Without isolation , an explosion safety concept is not only incomplete , but is also a waste of money for operators as :
In almost every production facility , individual plant components are interconnected by means of pipelines . The purpose of explosion isolation is to seal these pipelines in the event of an explosion to prevent the propagation of pressure and flames , thereby protecting the adjacent plant components . Precompression and flame jet ignition increase the severity of the explosion in the connected vessels . This leads to secondary explosions that can cause even more catastrophic damage .
Isolation systems prevent an explosion from propagating , thereby reducing the effects of the explosion to a minimum . Adjacent system components are optimally protected .
A distinction is made between active and passive isolation systems :
Active systems use sensors or detectors to detect an explosion as it occurs by registering the rising pressure or flames as they form and activate the associated isolation device , e . g . a quench valve .
Due to their structural design , passive isolation systems react purely mechanically to a propagation or loss of pressure . The latter also applies to explosion isolation flap valve . They are kept open during normal mode by means of the currents present in the pipeline . In the event of an explosion , the valve closes due to the propagating pressure front , effectively preventing the further propagation of pressure and flames .
EXPLOSION ISOLATION USING QUENCH VALVES : EXKOP SYSTEM
The EXKOP system offers safe , economical and simple isolation of explosions , sparks and flames . By closing within milliseconds , quench valves protect interconnected system parts . In the event of an explosion , the EXKOP control system receives a trigger signal .
The entire system is fail-safe thanks to an integrated pressure accumulator and a selfmonitoring control system . After triggering , the quench valves are ready for use again at the touch of a button . Plant downtimes can thus be reduced to a minimum . The compact design from DN 80 to DN 600 enables flexible integration into your production process .
Fig . 1 : Quench valves open and closed
EXPLOSION ISOLATION DUE TO SLIDE VALVES
The slide valves RSV and REDEX Slide enable silos , mills and extraction systems to be safely isolated and are also available for challenging CIP , dust or gas applications . Both slide valves are suitable for abrasive media .
Explosions are reliably detected by pressure and / or infrared detectors installed in the plants to be protected and a signal is sent to the slide valve . This activates one or more gas generators , which close the slide valves . Flames and pressure waves are thus unable to propagate .
EXPLOSION ISOLATION FLAP VALVE Q-FLAP RX - ISOLATION OF RAW GAS LINES TO FILTERS AND DUST COLLECTORS
The explosion isolation flap valve Q-Flap RX is offered in three different designs . The nominal widths from DN 140 to DN 710 have an inspection flap , while the largest nominal widths ( up to DN 1000 ) have a modular structure to make maintenance as easy as possible . The Q-Flap RX is suitable , among other things , for the aspiration lines of filtering dust collectors and the suction lines of mills .
Alongside the stated features , the non-return valve Q-Flap RX allows for high K St values , flexible installation distances and the highest strengths .
Fig . 2 : Explosion isolation flap valve Q-Flap RX
EXPLOSION ISOLATION WITH CHEMICAL BARRIERS
The explosion isolation system Q-Bic registers the emerging explosion and extinguishes the developing explosion flames within milliseconds by applying the extinguishing powder . The extinguishing powder is optimally distributed in the pipeline via a nozzle system and guarantees reliable isolation . The chemical barrier is particularly well-suited to applications in elevators and spray dryers .
CONCLUSION
Explosion isolation systems form part of the measures for explosion protection and are a must in every safety concept for process engineering plants such as silos , mills , filters and conveyors .
The experts from REMBE GmbH Safety & Control will be happy to
Fig . 3 : Explosion isolation system Q-Bic
help you to select the “ right ” measures at any time .
For further information , please visit www . rembe . de
88 PECM Issue 55