Biomass dust explosibility at elevated initial pressures

This paper describes a series of explosion tests carried out with biomass at high initial pressures. Atmospheric tests were developed in a 20 1 sphere, and a hyperbaric series at 1 and 1.5 MPa in a 1 m(3) sphere. Depending on concentration, one or two points of dispersion were used and the injection impulse varied from 2.0 to 3.5 MPa, achieving different levels of turbulence. Both the great influence of turbulence on the rate of pressure rise and the high severity and sensibility shown by biomass have contributed to the development of very violent explosions at elevated pressures and concentrations. Also, biomass has shown irregularities in the flame front propagation due to its inhomogeneity. Quite high initial pressures have been experimented with and a material with great projection for energetic applications has been analysed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.