Explosion protection with vent ducts: expensive and unproductive

The situation: Indoor plant equipment cannot be protected by explosion vents alone. The dusts and flames exiting the vessel pose an enormous threat both to the safety of employees and the plant itself. And secondary explosions resulting from the dust disturbed by the initial explosion are yet another concern. For this reason, vent ducts are often used to channel the pressure wave and flames from an explosion to an outdoor area.

The problem: This solution prevents process-optimized plant design. The longer the venting duct, the stronger the duct, and the enclosure itself, must be and the higher the associated costs. The reason: the greater the distance of the explosion from its source, the greater the pressure that the duct and the enclosure must withstand.