Explosion of gaseous ethylene-air mixtures in closed cylindrical vessels with central ignition.

Explosions of gaseous ethylene-air mixtures with various concentrations between 3.0 and 14.0 vol.% and initial pressures between 0.20 and 1.10 bar were experimentally investigated at ambient initial temperature, using several elongated cylindrical vessels with length to diameter ratio between 1.0 and 2.4. The maximum explosion pressures p(max), the explosion times θ(max), the maximum rates of pressure rise, (dp/dt)(max) and the severity factors of centrally ignited explosions K(G) are examined in comparison with similar data obtained in a spherical vessel. The measured deflagration indices are strongly influenced by the length to diameter ratio of the vessels, initial pressure and composition of the flammable mixtures. Even when important heat losses are present, linear correlations p(max)=f(p(0)) and (dp/dt)(max)=f(p(0)) were found for all examined fuel-air mixtures, in all closed vessels. The heat losses appearing in the last stage of explosions occurring in asymmetrical vessels were estimated from the differences between the experimental and adiabatic maximum explosion pressures. These heat losses are higher when the asymmetry ratio L/D is higher and were found to depend linearly on the initial pressure.