How Does Explosion Venting Work?

Venting - Combustion Occurs
1

An ember, spark or another ignition source reaches a combustible dust cloud, resulting in a deflagration.

Venting - Pressure Rises
2

The pressure from combustion rises, challenging the structural integrity of the vessel.

Venting - Panel Bursts
3

At a predetermined pressure level, the explosion vent panel bursts, creating an opening in the vessel; burst indicators signal the process control system to shut down all process equipment to prevent further hazards.

Venting - Pressure Escapes
4

This planned pathway allows expanding gasses, pressure, flame, burned and unburned dust to safely escape, thus reducing the explosion pressure to a value lower than the enclosure strength.

Venting - System Reset
5

After the explosion, eventual equipment damage must be repaired and the vent panel must be replaced before the process can be resumed.

How Does Flameless Venting Work?

Flameless - Combustion Occurs
1

An ember, spark or another ignition source reaches a combustible dust cloud, resulting in a deflagration.

Flameless - Pressure Rises
2

The pressure from combustion rises, challenging the structural integrity of the vessel.

Flameless - Vent Panel Bursts
3

At a predetermined pressure level, the explosion vent panel bursts, creating an opening in the vessel.

Flameless - Pressure Escapes
4

This planned pathway allows expanding pressure, gases and flames to safely escape, while the flameless venting device extinguishes the flame and retains the fuel, preventing secondary explosions.

Flameless - System Reset
5

After the explosion, the vent panel and flame filter must be replaced, but the mounting frames and filter casing may be reused.

Download The Misuse of Flameless Venting

Be aware of factors that reduce flameless venting efficiency. An essential performance indicator for an explosion venting system is its venting efficiency, which describes how effectively it relieves pressure in a vessel.

When can flameless explosion venting be used?

Explosion venting may be used as a reliable explosion protection method when the vessel is:

  • Located outside.
  • Located inside but near an external wall to direct the pressure and flames outside.
  • Equipped with enough surface area to support the required number of vents.
  • Handling materials which are safe to release into the atmosphere.

When flames cannot be vented to a safe location, flameless explosion vents can often be installed on top of deflagration vent panels. These flameless devices allow pressure to escape the vessel and the flames to be extinguished by the flame filter, preventing secondary explosions.

Fike explosion venting installed

Fike Venting System Design

Each Fike explosion venting system is custom designed specifically to mitigate your hazard risk and meet the needs of your application and business. This process is based on your unique combination of hazard type, equipment and its location, interconnections, operating conditions and regulations. As part of this design process, Fike prepares a full system design where the following venting parameters are calculated by qualified personnel:

  • Size, burst pressure, quantity and type of vent panels and flameless venting devices, if applicable.
  • Installation location within your equipment.
  • External flame and pressure effects.
  • Recoil forces on the processing equipment.

This data can then be used to:

  • Verify whether there is enough space available on your equipment to install the vent panels.
  • Verify whether there is sufficient space around your equipment to implement a safety zone (for the safe venting of flame and/or pressure).
  • Guide your mechanical installation team or contractor.
  • Evaluate your equipment’s capability of the recoil forces that may arise during an explosion event.

The final system design document can be added to your explosion hazard and protection files to be submitted in case of a safety inspection.

BESS with vent panels - CFD

Explosion Vent Panels

Opens when the internal deflagration pressure exceeds the static burst pressure of the vent panel. The quantity of explosion vent panels, size and burst pressure are calculated based on the equipment volume, strength, and the fuel characteristics.

CV-S Rd

Standard Vents

Function

General purpose explosion vents for atmospheric, high temperature, vacuum and cyclic pressure applications.

Benefit

Many sizes and geometries available, that fit almost all applications.

Approvals

NFPA68 compliant

ATEX EN14797 certified upon request

Datasheets

CV ⤓

CV-S ⤓

CV-S-HV ⤓

CV-SF ⤓

CV-I ⤓

CV-S-I ⤓

Sani-VS

Hygienic

Function

Designed to protect hygienic atmospheric, elevated temperature and vacuum applications requiring minimal product agglomeration and washdown capability.

Benefit

Low installation cost due to:

  • High venting efficiency
  • Integrated top frame
  • Overtorque protection

Approvals

NFPA68 compliant

ATEX EN14797 certified

Datasheets

SANI-V™ ⤓

SANI-V-S ⤓

Drivent top angle COB

Hygienic+

Function

Designed for atmospheric and elevated temperature food and pharmaceutical applications requiring EHEDG-certified bacteria-free washdown capable vent panels.

Benefit

Low installation cost due to:

  • High venting efficiency
  • Integrated top frame
  • Overtorque protection

Approvals

NFPA68 compliant

ATEX EN14797 certified

3A/EHEDG certified

EXV-ESS

Battery Energy Storage

Function

Designed for atmospheric and elevated temperature food and pharmaceutical applications requiring EHEDG-certified bacteria-free washdown capable vent panels.

Benefit

Off gas analysis and large-scale testing used for economical application-specific venting solutions.

Approvals

ATEX EN14797

Datasheets

EXV™-ESS ⤓

HI-CVS

Gas Engine Exhaust

Function

Designed to protect against explosions in exhaust system of gas-fuelled engines.

Benefit

Unequalled, leak-free service life in high temperature, cyclic pressure and vibrations existing in gas engine exhaust piping.

Approvals

NFPA68 compliant

ATEX EN14797 certified

Datasheets

EXV™-GEP ⤓

CV-S-I ⤓

Eleguard

Bucket Elevator

Function

Designed to protect against dust explosions in bucket elevator.

Benefit

Low installation cost due to:

  • Vent sizes that fit elevator legs
  • High venting efficiency
  • Weld-free, riveted installation
  • Integrated top-frame
  • Overtorque protection

Approvals

NFPA68 compliant

ATEX EN14797 certified upon request

Datasheets

EleGuard ⤓

Flameless Explosion Vent Devices

Placed over an explosion vent panel and contains a flame filter to extinguish the explosion flames while the explosion pressure is discharged into atmosphere.

Flamquench SQII

Standard

Function

General purpose flameless venting device for fine, coarse, fibrous and melting organic dust applications.

Benefit

Low impact on factory planning:

  • Very small safety distance
  • No external hazardous zoning required
  • Not restricted by existing hazardous zoning

Approvals

NFPA 68 compliant

ATEX EN16009 certified upon request

Datasheets

FlamQuench™ II SQ ⤓

Flamquench Rd Bl

Performance

Function

Suited for metal dust applications and for corrosive or food production environments, due to full stainless steel execution.

Benefit

Low impact on factory planning:

  • Very small safety distance
  • No external hazardous zoning required
  • Not restricted by existing hazardous zoning

Approvals

NFPA 68 compliant

FM Approved

ATEX certified upon request

Datasheet

FlamQuench™ II ⤓

EleQuench

Bucket Elevator

Function

Designed to protect against dust explosions in bucket elevators.

Benefit

Low installation cost due to:

  • Compact design with sizes that fit elevator legs
  • High venting efficiency

Approvals

NFPA 68 compliant

ATEX certified upon request

Datasheet

EleQuench ⤓

GEX

Gas Engine Exhaust

Function

Designed to protect against explosions in exhaust system of gas-fuelled engines, especially in manned areas or marine applications.

Benefit

Unequalled, leak-free service life in high temperature, cyclic pressure and vibrations existing in gas engine exhaust piping.

Approvals

NFPA 68 compliant

Datasheet

GEX ⤓

Test Venting On Your Equipment

This easy-to-use tool helps confirm which protection methods are available for your equipment based on its handled dust type, size, location and more. Results and recommendations are then emailed to you for your records.

Get Started

EPMT - Cyclone

Ready To Learn More?

What are the advantages of explosion venting?

Explosion venting is a form of “passive” explosion protection, which means the device activates from the deflagration pressure itself. This results in the most cost-effective explosion protection solution due to its unreliance on an electronic detection and control system.

Furthermore, explosion venting can be applied on various sizes of industrial equipment with relatively hastle-free installation and minimal maintenance.

Venting Advantages

Are there any disadvantages of explosion venting?

While explosion venting is a cost-effective explosion protection solution, there are certain considerations before it can be used as a mitigation strategy. 

Explosion venting does not prevent or extinguish an explosion. The resulting fireball can be up to 75 times the volume of the enclosure itself; therefore, the venting path must be directed toward a safe, untrafficked area. This may also result in post-explosion fires, so fire suppression systems are often required. Before resuming production, any damage to the process must be repaired and the vent panel must be replaced.

To avoid these disadvantages, explosion suppression is often used as an alternative to explosion venting.

Venting Fireball

What are the differences between explosion vents and explosion doors/relief valves?

Explosion doors are heavier than vents and often require more venting area. If an explosion occurs, they do tend to fragment with dust of higher Kst values (dust explosion severity). Their opening pressure typically rises over time, due to corrosion and dirt, so they require regular maintenance. Finally, reclosing doors and valves may lead to a vessel implosion when combustion gases cool after the explosion. 

However, one advantage of reclosing doors and valves is they prevent fresh oxygen ingress that could sustain the post explosion fire.

Explosion devices

Who can design explosion vents for my unique process?

Fike’s applications team provides explosion vent design solutions for nearly any application. In addition to determining whether explosion venting is a viable protection strategy for your unique industrial process, our team of vent design experts will also calculate: 

  • Vent panel size, burst pressure, quantity and type.
  • Installation location of panels.
  • External flame and pressure effects.
  • Recoil forces.
Qualified Experts

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