According to provisional casualty figures, more than 70 people died in this latest major explosion at a Chinese factory. Dust was ignited by an open flame, which then led to an explosion. No one knows better than REMBE, the explosion protection specialists from Germany, that tragedies of this kind are avoidable. “The biggest problem is that many companies (Read More)
don’t become our customers until there has been a serious incident,” says Stefan Penno, CEO of REMBE. “It’s quite unbearable to see such disasters on the news – considering that they can be prevented. People lose their lives unnecessarily, while businesses are ruined. Yet expert explosion protection is nothing mysterious, and neither does it obstruct production. In fact, as long as the company works with professionals, it leads to greater productivity and better cost effectiveness.”
The Chinese government has drawn the right conclusions: To prevent further incidents, it has identified several hundred explosion-prone facilities throughout China and has shut them down for an indefinite period of time. Also, a country-wide safety campaign has been launched, targeting businesses in a wide range of industries and providing information about the dangers and the impact of an explosion. The campaign is aimed at companies in the wood, coal, paper, aluminium and cotton industries.
Obviously, this is no comfort to the families of the explosion victims in Kunshan. Neither does it help the factory operators and their customers which, according to media reports, also include General Motors.
Elements of an explosion
Lack of explosion protection is very common in all industries – throughout the world. However, the necessary elements of an explosion can be found at virtually all production facilities: fuel, a source of ignition and oxygen. The fuel may be any flammable dust, including flour, wood or metal. Some typical sources of ignition are sparks, hot surfaces and pockets of ember. Unless inerting takes place (i.e. the displacement of atmospheric oxygen by inert gas, such as nitrogen), oxygen is bound to enter the production process.
Constructive explosion protection
Explosion protection ranges from eliminating potential sources of ignition (i.e. preventative explosion protection) to reducing the impact of an explosion to a level which is harmless to humans and machinery (constructive explosion protection). As it is usually impossible to avoid sources of ignition completely, constructive explosion protection is the most frequent method used at industrial facilities.
The relevant protection products are as different as the plants in which they are used. They include bursting disks, flameless venting, explosion suppression and explosion isolation systems. “Obviously, explosion protection only works if suitable products are used. But it is equally important to have a general, fully comprehensive protection policy. If you only protect part of your plant, forgetting to secure adjacent areas, e.g. through isolation, then the protection system remains ineffective. This is why it’s so important to work with professionals and to look at the production facility as a whole,” says Stefan Penno.
China and successful protection at a similar facility
What could have saved all those casualties in China? At the time of the explosion it was too late. Explosions take place within milliseconds. However, if constructive explosion protection had been applied, this would have prevented any harm to the workforce. The plant would have survived, and production could have been resumed very quickly.
At a similar plant in Germany the operators have installed REMBE products for this purpose. Like the plant in China, the facility belongs to an automotive supplier which – like its Chinese counterpart – works with metal. To protect the metal dust filter system, a Q-Rohr® tube has been installed, and the connected plant components have been protected through isolation. The setup includes a check valve which shuts in response to an explosion, thus preventing the spreading of flames and pressure from the filter into the adjoining containers and tubes.
Q-Rohr® – flameless venting indoors
The Q-Rohr® is a flameless venting product – a technology that was developed by REMBE quite a while ago, in the 1980s. The Q-Rohr tube is attached to the relevant container. If an explosion occurs within the container, it spreads but is deprived of its heat by a specially developed stainless-steel mesh that acts as a dust filter within the Q-Rohr®. The explosion is nipped in the bud. This sounds very simple. And in fact it is. The secret lies in the design of the filter mesh. No flames or dust can emerge, and noise and pressure are reduced to a tolerable minimum. The Q-Rohr® is therefore perfectly suited for indoor production systems.
Bursting disks and opening angle limiters as an outdoor solution
Bursting disks and opening angle limiters are usually the number-one choice for outdoor use. Bursting disks are available in a wide range of shapes and materials. If an explosion occurs, they open and release the explosion into the environment. This requires sufficiently large safety zones with no buildings and a ban on vehicle and pedestrian traffic. If such space is not available, the opening angle limiter TARGO-VENT from REMBE allows the deflection of pressure and flames into areas where they can do no harm. These are often containers placed near a pavement or a road. TARGO-VENT deflects the explosion upwards into the sky, so that vehicles and pedestrians are safe.
Preventing future disasters?
“Explosion protection means protecting both human lives and businesses. It should not be taken lightly,” says Johannes Lottermann, Ph.D. (Eng), Senior Consultant in Explosion Protection at REMBE: “Investment in professional explosion protection means investing in the future of the company, the health and safety of the workforce and of course the legal protection of the plant operator.”
The specialists at REMBE know that the disaster in Kunshan (China) will move a number of plant operators to rethink – but not everyone. The next disaster is bound to happen – unfortunately.
For further details please visit:
www.rembe.de
