MIKE 3 versus HARTMANN apparatus : comparison of measured minimum ignition energy (MIE)

Agnès Janes (1) , Jacques Chaineaux (1) , Douglas Carson (1) , Pierre Alexandre Le Lore (1)

1 INERIS - Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques

In this study, MIE values measured with two different explosion tubes, HARTMANN and MIKE 3, are compared. Generally, MIKE 3 apparatus provides MIE results, which are equal or lower to those measured with the HARTMANN apparatus; this is particularly true for the energy ranges between 1 and 10 mJ and higher than 100 mJ. Differences observed can modify samples classification according to their sensitivity to electrostatic ignition sources. Nevertheless, ignition of a dust cloud by an electrostatic discharge is complex, and implies a different mechanism from that occurring during MIE tests. Thus, it seems difficult to synchronise dust dispersion and spark triggering to obtain optimal concentration in the spark area. Moreover, spark characteristics such as duration or energy feeding rate of spark cannot reproduce exactly industrial-world ones. On this point, it is not possible to conclude if characteristics of MIKE 3 electric circuit, e.g., resistance and inductance, are more relevant than HARTMANN circuit ones.

Keywords: MINIMUM IGNITION ENERGY; HARTMANN APPARATUS; MIKE 3 APPARATUS; EXPLOSION TUBE; ELECTROSTATIC IGNITION; SPARK

Domains: Engineering Sciences [physics]

Agnès Janes, Jacques Chaineaux, Douglas Carson, Pierre Alexandre Le Lore. MIKE 3 versus HARTMANN apparatus : comparison of measured minimum ignition energy (MIE). Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2008, 152 (1), pp.32-39. ⟨10.1016/j.jhazmat.2007.06.066⟩. ⟨ineris-00961920⟩