Dust explosions in industrial filter units are typically treated from a process-safety perspective, focusing on vent sizing and compliance with existing standards such as EN 14491 and NFPA 68. However, the way venting conditions and internal congestion affect the actual loading on filter housings, vent panels and supporting frames remains only partially addressed in current design practice. This work proposes a simple, engineering-oriented framework that links improved reduced pressure predictions for dust deflagrations to the structural response of key components. First, we introduce a new logarithmic congestion model for the prediction of reduced explosion pressure in congested filter vessels. The model is calibrated and validated against a database of vented dust explosions, including highly obstructed configurations, and it systematically reduces the scatter and bias observed when applying standard correlations in the same conditions. The proposed formulation provides closed-form expressions for the reduced pressure as a function of vent area, congestion level and dust explosibility parameters. The predicted pressure–time histories are then used as input for an equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model representing critical structural elements of filter systems, such as vent panels, casings and anchorage systems. By combining the logarithmic congestion model with the SDOF formulation, we directly assess displacement demands, damage thresholds and demand-to-capacity ratios under realistic dust deflagration loads. The results show that neglecting congestion or relying on standard venting correlations may lead to a significant underestimation of impulsive actions on structural components. Conversely, the proposed framework offers a fast, transparent design tool that allows practising engineers to move consistently from vent sizing to structural checks under dust explosion scenarios, without the need for full CFD–FEM simulations in the early stages of design.
From vent sizing to structural response: a logarithmic congestion model for dust explosion loads on industrial filter structures
Pinna, Francesco
;Zucca, Marco;Stochino, Flavio
2026-01-01
Abstract
Dust explosions in industrial filter units are typically treated from a process-safety perspective, focusing on vent sizing and compliance with existing standards such as EN 14491 and NFPA 68. However, the way venting conditions and internal congestion affect the actual loading on filter housings, vent panels and supporting frames remains only partially addressed in current design practice. This work proposes a simple, engineering-oriented framework that links improved reduced pressure predictions for dust deflagrations to the structural response of key components. First, we introduce a new logarithmic congestion model for the prediction of reduced explosion pressure in congested filter vessels. The model is calibrated and validated against a database of vented dust explosions, including highly obstructed configurations, and it systematically reduces the scatter and bias observed when applying standard correlations in the same conditions. The proposed formulation provides closed-form expressions for the reduced pressure as a function of vent area, congestion level and dust explosibility parameters. The predicted pressure–time histories are then used as input for an equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model representing critical structural elements of filter systems, such as vent panels, casings and anchorage systems. By combining the logarithmic congestion model with the SDOF formulation, we directly assess displacement demands, damage thresholds and demand-to-capacity ratios under realistic dust deflagration loads. The results show that neglecting congestion or relying on standard venting correlations may lead to a significant underestimation of impulsive actions on structural components. Conversely, the proposed framework offers a fast, transparent design tool that allows practising engineers to move consistently from vent sizing to structural checks under dust explosion scenarios, without the need for full CFD–FEM simulations in the early stages of design.
I metadati presenti in IRIS UNICA sono rilasciati con licenza Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal, mentre i file delle pubblicazioni sono protetti da diritto d'autore, salvo diversa indicazione.
