Explosion Hazards of Multicomponent Combustible Gas Mixtures

Laminar and turbulent premixed flame burning velocities are two parameters that are sometimes needed to evaluate explosion hazards. There is ample information in the literature regarding the burning velocities of most common ignitable gases and vapors in air. Little information, however, is available regarding the combustion characteristics of multicomponent combustible gas mixtures even though they occur in many chemical processes.

Three mixing rules for the laminar burning velocities of multicomponent combustible gas mixtures in air are explored and compared with available experimental data and simulations. A relatively simple Le Chatelier-type mixing rule is shown to provide a good estimate of the burning velocity values for the mixtures examined. This calculation can, in turn, be used to compare the vented and unconfined explosion hazard of multicomponent combustible gas mixtures to known pure components.