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Ethylene–air mixtures under flowing conditions: a model-based approach to explosion conditions

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Abstract

Propylene oxide, ethylene oxide (EO), methanol, and phthalic anhydride are examples of versatile, widely applied chemical intermediates, produced at elevated temperature and pressure conditions, demanding rigorous safety considerations. Well-known industrial applications in which ethylene at the vapour phase is oxidized with oxygen are the manufactures of vinyl acetate and of EO. Partial oxidation of ethylene is usually performed at elevated temperature and pressure in multitubular cooled reactors where the application of explosive limits experimentally obtained under stagnant conditions could entail a not justified economical handicap. Bearing in mind these considerations, in this paper, we developed a novel physical–mathematical model to predict the ignition and flame-propagation phenomena in the presence of gaseous explosive mixtures. The explicit formulae for the ignition condition and the transition from local reaction to the fully developed explosion were obtained by exploring a broad range of operative conditions. A fairly good agreement was found between the predictions in this study of the oxygen critical concentration corresponding to the explosion point and the results of previous experimental studies performed by different researchers.

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Abbreviations

a:

Parameter defined by Eq. (34) [m−1]

cp :

Specific heat capacity [J/(kg K)]

C:

Molar concentration (mol/m3)

δ:

Distance defined by Eq. (15) [m]

D:

Tube diameter (m)

H:

Enthalpy flow (W)

k:

Thermal conductivity [W/(m K)]

Kt :

Heat-transfer coefficient [W/(mK)]

m:

Mass flux [kg/(m2 s)]

M:

Molar mass [kg/kmol]

p:

Pressure (Pa)

Q:

Heat release rate (W/m)

R:

Ideal gas constant 8.314 [J/(mol K)]

r:

Radial coordinate (m)

Re:

Reynolds number

ℜ:

Reaction rate [mol/(m3 s)]

T:

Temperature (K)

u:

Flow velocity (m/s)

V:

Volume (m3)

X:

Conversion

y:

Molar fraction

z:

Vertical axial coordinate (m)

c:

Flame heating step

e:

In-coming

ei:

at Te and zi

eth:

Ethylene

ew:

at Te and zw

f:

Flame

i:

Ignition

iw:

at Ti and zw

m:

Average

oxy:

Oxygen

p:

Flame propagating

w:

Wire

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DICCA - Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering Department, Polytechnic School, via Opera Pia 15, 16145, Genoa, Italy

    Bruno Fabiano, Federico Pistritto & Emilio Palazzi

  2. DCCI - Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry Department, Genoa University, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146, Genoa, Italy

    Andrea Reverberi

Authors
  1. Bruno Fabiano
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  2. Federico Pistritto
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  3. Andrea Reverberi
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  4. Emilio Palazzi
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Correspondence to Bruno Fabiano.

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Fabiano, B., Pistritto, F., Reverberi, A. et al. Ethylene–air mixtures under flowing conditions: a model-based approach to explosion conditions. Clean Techn Environ Policy 17, 1261–1270 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-015-0966-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-015-0966-1

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