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Experiments of the secondary ignition of gasoline–air mixture in a confined tunnel

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Abstract

In this article, a special phenomenon of secondary ignition, which is caused when a gasoline–air mixture comes in contact with a local heat source after the first explosion or fire in a confined tunnel, is studied through experiments carried out in a cylinder tunnel with a solid heating device. Based on the analysis of the experimental results of secondary thermal ignition in the confined tunnel, the mode, critical ignition temperature, and critical concentration of the secondary thermal ignition’s occurrence of the gasoline–air mixture in the confined tunnel are discussed. The results indicate that the mode of secondary thermal ignition of gasoline–air mixture in the confined tunnel includes burning, slow deflagration, and rapid deflagration. Compared to the first thermal ignition, the burning intensity of the secondary thermal ignition is stronger and the ignition delay is much shorter. The relationship between critical ignition temperature and gas mixture temperature follows a cubic polynomial. Experiments also indicate that whether the secondary thermal ignition occur or not is determined by critical gasoline vapor and oxygen concentration even if the temperature is maintained in a reasonable scope. When the concentration of the gas vapor is as low as 0.45 % and the oxygen as low as 10.4 %, the secondary thermal ignition still can be triggered.

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Abbreviations

A, B, C, D:

Constants in Eq. (1)

HC:

Abbreviation for the hydrocarbon

R 2 :

Correlation coefficient of the Eq. (1)

RH:

Abbreviation for the relative humidity, %

T c :

Critical temperature of the secondary thermal ignition, K

T :

Temperature of gasoline–air mixture in the confined tunnel, K

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Acknowledgements

Financial support for this work, provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.51276195), is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Military Petroleum Supply Engineering, Logistical Engineering University, Chongqing, 401311, China

    Peili Zhang, Yang Du, Songlin Wu, Yi Zhou, Jianzhong Zhou & Jiafeng Xu

Authors
  1. Peili Zhang
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  2. Yang Du
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  3. Songlin Wu
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  4. Yi Zhou
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  5. Jianzhong Zhou
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  6. Jiafeng Xu
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Correspondence to Peili Zhang.

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Zhang, P., Du, Y., Wu, S. et al. Experiments of the secondary ignition of gasoline–air mixture in a confined tunnel. J Therm Anal Calorim 118, 1773–1780 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-014-4082-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-014-4082-y

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