Method for diluting and/or ejecting clouds of flammable gases

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of a gas or liquid-jet curtain generated by spraying non-flammable gases or liquids for diluting and/or ejecting clouds of flammable gases, the density of which does not exceed the density of air, from containments that have one or more outer openings, and also to a method for diluting and/or ejecting clouds of flammable gases, the density of which does not exceed the density of air, from containments that have one or more outer openings, wherein, by spraying non-flammable gases or liquids at at least one outer opening, a gas or liquid-jet curtain is generated that dilutes the clouds of flammable gases situated in the containment or bears them in the direction of the at least one outer opening and thus ejects them.

Claims

1. A method for diluting clouds of flammable gases from a containment comprising an outer opening using a gas-jet curtain, the method comprising: spraying a non-flammable gas or liquid at at least one outer opening of the containment to form a gas-jet curtain at the opening; diluting the clouds of flammable gases from the containment in the gas-jet curtain; and ejecting the diluted flammable gases from the containment in the flow of the gas jet curtain; wherein the gas-jet curtain is generated by exit of a gas or a liquid from a tube which, along a longitudinal axis, has, perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, boreholes that lie on a common connection line on a tube surface, and the flammable gases have a density not exceeding the density of air.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the containment comprises devices for production, processing or storage of the flammable gases.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flammable gas is selected from the group consisting of acetylene, hydrogen, ammonia, carbon monoxide, a coke oven gas, a landfill gas, a town gas, a biogas, a synthesis gas, methane, natural gas, and a hot flammable gas.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gas-jet curtain is formed by steam, air, nitrogen or any mixture thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said ejecting proceeds in such a manner that no ignitable mixture of the flammable gases is present outside the containment.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least 80% of the clouds of flammable gases, during said ejecting, pass through the gas-jet curtain.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the containment is arranged on the ground, has substantially upright outer walls and is closed at the top by a roof, and the outer opening is arranged in the roof or in the outer walls immediately bordering the roof.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the gas-jet curtain is at an angle of 4510 to the roof or outer wall.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outer opening has an area of a maximum of 40% of a total outer area of the containment.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gas-jet curtain has a length of from 0.5 to 6 m.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outer opening has a horizontal lower edge, and the tube extends in parallel to the horizontal lower edge.

Description

(1) According to the invention, all outer openings can be covered by gas- or liquid-jet curtains in such a manner that the flammable gas must pass in each case through a gas- or liquid-jet curtain. Preferably, at least outer openings close to the roof are covered by corresponding jet curtains.

(2) The gas- or liquid-jet curtain is preferably generated by exit of a gas or a liquid from a tube which, along the longitudinal axis thereof, perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, has boreholes which can be on the tube surface on a common connection line. For example, a tube having an internal diameter of about 8 cm can be used (DN 80) which has boreholes having a diameter of about 5 mm which are provided at a spacing of about 7 cm. A DN 80 pipe piece about 4 m long can thus have about 57 boreholes of diameter 5 mm. It can be operated at a pressure of 4 bar steam.

(3) The steam curtain candepending on the size of the outer opening to be coveredhave a length in the range from preferably 0.5 to 6 m.

(4) The gas- or liquid-jet curtain is preferably triggered under sensor control when a leak of the flammable gas is detected. A corresponding detection and control unit is known for fans which have been provided to date for removing corresponding flammable gases in an emergency.

(5) The method according to the invention can replace a conventional emergency chamber deaeration by fans.

(6) Preferably, in the method according to the invention, the containments are not completely open at the top, since otherwise the gas can escape freely at the top. Preferably, the containment has only the above-described relatively small openings and thus prevents the free dispersion of the readily flammable gas, and so dilution by the gas- or liquid-jet curtain proceeds.

(7) A corresponding steam jet curtain has been provided in a containment which encloses a tube-bundle reactor comprising acetylene, dissolved in liquid acetone. Thus, escape of a flammable acetylene gas cloud can reliably be prevented.