Explosions and Release, Dispersion and Ignition of Combustibles: A Review

Explosions, and the evolution, dispersion and possible ignition of flammable fuel release into the atmosphere is an important safety topic in fire protection engineering. The very real possibility of a deliberate or accidental failure via an explosion and release and ignition of combustible material is considered. A review of pertinent information is undertaken. Topics include: explosions, evolution of material, blast fragment missile damage, dispersion in a plume or puff cloud, and possible ignition. The emphasis is on understanding and applying the technical ideas in real-world situations, since if the ensuing released cloud of material comes in contact with a competent ignition source, and the fuel-air ratio is within flammability bounds, the resulting explosion and fire can often be devastating. Many of the effects of explosions, release and dispersion of material are presented in empirical equations, and programmed into the Visual Basic for Applications VBA codes, behind the Excel spreadsheet, and results are automatically tabulated with 2-D and 3-D graphic illustrations.