Experimental and simulation studies on suppressing gas explosions with diverse atomized liquid droplets: Insights for improved safety in mining

Gas explosions represent a prevalent thermodynamic hazard in coal mining, significantly endangering worker safety and the operation's overall safety. Water mist stands out among various explosion suppression techniques due to its high heat absorption capacity and environmental sustainability, offering a promising avenue for application. This study introduces a custom-built pipeline gas explosion testing apparatus to investigate the suppression effects of different atomized liquid droplets on gas explosions. By collecting and analyzing experimental data from pressure sensors under varying conditions within the pipeline, we conduct a thorough comparison of the explosion suppression characteristics attributed to different atomized droplets. Based on this foundation, the Fluent software was used for numerical simulation research to further analyze the explosion suppression effects of different atomized droplets. Additionally, numerical simulations were conducted to optimize the nozzle arrangement. Our findings reveal that an increase in atomization pressure, leading to smaller droplet sizes, significantly mitigates the impulse of the gas explosion shock wave. This indicates a marked inhibitory effect of atomized droplets on gas explosions, with finer droplets showing enhanced suppression capabilities. The simulation results from the optimized nozzle arrangement can provide valuable guidance for on-site deployment. Through a combination of experimental and simulation data, this study conducts a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the suppression mechanisms offered by different atomized droplets, considering parameters such as explosion impulse, blast energy, and explosion indices. The insights gained provide a theoretical foundation for reducing the ring-breaking effect of gas explosions and enhancing explosion suppression strategies, which are crucial for ensuring the safety of coal mining operations.