THE STRENGTH

To Protect

Venting is an essential tool in the mitigation of explosion hazards throughout industry, and is fundamental in limiting the severity of dust, gas and hybrid explosions in many applications. Rhino HySafe’s range of explosion vents provide a passive, rapidly acting and safe path through which blast overpressure, flame and combustion products may be directed before damaging levels of overpressure can accumulate within a piece of equipment or a building.

Empirically

Tested

In order to provide robust confirmation of the panel system’s performance under demanding deflagration venting conditions, full scale explosion tests were performed, using hydrogen as the fuel, across a range of flammable cloud reactivities. These tests were carried out by DnV at the world renowned Spadeadam research Facility and were independently witnessed by Lloyds Register. All components of the overall system were included in the tests; seals, flashings, fixings and the supporting structural cassette.

Innovative

Design

The Vertex panel system relies on a simple, highly reliable structural principal to achieve the required balance between ease of panel opening, with a low static pressure (Pstat), and repeatable operation under a wide range of blast loading conditions (dP/dt, applied overpressure and impulse). The unique panel release mechanism was been designed to avoid mechanical fixings or other elements found in competing venting solutions which have the potential to increase complexity or uncertainty.

The full-scale tests demonstrated prompt panel opening, well ahead of flame-front arrival, and swift transition to a fully opened configuration, allowing unencumbered outflow of the flame-front and combustion products. Furthermore, complete retention of the panel elements was demonstrated, substantiating the safety characteristics of the structural cassette and associated fixings.