Video transcript
The lab behind me houses our 20 liter chambers. It gives us a variety of data points, one of which is a confirmation of our Go/No-Go tests that we did in our modified Hartman a moment ago. It also gives us the explosion severity test, which gives you the KSD and Pmax values, also the minimum explosible concentration, or MEC, and the limiting oxygen concentration, or LOC.
The most commonly conducted tests in the 20 liter chamber finds the KST and Pmax value; this helps you determine the proper size of your vents on your dust collector. It also lets you know if you need any explosion protection or explosion suppression. Relate this test to a boxer; KST tells you how fast a punch is being delivered, while the Pmax tells you how strong the punch is.
Conducting tests in the 20 liter chamber can sometimes take up to a full day, maybe even more; it all depends on the material. Sometimes each sample can take up to 30 trials to determine what that true value is. The minimum explosible concentration, or MEC, tells you the minimum amount of dust that can be suspended in the air before causing a reaction. The determination of the test tells you how many grams per cubic meter is needed in order to cause an issue. It's a frame of reference; if you're standing in a dust cloud with a concentration of 40 grams per cubic meter and holding a 40 watt bulb at arms length, you would not be able to see the light from that bulb. The limiting oxygen concentration, or LOC, tells you how much of an inert atmosphere is needed to prevent an explosion from occurring. Oxygen is an element in the explosion pentagon that can be controlled by adding nitrogen into the atmosphere of the operation. The nitrogen reduces the amount of oxygen to mitigate risks of an explosion event. All of these tests have valuable data to help you characterize your material.
The Fauske onsite service team is available to come to your facility or just help you with the next phase of the process and decide on what testing is now needed. Fauske & Associates is here for you to serve your process safety needs. Let us know how we can be a resource.
If you are interested in a go/no go test or other testing services, contact us below.
