FOR 1447:  Physicochemical-based Models for the Prediction of Safety-Relevant Ignition Processes

• Subject Area: Thermal Engineering/Process Engineering ; Chemistry
• Term: from 2010 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 163557763

Unlike desired ignition processes (such as ignition in internal combustion engines) undesirable ignition processes are less well understood despite their importance in safety engineering. Safety-related parameters and characteristics, such as minimum ignition energies, flammability limits etc., are based in large part on purely empirical findings. In order to avoid unwanted ignition processes (such as explosions in refineries) that can lead to serious economic loss and hazard to persons, a detailed understanding of the underlying physical-chemical processes is necessary. Only in this way it is possible to derive new approaches to prevent ignition processes.
In the Research Unit the physical-chemical processes in igniting systems will be investigated, where the focus is on the initial ignition process, whereas the subsequent propagation of the explosion (or detonation) and the associated damage mechanisms are not subject of the investigations.
Based on experimental studies with different ignition sources, an overall model will be developed based on detailed physical-chemical sub-models (detailed chemical kinetics, detailed transport models, detailed models for the energy transfer). Several different ignition processes will be covered: auto-ignition at high temperatures, ignition by mechanical sparks, ignition by electrical discharges, ignition by hot free jets.
These processes are studied experimentally to verify and validate the developed models. Other projects investigate elementary reactions relevant for ignition processes, and examine the influence of turbulent flow fields on the ignition process.

• DFG Programme: Research Units

Projects

• Ignition by electrical discharges (Applicant Markus, Detlev )
• Ignition by free hot jet flow (Applicant Schießl, Robert )
• Igntition by mechanical sparks (Applicant Häber, Thomas )
• Mechanism and kinetics of diethyl ether autoignition at low temperatures (Applicant Olzmann, Matthias )
• Physical and chemical models for ignition processes (Applicant Maas, Ulrich )
• Physicochemical-based Models for the Prediction of safety relevant Ignition Processes (Applicant Maas, Ulrich )
• Probability of Successful Ignition Events in Turbulent Flows Using Direct Numerical Simulations (Applicant Thévenin, Dominique )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Ulrich Maas