TechnoKontrol - Where your safety is our priority

How and why Technokontrol works

Why does an explosion occur? In order for a deflagration explosion to occur four elements are required. These are; Fuel, Oxygen, An ignition source and a confined space.

The element of "Fuel" can come from a bulk material that produces dust clouds, a flammable gas or a volatile chemical that creates vapours. The element of “Oxygen” is readily available in almost all plant processes. The source of “ignition” element may be generated by a fire, a flame, a welding arc, a spontaneous combustion, frictional sparks or electrostatic hazards. Finally practically all the plant processes provide the element of “enclosed volumes”. Once the above four elements are together, the potential for an explosion exists.

How does an explosion develop?

Technically an explosion is a freely propagating combustion wave, or deflagration, moving at less than the speed of sound. Unconfined, this flame front travels initially at slow speeds, but normally the flame increases in velocity shortly after ignition to form a high pressure wave.

As most industrial processes usually are not designed to withstand such a wave, the pressure develops into an explosion, a rupture occurs releasing a destructive pressure shock wave and flame.

What is B.L.E.V.E. explosion?

• B.L.E.V.E. Explanation Video

TechnoKontrol works exclusively mechanically and without altering the chemical properties of the fuel.

Its geometry in form of polyhedral mesh fulfils the following assignments:

• The kinetic energy of gases is restrained in its radial advance from the starting point of inflammation. So the progression in spherical layers (known in the technical field as “onion layers”) is destroyed.
• The calorific energy that contributes to the chain reaction is cushioned by the great heat absorption that offers the surface of the mesh.

In order to obtain this effect we need to ensure that the relation of increased surface, by volume treated [in the order of 3000 centimetres square per litre] as well as the minimum thickness of the mesh settling down in 0.06 mm.

The surface of the material determines the speed of absorption of calories but it is also necessary to ensure that the material has the sufficient volume, so that the heat capacity is enough to admit the initial calories (Energy of Activation) and the subsequent chain reaction is avoided. Actually these objectives are obtained by giving a thickness to the raw material of 0.06 mm.

It is important to emphasize that as previously described this is only valid for the initial moment where the objective is to avoid the chain reaction. Just after the inflammation, the material and the fuel equals the temperature to ensure that the gradient becomes zero and therefore, there is no longer a heat accumulation; the gas locked up in the deposit moves away from the stoichiometric mixture and when the air becomes scarce, the danger of an explosion completely disappears.

It arrives then, to a permanent regime in which the product works in analogous form similar to the one of a “wick”, which allows that the gas only becomes inflamed in the fuel filling mouths, as well as in the possible fissures that could cause a hypothetical accident or shock, overpressure, fatigue or overheat. As the gas is consumed in its combustion, the liquid evaporates and the gas is consumed until it reaches total extinction.

In addition to the above, the following benefits may be added:

• Due to the potential of oxidation of the aluminium mesh of 1.66 volts, opposed to 0.763 volts of zinc, this material becomes a very effective anode protection that guarantees no electro corrosion of the deposit.
• Then the mesh constitutes in itself a set of screens that helps to avoid the fast movements of the liquids, water hammers (violent movements of the liquid in the deposit) and also the accumulation of static loads, thus being able to therefore recalculate the thicknesses, as much as, the corresponding reinforcements in tanks with the consequent reduction in price of cost in its construction.
• Reduces the evaporation in the fuel tanks as normally when the fuel within the tank evaporates it produces a change of state which in turn generates a decrease of temperature within the boundary layer. This decrease of temperature is lead quickly from the surface of the liquid, through to the alloy of the Aluminium mesh which with its great heat conductivity (208 Watios/m ºC) means that the steam is condensed even further thus helping to reduce evaporation of the most volatile but powerful components and also the most poisonous of organic fuels.

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