Flameless venting for pharma processes
BS&B Safety Systems has released a new flameless vent range, the R-IQR. The product is designed to provide protection against process dust explosions and complements BS&B’s existing range of flameless vents and process protection equipment.
Should an explosion occur inside a process or storage vessel containing combustible materials, a rapid rise in pressure can ensue, putting personnel and equipment at risk. Explosion vents are the preferred passive method to relieve explosive pressure that may occur in process equipment. However it is not always practical or safe to vent freely the pressure and flame to a particular area.
Specifically aimed at dust collectors, bins and bucket elevators, the R-IQR range intercepts, quenches and retains all flame and burning materials, preventing them from hazardous release into the surrounding environment. The R-IQR range is suitable for use in the food, grain, bulk and solids processing industries.
The R-IQR range comprises three parts, an explosion panel, bursting sensor and a quench module. The stainless steel explosion panel forms the interface with the protected process and a range of construction options are available. The panel is certified to burst at a predetermined activation pressure and will open instantly at the inception of an explosion. The quench module consists of layered stainless steel mesh that absorbs and dissipates heat and pressure as flame, burning materials and hot gas pass through it. An integrated bursting sensor will trigger a process shutdown in order to limit the ingress of additional fuel or the possibility of transporting hazardous material to other process areas. The R-IQR also acts as a vacuum breaker by allowing free entry of cool air into the protected vessel to create equilibrium. All this occurs within a fraction of a second.
The R-IQR has a rotated venting face allowing maximum venting efficiency on a wide range of process dust types. This feature returns the maximum venting area for minimal unit weight making the unit easier to install. Following an activation, the system is designed so that customer maintenance personally should be capable of refitting the unit to resume service. The design incorporates an access panel allowing refit without removal of the assembly. Eight sizes ranging from 170 x 470mm to 586 x 920mm venting area are available.
The system is tested to EN1600:2011 – the only global standard dedicated to flameless venting devices. BS&B Safety System’s R-IQR also conforms to European Union legislation for protective systems, with both ATEX certification and the CE conformity marking.
BS&B Safety Systems offers a range of passive and active explosion protection equipment including; conventional venting, flameless venting, spark detection and extinguishing, mechanical and chemical isolation and chemical suppression systems.