Due to our specialist knowledge we are known for being a leading international authority investigating incidents and providing advice to governments, companies, organisations and UK government departments responsible for dealing with the consequences of dangerous events.
Thermal explosions generally occur due to a lack of knowledge about process chemistry and/or inappropriate design and operation of equipment including a lack of control. Currently are projects are looking at:
LPG storage and handling has always featured in our research. We’ve worked with the Health and Safety Executive to ensure the level of protection that’s required to defend storage and process vessels against jet fires. Research has centred on the optimal design of water deluge systems on industrial cylindrical and spherical tanks and the model is now a cornerstone in the planning of validation experiments of jet fire impingement on full scale water deluge protected tanks.
Currently our work with fire protection consultancy, Locke-Carey, is looking at the use of computational fluid dynamics for:
Our water droplet and spray data library continues to grow. Recently we have developed instruments to accurately measure water mist fog densities of droplets and to assess the efficiency of using additives in water being sprayed on fires.
Currently we are working on the compatibility of materials and methods following the replacement of chloro-fluoro-carbon (CFC) solvents for oxygen systems and the compatibility of materials in high pressure oxygen systems, like aircraft life support systems, where ignition is a possibility. Our aim is to quantify the probability of ignition in a given system incorporating both metals and non-metals in enhanced and pure oxygen atmospheres. Work has also started on the compatibility of metals with oxygen in the form of a comprehensive review of existing knowledge. We have been asked to carry out a number of incident investigations in the area using our unique facilities.
We have a long relationship with the London Fire Brigade’s Fire Investigation team and a number of the Brigade are registered for research degrees with us. Their studies are interested in methodologies employed in first investigations including:
As a major activity for the group, we’re working with highly-flammable hydrogen to affect its use in transport systems. Currently our experimental work is looking at the ignition of hydrogen in air by mechanical stimuli and the mitigation of ignition and suppression of ignited hydrogen in air mixtures.
The high quality of our equipment matches our expertise. We have 6 different types of calorimeter, including heat flow, accelerating rate and pressure equalisation used for our work on thermal stability. For our work on explosives we have a BAM Fallhammer and friction test apparatuses. Along with explosives work in our specialist test building we have 2 high pressure oxygen bombs and a high pressure differential calorimeter for evaluating the thermal behaviour of materials in enhanced and pure oxygen atmospheres.
Our unique Hydrogen Hazards Centre has a variety of custom made apparatus for studying the ignition of hydrogen in air, hydrogen in oxygen and hydrocarbon gas in air.
Professor Phil Nolan
Tel: 020 7815 7901
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