Experimental study of the explosion characteristics of isopropyl nitrate aerosol under high-temperature ignition source

Highlights: • Test system for aerosol explosion at high-temperature ignition was established. • Explosion pressure of IPN aerosol at high-temperature ignition has a "double peak" structure. • Second peak explosion pressure of IPN aerosol at high-temperature source is 3–5 times of first. • Maximum rate of pressure rise in first explosion is higher than that in second explosion. • Peak explosion pressure at spark is slightly higher than second peak at high-temperature ignition. Experimental methods and results of aerosol explosion under high-temperature ignition source have not yet been reported. An explosion test system for aerosol explosion at high-temperature source was established in this study. Through a series of experiments carried out in a 20 L confined vessel, explosion characteristics of isopropyl nitrate (IPN) aerosol under high-temperature ignition source were obtained and the results discussed. The explosion pressure-time history of IPN aerosol under high-temperature ignition was found to have a "double peak" structure produced in the first and second explosion respectively. The second peak of the explosion pressure is 3–5 times that of the first. The peak of explosion pressure at electric spark ignition is higher, compared with the second peak of the explosion pressure at high-temperature ignition for the IPN aerosol with the same equivalence ratio, but both are not significantly different. The maximum rate of pressure rise in the first explosion of IPN aerosol at high-temperature ignition is clearly larger than that at electric spark ignition. The maximum rate of explosion pressure rise at electric spark ignition is slightly higher than that in the second explosion at high-temperature ignition for the IPN aerosol with the same equivalence ratio.