Concept and Operation

The Q-Pipe Flameless Vent System was developed in response to a specific need, i.e. explosion venting inside buildings. Traditional explosion venting technologies require a safe venting area (usually outdoors), where there is no risk of secondary explosions or harm to personnel. Explosion vented plant has to be ducted out to a designated (external) safe area (usually within 3 to 6 metres). The only alternative was to strengthen vessels to withstand greater explosion pressures and/or to install relatively expensive explosion suppression systems.

The Q-Pipe design allows venting of explosions without the attendant risks of an external fireball and without the use of vent ducts. It is essentially a flame-arrester comprising a porous, heat-absorbing surface in the form of a pipe. The vented explosion enters the pipe, the gases are cooled as they pass through the porous surface, dust is filtered out and the flame is quenched. The internal surface-area of the Q-Pipe is designed so that the effective vent area is almost the same as if the vent itself was free.