J. Phys. IV France 12 (2002) Pr7-215
DOI: 10.1051/jp4:20020286

Development of an automated flammability burner system

F. Bu¹, P.R. Amyotte² and M.J. Pegg<sup>3

1</sup>  Department of Chemical Engineering, Dalhousie University, P.O. Box 1000, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3J 2X4
²  Dalhousie University, Department of Chemical Engineering, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 83J 2X4
³  Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 33, Al-Khod 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Canada

Abstract
An automated tubular flame burner system for determining the flammability limits of multicomponent gas mixtures has been built and commissioned. The design is based on that first used by Ishizuka at the University of Tokyo. The burner consists essentially of a vertically oriented porous stainless steel annulus through which a gas mixture flows radially towards the centre. An electrical igniter was positioned along the centreline of the burner. Once a flame was established, the igniter was retracted. A comprehensive LabVIEW program was developed to control gas flow rates, operate the ignition system, and perform data acquisition. A Data Graphing Package was developed in an interactive Visual Basic environment to draw a triangular flammability diagram for a three-component system (in this case, fuel, oxidant and diluent). The apparatus was commissioned by determining the flammability envelope of CH ₄/air/CO ₂ and comparing our experimental results with those of others researchers. The advantages of this equipment over the traditional ASTM test methods include ease of operation, unambiguous criteria of flammability, comparable and repeatable results.

© EDP Sciences 2002