Explosion Suppression/Venting
Explosion SuppressionSystems
Explosion risk is present in many industrial process facilities involving food, grain, pharmaceuticals, power generation, aerosol filling, wood, or other flammable vapors or combustible dusts in confined vessels or spaces. Dust explosions can lead to injury, equipment damage, financial loss, and facility downtime.
To prevent or mitigate a hazardous condition from becoming an explosive event, Ahern provides explosion protection systems. These sophisticated systems are designed to detect an event within milliseconds by watching for either a flame with high-speed optical flame detectors or the pressure wave in front of the flame with pressure detectors. By rapidly injecting a suppression agent into the space or volume, the heat is removed from the flame front as it consumes the fuel, thus stopping the event.
Response time and operational reliability are critical in isolating an explosion or deflagration. Ahern’s fire and explosion experts provide comprehensive solutions tailored to your facility's specific needs. With over 20 years of partnership with IEP Technologies, Ahern is the exclusive distributor for all of Wisconsin, Nebraska, and most of Iowa. We leverage internal resources, including our industrial services department, to address unique situations effectively. Whether building a new facility or modifying an existing one, Ahern can install NFPA code-compliant systems to protect your personnel, equipment, and facility.
In the past year, we conducted over 2,600 pre-engineered system inspections.
Ahern’s hard working and knowledgeable team was able to develop, among other contributions, cost-saving ideas that were extremely helpful.
Explosion Suppression
Explosion suppression systems are designed to detect and actively suppress an explosion in its earliest stages, preventing it from escalating into a disaster or becoming catastrophic. These systems have three components: a detector, a control unit, and a suppressant.
Sensors detect rapid heat or pressure rises and send a signal to the control panel. This triggers the suppression mechanism, which releases a suppressing agent into the explosion zone. This ends combustion, reduces flame propagation, and lowers pressure, preventing the explosion from spreading further.
Explosion suppression systems offer several advantages, including ensuring personnel safety, preventing post-explosion fires, reducing the risk of flame propagation into connected ducts, minimizing equipment damage, and containing toxic materials within the process equipment.
Explosion Venting
Explosion venting offers protection from potential explosion hazards by providing a planned pathway for the expanding gases to escape. Explosion vents are primarily used outside but can be used inside if specific criteria are met. The vessel must be positioned near an exterior wall for indoor installation to direct any explosion outside, or flameless vents can be used if sufficient safety criteria are met. Vents should be sized based on the properties of the dust being handled and the design strength of the equipment involved.
Venting is a cost-effective explosion protection solution that is relatively easy to install with minimal maintenance.
Explosion Isolation
Explosion isolation systems detect explosions within process vessels and create barriers to prevent the spread of flames and pressure to other interconnected equipment, saving valuable resources and minimizing damage. There are three basic types of explosion isolation systems: chemical isolation, active mechanical isolation, and passive mechanical isolation.
Ahern continually looked ahead on the project. They were proactive in identifying potential problems, and worked to resolve them in a cost-effective and time efficient manner.
In 2023, 99% of client survey responders reported they would recommend us.