Page 679 - Dust Explosions in the Process Industries

646 Dust Explosions in the Process industries

9.8
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PEOPLES
REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Wang (1994), characterizing the Peoples Republic of China as a developing country,
emphasized the need for increasing the efforts to prevent dust explosion accidents in
China’srapidly growing industry. Of the number of dust explosions recorded in this coun-
try during the decade 1980-1989,65% were in the grain industry, 17%in the textile indus-
try, 12% in the coal industry, and 6% in the metallurgical industry. With the rapid
development of the chemical and metallurgical industries, the annual number of explo-
sions can easily rise, if adequateprecautions are not taken. There is a strong need for edu-
cation and training on all levels and for adequate safety technology.
The Sixth InternationalColloquiumon Dust Explosions in Shenyang,Peoples Republic
of China, inAugust/September 1994(see Section 9.1.2), demonstrated that research and
development on dust explosion prevention and protection in this enormous country is
growing at great pace.
Deng, Gang, and Zong (1996) and Deng (1 999) outlined various methods to prevent
and mitigate accidental explosions in industry and the efforts in the Peoples Republic of
China to introduce safety standards to promote furtherreduction of the accidental explo-
sion risks in the Chinese industry.

9.9
CONCLUSIONS

Initiation and propagation of industrial dust explosions are, from a fundamental scien-
tific point of view, extremely complex phenomena. Comprehensive mathematical theo-
ries to predict ignition and combustion of dust clouds in industrial environments from
fundamental physical and chemical principles in general are, at present, beyond reach.
It is not surprising, therefore, that the vast amount of existing knowledge on dust
explosion-relatedphenomenais to a large extent fragmented.It is believed, however, that
more and more fragments will, step by step, become tied together and steadily increas-
ing domains of coherence will emerge. Comprehensive mathematical models and
powerful computers are invaluabletools in this process. But, experiments remain indis-
pensable in the calibration of the mathematical models, because such models will remain
approximate and require careful tuning in the foreseeablefuture. It is necessary to con-
tinue the execution of realistic industrial-scale experiments. At the same time, more
basic research and mathematical modeling should continue at full pace.
Much of the research that needs to be undertaken is very demanding, and international
cooperation in joint research programs should be encouraged.

REFERENCES

Alexander, C. G., A. S. Harbaugh, A. S. Kauffman, Y. C. Li, K. Cybulski, Z. Dyduch, K. Lebecki,
J. Sliz, R. Klemens, P. Wolanski, and M. Zalesinski. (April 1993) “The Establishment of Dust