Combustion arrester test systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10543387-B2
Application number	US-201715472071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2017
Priority date	Mar 28, 2017
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

Systems, kits, and methods for testing a combustion arrester are disclosed. Systems include an upstream chamber, a downstream chamber, and a combustion arrester between the upstream chamber and the downstream chamber. The upstream chamber includes an ignition port configured to receive an ignition source. And, the upstream chamber defines a convergent duct that converges toward the combustion arrester and terminates at the combustion arrester. The upstream chamber may include a hierarchical series of modular shell sections that define the convergent duct. The downstream chamber may include a series of modular shell sections.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for testing a combustion arrester, the system comprising:
an upstream chamber that defines an upstream volume and includes an ignition port configured to receive an ignition source;
a downstream chamber that defines a downstream volume; and
a combustion arrester between the upstream chamber and the downstream chamber;
wherein the upstream chamber defines a convergent duct that converges toward the combustion arrester and terminates at the combustion arrester.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a flammable gas that fills the upstream volume, the downstream volume, and the combustion arrester.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the upstream chamber includes a hierarchical series of modular upstream shell sections that at least partially define the upstream volume and the convergent duct.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein each of the modular upstream shell sections includes a section ignition port configured to receive an ignition source and wherein the ignition port is one of the section ignition ports.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the modular upstream shell sections each have an interior profile configured to produce laminar flow of the flammable gas through the convergent duct toward the combustion arrester.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an ignition source installed in the ignition port.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a turbulence structure in the convergent duct.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the turbulence structure is an aperture plate with a blockage ratio of at least 20% and at most 80%.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the downstream chamber includes a series of modular downstream shell sections that at least partially define the downstream volume.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the modular downstream shell sections each have an interior profile configured to produce laminar flow of the flammable gas through the downstream chamber and directed away from the combustion arrester.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the downstream chamber defines a divergent duct that diverges away from the combustion arrester and terminates at the combustion arrester.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure of gas in the downstream chamber.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor system configured to measure a composition of gas discharged from the combustion arrester into the downstream chamber.

14. A method of testing a combustion arrester, the method comprising:
assembling an upstream chamber to define a convergent duct;
assembling a downstream chamber;
fluidically connecting the upstream chamber to the downstream chamber via a combustion arrester, wherein the convergent duct converges towards the combustion arrester and terminates at the combustion arrester;
filling the upstream chamber, the combustion arrester, and the downstream chamber with a flammable gas;
igniting the flammable gas in the upstream chamber; and
determining whether the flammable gas in the downstream chamber ignited in response to igniting the flammable gas in the upstream chamber.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the assembling the upstream chamber includes selecting a number of modular upstream shell sections to define a desired upstream volume within the upstream chamber and wherein assembling the downstream chamber includes selecting a number of modular downstream shell sections to define a desired downstream volume within the downstream chamber.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein assembling the upstream chamber includes defining a closed upstream volume with the upstream chamber before igniting the flammable gas and wherein assembling the downstream chamber includes defining a closed downstream volume with the downstream chamber before igniting the flammable gas.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein filling includes equalizing pressure of the flammable gas between the upstream chamber, the combustion arrester, and the downstream chamber, before igniting the flammable gas, and wherein filling includes equalizing temperature of the flammable gas, the upstream chamber, the combustion arrester, and the downstream chamber, before igniting the flammable gas.

18. A kit for assembling a combustion arrester test system, the kit comprising:
a hierarchical series of modular upstream shell sections, wherein each of the modular upstream shell sections includes a section ignition port and wherein at least one of the modular upstream shell sections is configured to define a convergent duct;
a series of modular downstream shell sections;
a turbulence structure;
an ignition source configured to fit into the section ignition ports; and
a combustion arrester;
wherein when the combustion arrester test system is assembled, the convergent duct converges towards the combustion arrester.

19. The kit of claim 18 , wherein the modular upstream shell sections each have an interior profile configured to produce laminar flow of the flammable gas through the convergent duct toward the combustion arrester.

20. The kit of claim 18 , wherein the turbulence structure has a blockage ratio of at least 40% and at most 50%.

Assignees

• Boeing Co
• Univ King Abdullah Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Kwon Eddie
• Damazo Jason Scott
• Lacoste Deanna A
• Roberts Iv William Lafayette

Classifications

• G01N33/0036

  specially adapted to detect a particular component (physical analysis of gaseous biological material G01N33/497) · CPC title

• A62C37/50 Primary

  Testing or indicating devices for determining the state of readiness of the equipment · CPC title

• A62C3/06

  of highly inflammable material, e.g. light metals, petroleum products · CPC title

• A62C4/00

  Flame traps allowing passage of gas but not of flame or explosion wave · CPC title