The atmospheric dispersion in an urban or industrial environment is well documented in the literature. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the dispersion triggered by rapid and short phenomena such as explosions. The presented research provides information about the pollutant dispersion caused by a condensed-phase detonation in an urban environment. Experimental campaigns are conducted inside a subsonic wind tunnel at a 1:200 reduced scale. An explosion leading to the dispersion of solid particles is experimentally simulated in free field and in a straight street under a controlled neutral urban atmospheric boundary layer. Exploding-bridge-wire detonators are used to disperse a micro-talc powder. The pollutant dispersion and the overpressure caused by the explosion are measured respectively through a fast response optical measurement technique and fast response pressure sensors. The effects of key parameters on the dispersion are investigated. Two gram-scale detonators are used to analyze the effects of the explosion energy. The effect of the powder is studied through two masses of a micro-talc powder. Additionally, the transition between the predominance of the effect of the explosion and the predominance of the effect of the wind is analyzed with three wind velocities. The velocity field of the dispersion is obtained for each time step through Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry. Similarly, the dispersion is investigated inside a T-junction to highlight the effect of an urban configuration on the pollutant release. This project provides a strong experimental database about dispersion driven by an explosion. A better understanding of the phenomenon can be used to improve industrial safety and security through more reliable predictions.
Propane is used in various products regularly in day to day life. Often the hazards due to consumer propane products are overlooked. The events due to consumer propane are usually medium- to high-frequency low-consequence events. The present study analyzes the trends in injuries from 2002 to 2016 with various factors like sex, location, time, and age to emphasize the importance of hazards at the consumer level due to propane and products using propane. 68 275 incidents have been estimated due to consumer propane from 2002 to 2016 which had highest injuries as burns. The face was the most affected body part. Several recommendations have been proposed for consumers and the consumer propane market based on the study.
