Comparative analysis of detonation and deflagration types of explosive transformation on the example of real accidents
Authors:   National Research Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, KOMAROV Aleksander A. , TIMOKHIN Vasily V. ,   State Fire Academy of EMERCOM of Russia, SHEVCHENKO Aleksei P. ,   State Fire Academy of EMERCOM of Russia, SHANGARAEV Rustam R. ,   State Fire Academy of EMERCOM of Russia
Published: December 2024

Purpose. Situations with emergency explosions of industrial and civil facilities cause a wide resonance in society due to receiving a large amount of information from news sources. However, despite the significant volume of news flows, this information is characterized by a low degree of reliability and is rarely supported by scientific substantiations of certain processes accompanying emergency explosions. Misunderstanding the difference between detonation and deflagration types of explosive transformation is a big problem, that gives rise to various versions of the root causes of these emergency situations, often having nothing in common with the real causes of the explosion. In order to demonstrate comprehensive assessment of such accidents, the paper studies key aspects of the development of emergency situations that occurred in the city of Shakhty, Rostov region (deflagration type of explosive transformation) and in the city of Makhachkala (detonation type of explosive transformation).
Methods. In order to assess the available data, an analysis method was used. To determine the probability of facility destruction in case of a detonation type of explosive transformation, we used a calculation method.
Findings. The study showed a fundamental difference between detonation and deflagration types of explosive transformation using emergency situations in Shakhty and Makhachkala as an example. A comparison of theoretical and calculated data with the real picture of the explosion shows that understanding the physical picture of the processes considered contributes to a fairly accurate reconstruction of the emergency situation.
Research application field. The results obtained can be used in reconstructing of emergency situations associated with a deflagration or detonation type of explosive transformation.
Conclusions. Understanding the physical picture of the explosion is the main thing to rely on when describing and reconstructing the emergency scenario. The comparison of calculated data with the real picture of the emergency, the results of experimental studies and postulates derived from them should form the basis for studying emergency situations in order to prevent distortion of the real picture of the explosion. This article shows the fundamental difference between detonation and deflagration types of explosive transformation based on the study of accidents in the cities of Shakhty and Makhachkala. In addition, the material presented in the article shows that having data on the consequences of an explosive accident and relying on physical concepts of the development of an explosion, it is possible to reconstruct the scenario of explosive accident quite accurately development, despite the transience of this process.