Means for Preventing Danger from Explosion in Vessels Charged with Explosives.
Year: 1897

page_text: Means for Preventing Danger from Explosion in Vessels Charged
with Explosives.
We, THE COMPAGNIE FRANÇAISE DE L'ACETYLENE DISSOUS, of 58b", Chaussee
d'Antin, Paris, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in filling the container before the introduction of the
explosive with a porous, filamentous, pulverulent or equivalent inert material of
such a kind as to leave between its component parts or within its substance only
very small interstices. Suitable materials are, for example, amianthus, mineral
Under
cotton, charcoal, pumice-stone, porous ceramic materials and the like.
these conditions if the ignition of the explosive take place at one point, the
explosion will not be propagated or continued across the inert material:
explosive effect is thus limited to a very small portion of the explosive and
the pressure which results from it is therefore weak and easily withstood by the
container.
The
The invention may be applied in the case of any explosive matter contained
in vessels generally in the gaseous, liquid, or dissolved, state and in particular
to acetylene in either of these conditions.
1 11 04h day of September 1897.
Means for Preventing Danger from Explosion in Vessels Charged
with Explosives.
We, THE COMPAGNIE FRANÇAISE DE L'ACETYLENE DISSOus, of 58b, Chaussee
d'Antin, Paris, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this

page_text: invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention consists in filling a container before the introduction of the
explosive with a porous, filamentous, pulverulent or equivalent inert material of
such a kind as to leave between its component parts or within its substance only
very small interstices. Suitable materials are, for example, amianthus, mineral
cotton, charcoal, pumice-stone, porous ceramic materials and the like. Under
these conditions if the ignition of the explosive take place at one point, the
explosion will not be propagated or continued across the inert material. The
explosive effect is thus limited to a very small portion of the explosive and
the pressure which results from it is therefore weak and easily withstood by the
container.
The invention may be applied in the case of any explosive matter contained
in vessels generally in the gaseous, liquid, or dissolved, state and in particular
to acetylene in either of these conditions.
The substance or material for filling the receiver or container in which the
explosive is to be stored or contained is preferably an integral porous mass or a
number of blocks of porous material may be employed; in either case the porous
material is preferably provided with a number of small bores passages or perfora-
tions which facilitate the circulation of the explosive throughout the whole
receiver.
In carrying this invention into effect a suitable tank or receiver is filled with
the perforated porous, material, or substance, and the said tank is then charged
directly with the explosive, such as gas for example, to be stored. The gas will
freely circulate through the perforations in the filling substance, and be readily
absorbed by the latter. When the requisite amount of gas has been compressed
into the receiver the latter is hermetically closed. The body of the filling
substance occupies about seventy five to eighty per cent, of the tank. The
aggregate amount of free or open space, therefore, afforded by the perforations
in the said substance, is inconsiderable as compared with the body of the filling
substance. It will be apparent, therefore, that in the event of an explosion the
said perforations are too small to permit the explosion being communicated to the
entire body of stored gas. The explosion therefore would be confined to, a
particular part of the tank and under the conditions prevailing, as only an incon-
siderable amount of the gas stored could explode no danger, by reason of excess
of pressure, would accrue to the tank. By providing the porous substance as
near solid or continuous as possible, we provide against the explosion spreading
through the interstices between pieces of filling material.
When it is desirable that the explosive be charged in the tank under sufficient
pressure to reduce it to liquid form, it will be apparent that the said passages or
perforation will facilitate the circulation of the fluid, and its absorption by the
porous mass as soon as formed.
When the explosive as a gas is to be dissolved in a liquid, the liquid is poured
into the tank until the porous substance employed has absorbed all that it is
capable of absorbing, any surplus liquid being removed. The gas is now charged
into the receiver, and the perforations in the filling substance will permit the gas
to circulate readily through the porous material, and to come into contact in a
comparatively short time with a very large surface of liquid-impregnated material.
By this means the solution of the gas in the liquid is greatly facilitated.
The aforesaid process may also be employed for preventing explosions in pipes
by using stops or plugs or the like made of or filled with a porous substance as
aforesaid which plugs or the like are disposed at intervals in the piping.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In receivers or pipes for containing an explosive, under pressure as a gas or

page_text: liquid, or in solution, the use of a filling substance composed of a porous,
filamentous, pulverulent or equivalent inert material substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
2. In receivers to be charged with an explosive, under pressure as a gas or
liquid, or in solution, the use of a filling substance composed of a porous material
provided with small bores passages or perforations substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
3. Filling vessels, to be charged with explosives, with a porous, filamentous,
pulverulent, or equivalent material substantially as and for the purposes
described.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.