Detonation Arrestors

The Detonation Arrestor is a passive, safety device installed in the piping system between a possible ignition source and the protected equipment such as large volume tanks, vessels or knockout drums. The Detonation Arrestor is designed to stop the propagation of flame from a sonic explosion’s flame front, or any flame front, from continuing down the piping to possibly cause equipment damage or personal injury.

Continuous purge gas is used for Flare Systems to maintain a positive pressure and not allow any ambient air into the process piping or flare system.

Possible conditions that can cause an air/fuel condition are as follows:

  1. If liquids are removed from a liquid storage device and the gas blanketing system fails to maintain positive pressure, air can be drawn into the system creating an air/fuel mixture, that can be stoichiometric.
  2. If flare purge gas ever fails, air can be forced down the Flare Stack from passing winds and create an explosive air/fuel mixture inside the Flare Knockout Drum, Flare Line, and Flare Stack. If the Flare Stack Ignition System is in operation it will ignite the air/fuel mixture causing a detonation and a sonic flame front to travel towards the Flare Knockout Drum.
  3. By operator error, the process equipment & piping is not purged prior to the Flare Ignition System being ignited.

The Detonation Arrestor is typically mounted on the inlet of the Flare Stack or combustion system/thermal oxidizer to stop the propagation of flame from continuing towards the process equipment.

FlareTech Detonation Arrestors Model: FT-DAX

The FlareTech Detonation Arrestor is a revolutionary design in detonation safety technology. FlareTech has created a Detonation Arrestor that is lighter in weight, has a lower pressure drop, high continuous endurance burn rating, and a lower cost than competitors’. The design of the FlareTech Detonation Arrestor stops the sonic flame front, defusing the initial forces before it reaches the flame quenching element. This is significant in keeping the overall size of the Detonation Arrestor down and being able to effectively stop the flame front from continuing through the piping system.