GLOSSARY

Accident The occurrence of a sequence of events that produce unintended injury,

death or property damage.
Adiabatic Flame Temperature The final temperature as a result of combustion
without any heat losses.
Aerosol Liquid droplets or solid particles of size small enough to remain sus-
pended in air for prolonged periods of time.
Arrival Time The time for a shock front to arrive at a fixed distance from an explo-
sion.
Autoignition Temperature (AIT) A temperature above which a mixture will
ignite without the need for an external ignition source—the mixture will
appear to ignite spontaneously.
Blanketing An inerting method used to provide a continuously maintained atmo-
sphere that is either inert or fuel rich in the vapor space of a container or
vessel.
Blast Wave A pressure wave propagating in air as a result of an explosion.
BLEVE Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion. An explosion that occurs
when a vessel containing liquefied gas stored at a temperature above its
normal boiling point fails catastrophically.
Bonding A procedure of connecting two process units together electrically in
order to maintain the same electrical potential between the two units.
Brush Discharge A static electricity discharge occurring between a conductor and
a nonconductor.
Bulking Brush Discharge See Conical Pile Discharge.
Burning Velocity The speed at which the flame front propagates relative to the
unburned gas.
Charge Relaxation Time The time required for a static electricity charge to dissi-
pate from an object.
Chemical Explosion An explosion due to a chemical reaction, including a com-
bustion reaction, a decomposition reaction, or some other rapid exothermic
reaction.

203
204 Glossary

Combined Pressure–Vacuum Purging An inerting method that uses a vacuum

and a pressurized source of inert gas to reduce the vapor concentration in a
process to one that is not combustible.
Combustible A definition used by NFPA 30 (2000) for a liquid having a flash
point temperature at or above 100°F.
Condensed Phase Explosion An explosion that occurs in the solid or liquid
phase.
Conical Pile Discharge A static electricity discharge that occurs at the surface of a
pile of powder as powder is being poured into a vessel.
Continuous Sweep An inerting method that uses a continuous flow of inert gas to
reduce the oxygen concentration in a vessel such that the vapors are not com-
bustible.
Corona Discharge A special case of a brush discharge, occurring between a
charged nonconductor and a conductor with a small radius of curvature.
DDT See Deflagration to Detonation Transition.
Deflagration A reaction in which the speed of the reaction front propagates
through the unreacted mass at a speed less than the speed of sound in the
unreacted medium.
Deflagration to Detonation Transition (DDT) A deflagration that changes into a
detonation.
Deluge System An open-head sprinkler system designed to discharge large quan-
tities of water on to the surface of a process unit.
Detonable Limit A limiting fuel concentration at which a detonation can occur in
a gas mixture.
Detonation A reaction in which the speed of the reaction front propagates through
the unreacted medium at a speed greater than the speed of sound in the
unreacted medium.
Dilution Ventilation A method of adding fresh air into a work area to reduce con-
centrations of flammable or toxic materials.
Dust Any finely divided solid, 420 µm or 0.016 inch, or less, in diameter (NFPA
68, 1998).
Dynamic Pressure A pressure caused by the wind associated with a blast wave.
Explosion A release of energy that causes a blast.
Explosion Proof Enclosures A specially designed housing containing an electri-
cal fixture with arcing contacts, such as a switch, relay or contactor.
Fire A slow combustion that occurs without significant overpressures. Damage is
mostly due to thermal and radiant energy release.
Fireball Burning of a large fuel–air cloud.
Glossary 205

Fire Point The temperature above which a liquid is capable of producing enough
vapor to form a flammable mixture that is capable of continuous combustion.
Flammable A term applied by NFPA 30 (2000) to liquids with a flash point below
100°F.
Flame Speed The speed at which the combustion wave moves relative to the
unburned gas in the direction normal to the wave surface.
Flash Fire A combustion of a large cloud of flammable gas. No significant
overpressures are produced, but damage may result from thermal radiation
and direct flame impingement.
Flash Point Temperature The temperature above which a liquid is capable of
producing enough vapor to form a flammable mixture—a flash will occur.
Fundamental Burning Velocity The burning velocity of a laminar flame under
stated conditions of composition, temperature and pressure in the unburned
gas.
Grounding A procedure of connecting process equipment and materials to an
electrical ground in order to bleed off any accumulated electrical charge.
Hazard An inherent physical or chemical characteristic of a material, system, pro-
cess or plant that has the potential for causing harm.
Hazard Evaluation The analysis of the significance of hazardous situations asso-
ciated with a process or activity.
Hazard Identification A method used to identify hazards.
Hybrid Mixture A mixture of flammable gas with either a combustible dust or a
combustible mist.
Impulse The change in momentum due to a passing blast wave.
Incident The loss of containment of material or energy.
Incident Outcome The physical manifestation of an incident.
Induction Static electricity formation due to a charged object being brought close
to an uncharged object.
Induction Time A time delay after ignition of a gaseous mixture before normal
flame propagation is observed.
Inherently Safer A chemical process is considered inherently safer if it reduces or
eliminates the hazards associated with materials and operations used in the
process, and this reduction or elimination is permanent and inseparable.
Inerting An operation involving an inert gas used to achieve a desired fuel or
oxygen concentration in order to prevent flammable gas mixtures.
Jet Fire A fire resulting from the combustion of material as it is being released
from a pressurized process unit.
Laminar Burning Velocity The speed at which a laminar (planar) combustion
wave propagates relative to the unburned gas mixture ahead of it.
206 Glossary

LFL See Lower Flammability Limit.

Limiting Oxygen Concentration The oxygen concentration below which a fire
or explosion is not possible for any mixtures.
Local Ventilation A ventilation method that uses hoods, elephant trunks, or cano-
pies to capture any emitted vapors from a source.
Lower Explosion Limit (LEL) Same as Lower Flammability Limit.
Lower Flammability Limit (LFL) A fuel concentration below which combustion
is not possible—the fuel concentration is too lean.
Maximum Experimental Safe Gap (MESG) The maximum clearance between
two parallel metal surfaces that has been found, under specified test condi-
tions, to prevent an explosion in a test chamber from being propagated to a
secondary chamber containing the same gas or vapor at the same concentra-
tion.
Minimum Igniting Current (MIC) Ratio The ratio of the minimum current
required from an inductive spark discharge to ignite the most easily ignitable
mixture of a gas or vapor, divided by the minimum current required from an
inductive spark discharge to ignite methane under the same test conditions.
Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE) The minimum amount of thermal energy
released at a point in a combustible mixture that will cause indefinite flame
propagation away from that point, under specified test conditions.
Mist Suspended liquid droplets produced by condensation of vapor into liquid or
by the breaking up of a liquid into a dispersed state by splashing, spraying or
atomizing.
Overpressure The pressure over ambient that results from an explosion.
Padding An inerting method used to provide a continuously maintained atmo-
sphere that is either inert or fuel rich in the vapor space of a container or
vessel.
Peak Dynamic Pressure The maximum value of the dynamic pressure.
Peak Overpressure The maximum pressure in a blast or shock wave.
Physical Explosion An explosion due to the sudden release of mechanical energy
that does not involve a chemical reaction.
Pool Fire A fire due to surface burning of a flammable or combustible liquid.
Propagating Brush Discharge A static electricity discharge occurring between a
grounded conductor and a charged insulator which is backed by a conductor.
Pressure Piling An increase in pressure within a process due to a deflagration.
The pressure wave moves ahead of the reaction front, compressing the
unreacted gas and increasing the reaction rate of the following reaction front.
Pressure Purging An inerting method that uses a pressurized source of inert gas to
reduce the vapor concentration in a process to one that is not combustible.
Glossary 207

Propagating Reaction A reaction which propagates spatially through the reaction

mass, such as the combustion of a flammable vapor in a pipeline.
Purging An operation involving an inert gas used to achieve a desired fuel or
oxygen concentration in order to prevent flammable gas mixtures.
Rapid Phase Transition Explosion An explosion that occurs when a material is
exposed to a heat source, causing a rapid phase change and resulting change in
material volume.
Reflected Overpressure The pressure measured facing toward the oncoming
shock or blast wave.
Runaway Reaction A reaction that occurs when the heat released by the reaction
exceeds the heat removal, resulting in a temperature and pressure increase.
Scenario A description of the events that result in an accident or incident.
Shock Wave A pressure front with a very abrupt pressure change.
Side-on Overpressure The pressure due to a shock or blast wave measured at
right angles to the shock or blast wave.
Siphon Purging An inerting method that uses a liquid to fill a vessel or process to
reduce the vapor concentration to one that is not combustible.
Spark A static electricity discharge that occurs between two conductors.
Sprinkler System A network of piping an discharge nozzles throughout a struc-
ture or process through which water is discharged during a fire.
Static Blanketing An inerting method that uses a continuously supplied pressur-
ized source of inert gas to reduce the vapor concentration in a process to one
that is not combustible.
Static Electricity Electricity generated by a number of charge mechanisms,
including separation, transport, etc.
Streaming Current Static electricity charge generation due to flowing liquids.
Sweep Purging An inerting method that uses a flow of inert gas to reduce the
vapor concentration in a process to one that is not combustible.
Thermal Runaway See Runaway Reaction.
Transport A static electricity formation mechanism due to the deposition of
charged droplets on an object.
Turbulent Burning Velocity A burning velocity that exceeds the burning velocity
measured under laminar conditions to a degree depending on the scale and
intensity of turbulence in the unburned gas.
Uniform Reaction A reaction that occurs uniformly through space in a reaction
mass, such as a reaction that occurs in a CSTR.
UFL See Upper Flammability Limit.
Upper Explosion Limit (UEL) Same as Upper Flammability Limit.
208 Glossary

Upper Flammability Limit (UFL) A fuel concentration above which combustion

is not possible—the mixture is too rich in fuel.
Vacuum Purging An inerting method that uses a vacuum and a source of inert gas
to reduce the oxygen concentration in a process such that the vapors are not
combustible.
Vapor Cloud Explosion (VCE) An explosion which occurs when a large quantity
of flammable vapor or gas is released, mixes with air, and is ignited.
VCE See Vapor Cloud Explosion.
Vessel Rupture Explosion An explosion that occurs when a process vessel con-
taining a pressurized material fails suddenly.