The goal of the proposed project is to develop a device for the protection of people and infrastructure in underground structures from accidental and terrorist explosions, in particular, it implies the following: a) designing a device; b) manufacturing a protective device prototype; с) testing the protective device in real condition/in a tunnel. The work programme envisages the development of a quick and a highly reliable protective system based on experimental and analytical research, as well as prototype production, its testing and demonstration in the underground experimental base of the Mining Institute.
Despite strict regulations in the field of prevention of explosions and fires in tunnels and anti terrorist actions, the statistics of accidents and their consequences is extremely grave. Analysis has revealed the following major disadvantages of the existing blast suppression systems:
1. Lack of reliability of the effectiveness of a blast identification device in complex underground openings, especially under long-term operation;
2. Low speed of blast energy absorber activation;
3. Inadequate discharge of a blast absorbing agent required for reducing the excess pressure and temperature to an acceptable value, as well as the inability to meet geometric constraints of an underground structure.
The results of the project will promote transition from presently applied passive methods to the use of automatic systems for protection from explosions. They will qualitatively raise the level of safety of people and infrastructure loaded by casual explosions and coal mines under threat of methane explosion
The main result of the research will be the design of the high-speed explosion suppression automated system and a respective prototype. The protective device will activate within no later than 10-11 ms from the moment of explosion.
It will ensure the discharge of the damping agent at high speed and formation of the protection barrier in the tunnel before the shock wave arrival.
The proposed protecting system can be effectively applied for:1. motorway and railway tunnels;
2 subway tunnels;
3 coal mines under threat of methane explosion;
4 land- or sea-based oil platforms;
5 other petro-chemical plants;
6 long superstructures with limited cross sections that could be loaded by gas or dust explosions.
Considering the ability to adapt to the specificity of underground accidental explosions, as well as other advantages, the proposed system will be competitive on the international market.
