ISSN: 1546-962X
Page Count: 13

Investigation of Oxygen-Acetylene Flashback Reactions in Welding Hoses
Newton, BE
Vice President, R&D, Wendell Hull and Associates Inc., NM

Pryor, D
Principal Engineer, Victor Equipment Company, TX

Chiffoleau, GJA
Test Facility Manager, Wendell Hull and Associates, Inc., NM

Beeson, H
NASA-WSTF, Laboratories Office Deputy Chief, NM

(Received 21 October 2005; accepted 3 February 2006)

Abstract

A common concern in the welding industry is the development of conditions wherein an oxygen-acetylene (i.e., oxyacetylene) flashback reaction can propagate into a welding hose causing it to burst due to the rapid localized pressurization associated with an oxygen-acetylene deflagration-to-detonation transition. The investigation of a recent welding hose fire resulted in testing to evaluate the conditions under which detonations could be generated within welding hoses and the conditions in which welding hoses would burst when exposed to these events. This paper reports on elements of the welding hose fire investigation, the conditions for flashback reactions to develop, and the analytical work performed during the accident reconstruction to characterize deflagration-to-detonation transition within typical welding hoses. This paper also suggests physical and chemical criteria that are characteristic to welding hose ruptures due to flashback detonations.

Keywords:
detonation, oxyacetylene, welding, flashback, backfire, forensic, reconstruction, backfire, sustained-backfire

Paper ID: JAI13550
DOI: 10.1520/JAI13550
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