The primary objectives of the described research were to examine the underlying physical phenomena occurring during flame/obstacles interactions in various chambers of low L/D ratio and to develop a new empirical equation for explosion venting.A literature review suggested that the propagating flame/obstacle interactions in enclosures with large L/D ratio ( 2) result in flame acceleration and subsequent pressure build-up during a gas explosion. However, the interactions in practical situations with small L/D 2 were not extensively studied.In this thesis the first investigation involved the flame interaction with different single and multiple obstacles in a 1/20th model of real enclosure. Results provided the basis for flame propagation, local flame displacement speed probability density functions (pdfs), mean flame velocity and explosion pressure.The second investigation of the study involved the flame interaction with multiple bars within chambers of different L/D ratios. The results provided mean flame velocities on each stage, as a function of nondimensional time, and pressure developments as a function of L/D ratio.The final investigation is associated with gas explosion venting. The predictive ability between existing models on explosion venting and experimental results obtained in this thesis were undertaken and found to be deficient. Consequently a new empirical model for predicting explosion venting was developed. The new model was validated with experimental data published in literature.
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