Numerical and experimental analysis of an industrial spark arrester applied to fire prevention in grain dryers

Abstract

Cyclonic spark arresters are low-pressure-drop filtration devices used to separate sparks generated from biomass combustion in grain dryers, contributing to fire prevention in the agricultural sector. In this study, the CFD code CYCLO-EE5, specifically developed for cyclone simulations, was applied to analyze a full-scale industrial case. Numerical results revealed that, following abrupt pressure variations inside the equipment, the accumulated particulate matter is intermittently released through discharge and/or entrainment events. This phenomenon may be associated with failures in retaining potentially incendiary sparks, thereby increasing operational risks. To verify this behavior, experimental field measurements of pressure drop were performed under the same operating conditions used as reference for the numerical analysis. The integrated results confirmed the occurrence of an intermittent accumulation and discharge phenomenon, providing insights for improving fire prevention systems in agricultural dryers.