Chapter 15  
List of Terms and Expressions
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This chapter contains an alphabetical list of selected terms and expressions used in the handbook. Brief definitions are given. More detailed information can be found in Chapter 2: Definitions .

Blast wave The air wave set in motion by an explosion.
BLEVE Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion: An explosion due to flashing of liquids when a vessel with a high vapour pressure substance fails.
Burning rate The amount of fuel consumed by the combustion process per unit time.
Burning Velocity Velocity of the flame front with respect to the unburnt gas immediately ahead of the flame.
Combustion The burning of gas, liquid, or solid in which fuel is oxidised; involves heat release and often light emission.
Confined Gas Explosion Explosion within tanks, process equipment, pipes, in culverts, sewage systems, closed rooms, underground installations etc.
Deflagration A combustion wave propagating at subsonic velocity relative to the unburnt gas immediately ahead of the flame.
Detonation A combustion wave propagating at supersonic velocity relative to the unburnt gas immediately ahead of the flame.
Dynamic pressure The pressure increase that a moving fluid would experience if it was brought to rest by isentropic flow against a pressure gradient.
Explosion An event leading to a rapid increase of pressure.
Flame Speed Velocity of a flame relative to a stationary observer.
Flash Fire A slow deflagration of a premixed, unconfined, unobstructed gas cloud producing negligible overpressure.
Flash Point The minimum temperature at which a liquid fuel gives off sufficient vapour to form a flammable mixture with air, near the surface of the liquid or within the vessel used.
Gas Explosion A process where combustion of a premixed gas cloud is causing rapid increase of pressure.
GexCon CMR's Gas Explosion Consultancy.
HVAC Heat, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning.
Partly Confined Gas Explosion Occurs when a fuel is accidentally released, mixed with air and ignited inside a building which is partly open.
Pressure Stress which is exerted uniformly in all directions.
Reflected pressure Pressure measured when a blast wave hits an object like a wall head-on.
Side-on pressure Pressure measured perpendicular to the propagation direction of a blast wave.
Stagnation pressure The pressure that a moving fluid would have if it was brought to rest by isentropic flow against a pressure gradient.
Static pressure a) The pressure that would exist at a point in a medium if no sound waves were present, or b) the normal component of stress exerted across a surface moving with the fluid, especially across a surface which lies in the direction of the flow.
Shock Wave A fully developed compression wave of large amplitude, across which density, pressure, and particle velocity change drastically.
Turbulence Turbulent flow is characterised by an irregular random fluctuation imposed on mean flow velocity.
Unconfined Gas Explosion A deflagration in an unconfined, unobstructed cloud.
Vapour Cloud Explosion Gas explosion.
VCM Vinyl Chloride Monomer.


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