Explosion venting calculations
The calculation for explosion venting were originally based on simple venting ratios. The latest version of NFPA 68 is more complex and requires experience to apply the calculation procedure and get a reasonable sense of confidence of the adequacy of the results - without which explosive failure of enclosures can occur.
In this presentation Mark Mannex will provide an overview of explosions and the approach he adopts to apply the NFPA 68 procedure for venting calculations, including sensitivity analysis to imbue confidence in the results.
Speaker Bio
Mark R. Mannex is the founder and president of Mannex Engineering.
Mark has over 40 years of experience in fire protection engineering. His first job out of college (University of Florida, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, with honors) was training as a fire protection engineer at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the Space Shuttle program. An intense learning ground, Mark gained a tremendous amount of experience in a short time in this hazard dense operational environment.
Mark left NASA to pursue a career in consulting engineering until joining FM Global in 1995, joining the world’s leading hazards and risk engineering and research enterprise. He quickly progressed to a high hazard specialist (semiconductor) and was named the Chief Engineer of the northwest US in 2001, a post he held for 17 years. He transitioned to a senior mentoring and training role his last few years at FM Global, from which he retired in 2021.
Mark has assisted in updating many of the FM Global engineering technical guidelines (Data Sheets). He also assisted in several research programs performed for individual clients. As a result, he has a deep understanding of the performance goals of codes and standards - not just the explicit wording. This is vital in performing the most difficult job in consulting - making judgments in developing alternate solutions for unique situations that are not clearly addressed in codes and standards.
Mark has demonstrated his strong support for the professional licensure for many years. He has been a registered Professional Engineer (Mechanical) since 1985. After the Fire Protection PE exam became available, Mark took and passed that test in 1992. In the process, became involved with the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) in helping develop the Fire Protection PE test. He taught the SFPE Fire Protection PE preparatory course nationwide for several years. He also participated in the NCEES "cut score" conference for the Fire Protection PE exam.
Mark has been a Full (Professional) member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers since 1992. He is currently the President of the SFPE Pacific Northwest Chapter. He is also a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), on the Fire and Smoke committee, the Mission Critical Facilities committee, Data Centers committee, and the Technology Spaces and Electric Equipment committee.