The paper summarizes the results of experimental tests and accompanying analyses to investigate the factors that
govern flame acceleration and potential transition to detonation in a relatively long unobstructed piping system. The
overall aim of the work was to obtain sufficient experimental data so as to be able to develop and evaluate methodologies
for classifying and predicting potential detonation flame acceleration and deflagration to detonation transition
(DDT) hazard in industrial process pipes and mixtures. The present results show that the flame acceleration process
in an unobstructed pipe exhibit three distinct phases: an initial establishment phase; a second rapid acceleration
phase and a final transition to detonation phase. Test results with ethylene indicate that the acceleration process is
not sensitive to initial pressure (all other parameters remaining constant) but can be sensitivity to initial pipe wall
temperature or possibly mixture humidity. The presence of bends increases the local rate of turbulent combustion, an
effect attributed to the additional turbulence generated downstream of the bend. For straight pipes, detonation was
only observed to develop for hydrogen–air and ethylene–air mixtures. Detonation was not observed with methane,
propane or acetone as fuel in the present piping apparatus