Flame arrester

These channels are chosen and measured as the MESG (maximum experimental safe gap) of the gas for a particular installation.

[1] The required size of the channels needed to stop the flame front can vary significantly, depending on the flammability of the fuel mixture.

Any shifting of the individual wires that make up the mesh can create an opening large enough to allow the flame to penetrate and spread beyond the barrier.

[1] Flame arresters should be periodically inspected to make sure they are free of dirt, insects using it as a nest, or corrosion.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board concluded that an uninspected and badly corroded flame arrester failed to prevent a 2006 explosion at a wastewater treatment plant in Daytona Beach, Florida.