Computational fluid dynamics analysis of liquefied natural gas dispersion for risk assessment strategies

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations have been conducted for dense gas dispersion of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The simulations have taken into account the effects of gravity, time-dependent downwind and crosswind dispersion, and terrain. Experimental data from the Burro series field tests, and results from integral model (DEGADIS) have been used to assess the validity of simulation results, which were found to compare better with experimental data than the commonly used integral model DEGADIS. The average relative error in maximum downwind gas concentration between CFD predictions and experimental data was 19.62%.The validated CFD model was then used to perform risk assessment for most-likely-spill scenario at LNG stations as described in the standard of NFPA 59A (2009) “Standard for the Production, Storage and Handling of Liquefied Natural Gas”. Simulations were conducted to calculate the gas dispersion behaviour in the presence of obstacles (dikes walls). Interestingly for spill at a higher elevation, e.g., tank top, the effect of impounding dikes on the affected area was minimal. However, the impoundment zone did affect the wind velocity field in general, and generated a swirl inside it, which then played an important function in confining the dispersion cloud inside the dike. For most cases, almost 75% of the dispersed vapour was retained inside the impoundment zone. The finding and analysis presented here will provide an important tool for designing LNG plant layout and site selection.     

Computational fluid dynamics simulations of hydrogen releases and vented deflagrations in large enclosures

This paper presents model predictions obtained with the CFD tool FLACS for hydrogen releases and vented deflagrations in containers and larger enclosures. The paper consists of two parts. The first part compares experimental results and model predictions for two test cases: experiments performed by Gexcon in 20-foot ISO containers (volume 33 m³) as part of the HySEA project and experiments conducted by SRI International and Sandia National Laboratories in a scaled warehouse geometry (volume 45.4 m³). The second part explores the use of the model system validated in the first part to accidental releases of hydrogen from forklift trucks inside a full-scale warehouse geometry (32 400 m³). The results demonstrate the importance of using realistic and reasonably accurate geometry models of the systems under consideration when performing CFD-based risk assessment studies. The discussion highlights the significant inherent uncertainty associated with quantitative risk assessments for vented hydrogen deflagrations in complex geometries. The suggestions for further work include a pragmatic approach for developing empirical correlations for pressure loads from vented hydrogen deflagrations in industrial warehouses with hydrogen-powered forklift trucks.     

危险化学品泄漏的大气扩散数值模拟

对苯在大气中的扩散进行数值模拟,估测泄漏气体污染范围、各阶段苯的泄漏速率,以及发生池火灾时热辐射的危害范围等,量化了大气温度、地面风速、地面粗糙度(地形、建筑因素)等环境因素对不同危险性级别区域分布的影响,得到了苯扩散距离随大气温度、地面风速以及地面粗糙度(地形、建筑因素)的变化曲线,探讨了在不同环境因素作用下苯的大气扩散规律,并对研究结果进行分析。     

基于计算流体力学3D动态模拟技术的PLACS系统推介

1999年,20多个国家在美国旧金山举行的“有害物质意外释放后果模拟国际研讨会”上,广泛讨论了危险化学品泄漏、火灾、爆炸事故的风险及后果评估问题。会上,多数研究机构都展示了以“计算流体力学”(computational fluid dynamics,CFD)3D动态模拟技术进行风险及后果评估的效果。由于该技术可以显示各工作层面、各方位、各角度及各时间下的气云浓度、火焰温度及爆炸压力等参数状况,CFD模拟因此将会成为新一代风险及后果评估的主流技术。目前,有关火灾、爆炸或毒性物质外泄的CFD模拟,约90％是由基于此技术的软件系统完成的。 目前能够提供3D动态即时危险后果模拟功能、已经过实     

垃圾焚烧厂对环境空气中二噁英影响研究

本文通过对垃圾焚烧炉废气和周边环境空气采样,采用同位素稀释-高分辨气相色谱/高分辨质谱(HRGC-HRMS)法分析样品中二噁英浓度。废气样品中二噁英总浓度为0.919~1.152 ng TEQ/m^3,总毒性当量为0.071~0.100 ng TEQ/m^3,环境空气样品中二噁英总浓度为1.194~2.268 pg TEQ/m^3,总毒性当量为0.100~0.200 pg TEQ /m^3。比较废气与环境空气中各PCDD/Fs单体浓度的占比,得出该农村区域范围内环境空气中二噁英污染物主要来源于该垃圾焚烧炉。     

A method for simulation of vapour cloud explosions based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD)

The effectiveness of the application of CFD to vapour cloud explosion (VCE) modelling depends on the accuracy with which geometrical details of the obstacles likely to be encountered by the vapour cloud are represented and the correctness with which turbulence is predicted. This is because the severity of a VCE strongly depends on the types of obstacles encountered by the cloud undergoing combustion; the turbulence generated by the obstacles influences flame speed and feeds the process of explosion through enhanced mixing of fuel and oxidant. In this paper a CFD-based method is proposed on the basis of the author’s finding that among the various models available for assessing turbulence, the realizable k-? model yields results closer to experimental findings than the other, more frequently used, turbulence models if used in conjunction with the eddy-dissipation model. The applicability of the method has been demonstrated in simulating the dispersion and ignition of a typical vapour cloud formed as a result of a spill from a liquid petroleum gas (LPG) tank situated in a refinery. The simulation made it possible to assess the overpressures resulting from the combustion of the flammable vapour cloud. The phenomenon of flame acceleration, which is a characteristic of combustion enhanced in the presence of obstacles, was clearly observed. Comparison of the results with an oft-used commercial software reveals that the present CFD-based method achieves a more realistic simulation of the VCE phenomena.     

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study of heat radiation from large liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pool fires

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is flammable and has risks of pool fires during its transportation, storage, and applications. The heat radiation by LPG pool fires poses hazards to individuals nearby and can lead to potential failures of ambient facilities. Due to the high costs and invasive nature of experiments for investigating large-scale pool fires, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is employed in this study as the cost-effective and noninvasive method to simulate the process and analyze the characteristics of large hydrocarbon pool fires. Specifically, an experimentally validated 3-D CFD model has been built to simulate surface emissive power (SEP) and incident radiation of large-scale LPG pool fires with three different diameters and wind speeds. Steady-state simulations with P1 radiation and probability density function (PDF) combustion models were employed to obtain reliable data after the optimizations based on the comparisons with experimental data and empirical models. The comparison with benchmark experimental data demonstrates that the CFD model employed in this study can accurately predict the incident radiation of large LPG pool fires. A new SEP correlation is also proposed, which is specifically for LPG pool fires with a diameter between 10 m and 20 m. Additionally, the safe separation distances between LPG facilities and surrounded objects have been estimated based on the CFD simulation results. The high-resolution CFD model for large LPG pool fires in this work provides noninvasive and direct quantitative evidence to enhance the fundamental understanding on the safety of large LPG pool fires and can assist regulatory agencies in refining the safety limits in the cost-effective and time-saving manners.     

唐山市区环境空气质量功能区划研究

结合大气环境质量数值模拟技术,采用模糊综合评价法实现了唐山市区环境空气质量功能区划的定量研究.在模糊综合评价过程中,首次引入污染贡献敏感及物流因子,确定了风向、环境质量等因子的新型计算方法,并采用空气环境质量模型的网格化污染物浓度.针对定量结果,提出了专家咨询法与基于敏感分析技术的方案对比评估法来对其进行修正评估以得到合理可行的推荐方案.结果表明:三类区适宜分布在丰润区东部、路北区北部、丰南区北部、古冶区唐家庄工业区及开平区东南部.在排放等量污染物的情况下,推荐方案下的区域环境污染物浓度大幅降低,仅占现行区划的40.94%.     

出口风速对防烟空气幕防烟效果影响的数值模拟

本文利用火灾模拟软件FDS,以四川消防研究所高层实验塔二层为原型,建立模型研究了防烟空气幕防烟空气幕出口风速对高层建筑前室烟气运动的影响,试验中在前室内设置18个测点,测定前室内的温度、CO浓度及能见度变化情况,试验结果表明：当风速〈1m／s时,前室内各测点处各参数变化情况与无风幕时基本相同,防烟效果不明显,风速〉2．5m／s时,随着出口风速的增加,前室内各测点处温度、CO浓度降低,能见度增加,烟气蔓延途径由前室上部逐渐变为前室下部,且前室门处0．2m、1．25m高度处测点处各参数值瞬间波动很大,综合考虑防烟的有效性及经济性,认为防烟空气幕的最佳运行风速应为2．5m／s～3．5m／s。     

空气中爆炸对巷道稳定性影响模拟研究

以西北某铀矿矿床某巷道为依托,针对巷道稳定性及巷道内爆炸问题,运用ANSYS软件对自重应力场下的巷道衬砌及围岩进行静力分析,得出巷道围岩有效应力分布情况及巷道断面上几个典型位置的位移量和等效应力值。在此基础上,再利用LS-DYNA显式分析功能模拟自重应力场下爆炸对计算,获得衬砌结构最大主应力和加速度时程曲线,分析爆炸波在巷道中传播规律,为巷道抗爆性设计提供参考。结果表明,巷道中的爆炸波会产生强烈的多次反射现象,并且在自重应力场下,直墙拐角处往往最先出现破坏。     

兰州城区大气污染对呼吸系统疾病日住院人数的影响

为了探讨兰州城区大气污染对居民呼吸系统疾病日住院人数的影响,收集2004年1月1日-2007年10月31日兰州城区每日空气污染指数(API)、气象(日均气压、气温、气湿、风速和降水量)资料,以及同时段的居民呼吸系统疾病住院数据,选用广义相加模型(GAM)的Poisson回归,利用非参数平滑函数控制长期趋势、星期效应、气象因素的基础上,研究大气污染对居民呼吸系统疾病日住院人数的影响,并按性别、年龄和呼吸系统疾病类型进行分层分析.结果表明,研究当日API上升1个四分位间距(48个单位)时,当日总的呼吸系统疾病住院人数增加5.50%(95%CI 4.03%～6.99%),并且这种影响具有一定的滞后效应.男性在API上升滞后第1 d RR值最高,为1.058 3(95%CI 1.039 7～1.077 2),女性则在API上升当日RR值最高,除滞后第3 d和第4 d,其他滞后各天RR值均低于男性.API上升对16～64岁人群的影响只在当日和滞后第1 d有意义,对≤15岁者和≥65岁者有显著的滞后效应,以滞后第5 d和第4 d RR值最高,分别为1.063 6(95%CI 1.043 4～1.084 1)和1.047 6(95%CI 1.017 6～1.078 6).API上升当日肺炎和上呼吸道感染(URTI)患者日住院人数增幅最大,RR分别为1.059 5(1.040 7～1.078 7)和1.056 0(1.030 6～1.082 1),肺炎患者日住院人数滞后效应高于URTI.研究表明,大气污染可增加居民呼吸系统疾病住院人数,并对不同性别、年龄和呼吸系统疾病类型的影响存在差异.     

多层螺旋雾幕技术的喷雾模拟及降尘试验研究

为了解决掘进工作面传统喷雾除尘无法有效抑制粉尘扩散的问题,提出了一种将气动喷嘴呈螺旋状布置的多层螺旋雾幕除尘方法。采用k-ω湍流模型与K-H液滴破碎模型,通过Comsol多物理场耦合数值模拟,得出了多层螺旋雾幕速度场分布和粒子轨迹的变化规律,结合模拟结果搭建试验平台,并将多层螺旋雾幕与传统喷雾的除尘效果进行对比分析。以2层雾幕为例的模拟结果显示,喷雾2 s时就会形成明显的2层螺旋状雾幕,10 s后旋转水雾充满整个模拟区域,并且雾滴粒径较传统喷雾更小。试验表明多层螺旋雾幕的除尘效果明显强于自然降尘与传统喷雾,3 min后可将浓度470 mg/m3左右的粉尘降到4 mg/m3以下。     

加大加强通风量对防止煤矿瓦斯爆炸的副作用

分析产生瓦斯爆炸的基本条件,指出在绝对瓦斯涌出量为5～75m3/min或更大的轻度瓦斯突出的异常情况下,风筒送入的风与突出的瓦斯混合,会在较长巷道内形成大量的瓦斯浓度处于爆炸上限与下限之间的可爆混气.风量越大,形成的可爆混气体积越大,如400m3/min的风量在2 min内就可形成≥842 m3的可爆混气.遇火源可发生强烈的爆炸甚至爆轰,造成较大的伤亡甚至整个矿井内大部分人员死亡.这表明,加大加强的风量对防止煤矿瓦斯爆炸起副(反)作用.这种副作用已在试验巷道用天然气爆炸试验中得到证明.目前煤炭界采取的各种措施不能有效地消除加大加强风量引起的副(反)作用.提出了2种消除副作用的措施,即瓦斯传感器断电与复电方法和抽吸方法,并经试验证明是有效的.     

Assessment of four turbulence models in simulation of large-scale pool fires in the presence of wind using computational fluid dynamics (CFD)

Pool fires are the most common of all process industry accidents. Pool fires often trigger explosions which may result in more fires, causing huge losses of life and property. Since both the risk and the frequency of occurrence of pool fires are high, it is necessary to model the risks associated with pool fires so as to correctly predict the behavior of such fires.Among the parameters which determine the overall structure of a pool fire, the most important is turbulence. It determines the extent of interaction of various parameters, including combustion, wind velocity, and entrainment of the ambient air. Of the various approaches capable of modeling the turbulence associated with pool fires, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has emerged as the most preferred due to its ability to enable closer approximation of the underlying physical phenomena.A review of the state of the art reveals that although various turbulence models exist for the simulation of pool fire no single study has compared the performance of various turbulence models in modeling pool fires. To cover this knowledge-gap an attempt has been made to employ CFD in the assessment of pool fires and find the turbulence model which is able to simulate pool fires most faithfully. The performance of the standard k–? model, renormalization group (RNG) k–? model, realizable k–? model and standard k–ω model were studied for simulating the experiments conducted earlier by Chatris et al. (2001) and Casal (2013). The results reveal that the standard k–? model enabled the closest CFD simulation of the experimental results.     

Use of water spray curtain to disperse LNG vapor clouds

Effective safety measures to prevent and mitigate the consequences of an accidental release of flammable LNG are critical. Water spray curtain is currently recognized as an effective technique to control and mitigate various hazards in the industries. It has been used to absorb, dilute and disperse both toxic and flammable vapor cloud. It is also used as protection against heat radiation, in case of fighting vapor cloud fire. Water curtain has also been considered as one of the most economic and promising LNG vapor cloud control techniques. Water curtains are expected to enhance LNG vapor cloud dispersion mainly through mechanical effects, dilution, and thermal effects. The actual phenomena involved in LNG vapor and water curtain interaction were not clearly established from previous research. LNG spill experiments have been performed at the Brayton Fire Training Field at Texas A&M University (TAMU) to understand the effect of water curtain in controlling and dispersing LNG vapor cloud. This paper summarizes experimental methodology and presents data from two water curtain tests. The analysis of the test results are also presented to identify the effectiveness of these two types of water spray curtains in enhancing the LNG vapor cloud dispersion.     

海底管道泄漏原油扩散漂移规律数值模拟

针对浅海输油管道泄漏原油扩散漂移问题,依据计算流体动力学理论,采用VOF模型和k－ε湍流模型来模拟多相流动,采用速度边界造波法和阻尼消波法来模拟波浪,建立洋流波浪环境下海底管道原油泄漏扩散漂移模型,对不同海洋环境、原油密度和泄漏量工况下的原油扩散漂移行为进行模拟,预测水下原油扩散上升路径、上浮到水面时间、溢油扩散范围以及水面溢油漂移速率等关键数据。研究结果表明:相对于静水、洋流和波浪等单一环境条件,在洋流波浪环境下泄漏原油的水下扩散范围更广、扩散上升速率更小、水面原油漂移速率更大;海洋环境对原油在水面的漂移速率影响较大,泄漏速率对原油的水下上升扩散速率影响较大;原油密度主要影响水下原油上升扩散过程,对水面原油漂移过程影响较小。     

海岸带含水层咸淡水界面随潮汐波动的数值模拟

在分析、研究了滨海地带含水层和不透水层的水文地质特性及含水层内的咸淡水渗流运动特征的基础上,运用数学推理的手法,建立了一种较为简单适用的模拟海岸带含水层咸淡水界面和天然地下水面变动规律的二维数学模型,通过该模型的计算值与实验值的比较,证明该模型的计算结果与实验结果有着非常好的拟合度,即该模型能较客观地揭示海水入侵引起的咸淡水界面的变化规律.其后,运用该模型系统的探讨了含水层以下为非平坦的不透水层的滨海地带天然地下水面、咸淡水界面伴随着潮汐的波动而变化的规律.即伴随着潮汐的波动,一方面天然地下水面和咸淡水界面与潮汐具有相似的振动波形,波动的幅度随离海岸距离的增加而减小.在海岸附近咸淡水界面的振幅大于天然地下水面的振幅,而在离开海岸一定距离后天然地下水面的振幅超过咸淡水界面的振幅.总体上天然地下水面的振幅呈负指数衰减,而咸淡水界面的振幅几乎呈直线衰减(其衰减直线的倾角在135～150 °之间变动),且潮汐波动对天然地下水面影响的范围远大于其对咸淡水界面的影响;另一方面天然地下水面和咸淡水界面波动的振幅及它们之间的相位差的大小还与天然地下水面的水力坡度、含水层的渗透系数、有效孔隙率、不透水层形状及其变动的幅度有关,但它们之间的相位差的大小与潮汐波动的幅度无关,其振幅与潮汐的振幅成比例增减.当不透水层的形状一定时,不论天然地下水面的水力坡度、含水层的渗透系数、有效孔隙率及潮汐波动的幅度怎么变动,天然地下水面、咸淡水界面振动的相位差的变化趋势及其峰值出现的位置几乎不变,即不透水层的形状决定着天然地下水面、咸淡水界面振动的相位差的变化趋势,而其大小与含水层的水文地质参数(水力坡度、渗透系数及有效孔隙率)密切相关.此外,当天然地下水面和咸淡水界面的振动存在相位和振幅的较大差异时,可以断定含水层以下存在非平坦的不透水层,且这种差异越大,不透水层凸凹不平的程度越高.     

The TNO multi-energy method combined to mathematical programming and computational fluid dynamics for optimisation of gas detectors

Gas leakage is a matter of concern for several industries such as oil and gas, mining, food, and healthcare. When the industry considers gas detectors, the main questions are: How many gas detectors are required? Where is the best location to install them? To answer these questions Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and optimisation procedures are employed to calculate the plume location and plume volume to better position the gas detectors. We investigated how the optimisation cell size for the set covering problem can be calculated based on a given explosion overpressure threshold. Resorted by the multi-energy explosion model, we calculate the flammable cloud volume associated with a pre-defined overpressure value. The cloud volume is applied in the solution of the set covering problem and an optimal set for the gas detectors is obtained. The final gas detector network (number and location of the devices) is validated against CFD simulations for small releases. The results provide evidence that the optimal gas detector networks is able to detect gas leaks within a feasible time.