On the thermal rupture of 1.9 m propane pressure vessels with defects in their thermal protection system

This paper describes the results from a series of fire tests that were carried out to measure the effect of defects in thermal protection systems on fire engulfed propane pressure vessels.

In North America thermal protection is used to protect dangerous goods rail tank-cars from accidental fire impingement. They are designed so that a tank-car will not rupture for 100 min in a defined engulfing fire, or 30 min in a defined torching fire. One common system includes a 13 mm blanket of high-temperature ceramic fibre thermal insulation covered with a 3 mm steel jacket. Recent inspections have shown that some tanks have significant defects in these thermal protection systems. This work was done to establish what levels of defect are acceptable from a safety standpoint.

The tests were conducted using 1890 l (500 US gallon) ASME code propane pressure vessels (commonly called tanks in the propane industry). The defects tested covered 8% and 15% of the tank surface. The tanks were 25% engulfed in a fire that simulated a hydrocarbon pool fire with an effective blackbody temperature of 870 °C.

The fire testing showed that even relatively small defects can result in tank rupture if the defect area is engulfed in a severe fire, and the defect area is not wetted by liquid from the inside. A wall failure prediction technique based on uniaxial high-temperature stress rupture test data has been developed and agrees well with the observed failure times.     

Modelling breakdown of industrial thermal insulation during fire exposure

The aging of many of the installations in the oil and gas industry may increase the likelihood of loss of containment of flammable substances, which could lead to major accidents. Flame temperatures in a typical hydrocarbon fire may reach 1100–1200 °C, which are associated with heat flux levels between 250 and 350 kW/m². To limit or delay the escalation of an initial fire, passive fire protection (PFP) can be an effective barrier. Additionally, both equipment and piping may require thermal insulation for heat or cold conservation. Previous studies have investigated whether thermal insulation alone may protect the equipment for a required time period, e.g., until adequate depressurization is achieved. The present study entails the development of a numerical model for predicting the heat transport through a multi-layer wall of a distillation column exposed to fire. The outer surface is covered by stainless-steel weather protective cladding, followed by PFP, thermal insulation, and finally an inner column of carbon steel of variable thicknesses. The model for the breakdown of thermal insulation is based on observed dimensional changes and independent measurements of the thermal conductivity of the insulation after heat treatment. The calculated temperature profiles of thermally insulated carbon steel during fire exposure are compared to fire test results for carbon steel with thicknesses of 16, 12, 6 and 3 mm. The model's predictions agree reasonably well with the experiments. The degradation of the thermal insulation at temperatures above 1100 °C limits its applicability as fire protection, especially for low carbon-steel thickness. However, the model predicts that adding a 10-mm layer of more heat-resistant insulation (PFP) inside the fire-exposed cladding may considerably extend the time to breakdown of the thermal insulation.     

High-temperature stress-rupture data for the analysis of dangerous goods tank-cars exposed to fire

This paper contains tension and stress-rupture test data on sample railroad tank-car steels at room temperature and temperatures between 500 and 720 °C. The paper describes the test facility, applicable standards, and procedures that were followed during the tests of tension and stress rupture. The paper also contains a simple correlation for the data and gives examples of how it can be used to predict tank failure times when exposed to fire heating.The stress-rupture testing was conducted at constant load (tensile force) conditions. A sample was heated to a specified temperature and the load was applied. The time to failure was then recorded. This testing was needed due to a general lack of available data for the high-temperature stress rupture of tank-car steels. These data are needed for the purposes of predicting tank failure when tank-cars are exposed to heating by fire. The steel samples were obtained from a recent train derailment in Ontario, Canada, and the steel samples included both new and older steels. Samples were cut in both the hoop and longitudinal directions to see if the stress-rupture properties were isotropic.Excellent data were obtained with very little data scatter in each sample. The results show that stress-rupture properties vary from sample to sample. Some older steels were as good as new steels, and some were not. However, all samples were nearly isotropic when it came to high-temperature stress rupture.     

长距离输煤管道储浆罐与石油储罐对比研究

对比研究长距离输煤管道储浆罐与石油储罐搅拌设计特点、罐顶设计特点、消防安全设施特点。经分析可知,长距离输煤管道储浆罐宜选用推进式搅拌器,罐壁上设置导流结构,宜采用固定顶、锥顶,设置简单消防安全设施,宜选用难燃保温材料;石油储罐优先选用旋转喷射式搅拌器,罐内油品进行定期搅拌,采用浮顶,大型的一般选用外浮顶,需设置完善消防安全设施。     

基于数值模拟的外墙保温体系防火问题研究

针对国内现有的外墙外保温系统的防火性较差的现状,通过分析上海公寓楼外墙保温层的火灾,得到外墙外保温防火的三种重要因素（粘结或固定方式、防火隔离带的构造、防火保护面层）。鉴于现在流行的保温材料为膨胀聚苯板（EPS）,因而选用EPS作为模拟材料,利用数值模拟计算得出以下结论：认为火灾时有空腔的保温层比无空腔的保温层更危险;设置防火隔离带能有效得阻隔火灾的蔓延,较宽的隔离带效果更好。除此之外,外保温层防火设计中还应考虑以下三方面的问题,即遴选适当的保温材料、建议保温层也使用类似于防火分区的防火措施和保证保温效果的同时增加防火隔离带的宽度。研究结论和建议对于解决外墙保温体系防火问题具有重要的参考价值和现实意义。     

外墙保温材料在火灾中的燃烧现象小尺寸实验研究

利用外墙保温材料的小尺寸燃烧实验来研究外墙保温材料在火灾过程中的燃烧特性,分析总结外墙保温材料在火灾过程中的燃烧现象.建立外墙保温材料火灾实验模型,对外墙保温材料火灾实验的实验方法以及数据测定方式进行了介绍.采用不同阻燃性质的保温材料,研究阻燃成分阻止竖向燃烧的效果.观察不同的保温材料在燃烧过程中的点燃性能.根据材料的阻燃性能、点火位置、固定方式的不同,总结燃烧痕迹的变化规律.分析非阻燃材料在燃烧的过程中的熔滴生成,发现产生的熔滴对未燃保温材料的点燃现象.观察不同的保温材料在燃烧过程中的烟气生成及烟气层的形成.通过小尺寸火灾试验的方法来研究建筑外墙保温材料火灾的特性,提出使用阻燃型外墙保温材料的必要性.     

基于CFD的大型储油罐区池火灾数值模拟*

为研究大型储油罐区池火灾温度、热辐射强度、流速、组分等燃烧特性参数在油罐外不同区域的变化规律,以10万m3原油储罐区为研究对象,构建罐区池火灾燃烧数学模型,运用计算流体动力学（Computational Fluid Dynamics,CFD）技术进行数值模拟研究。结果表明:整个火场温度大致呈锥形分布,火焰温度最高可达1 500 K,纵向来看,底部温度较高,上部温度逐渐降低,径向来看,中心温度较高,周围温度逐渐降低;随着距罐壁以及距罐顶距离的不断增加,热辐射强度均呈现逐渐降低的趋势,最高热辐射强度为132 kW/m2;罐顶上方区域存在火焰卷吸现象,中心位置流速最大,最高可达56 m/s,罐底区域存在火焰贴壁现象;得到燃烧产物（CO和CO2）的体积分数分布,以CO体积分数为0.001作为判断依据,推断出火焰高度为120 m。研究结果可为今后此类火灾事故的防治提供理论支撑。     

玻化微珠保温砂浆在隧道防火设计中的应用研究

针对当前多发的隧道火灾,探讨玻化微珠保温砂浆在隧道防火设计中的可行性。通过有限元计算分析,对设置玻化微珠保温砂浆隔热层的隧道衬砌结构防火性能进行研究,同时对不同火灾规模下隧道温度场的影响进行了分析。研究结果表明玻化微珠保温砂浆可以很好地阻止热量的入侵,初步验证了其在隧道防火应用的可行性,可为后续隧道防火设计及相关研究提供参考。     

PPH (potassium polyacrylate & hectorite) composite materials – A new fire accident emergency method for thermal protection of adjacent tanks

When a chemical tank fire happens in a storage area, it is very important to protect adjacent tanks so as to decrease fire accident losses. In this paper, a new thermal protection method was put forward based on a PPH (potassium polyacrylate & hectorite) thermal insulation composite material spraying on an adjacent tank under fire. Firstly, the PPH material was prepared successfully by a polymerization reaction of potassium acrylate, hectorite, NaHSO₃ and (NH₄)₂S₂O₈. Secondly, thermal insulation performance of the PPH material was characterized by heat transfer process at high incident heat flux using cone calorimeter. The results show that thermal insulation performance of the PPH material is affected by a content change of (NH₄)₂S₂O₈, NaHSO₃ and hectorite in formulations. The content of (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ 0.14 wt%, NaHSO₃ 1.38 wt% and hectorite 1.4 wt% was an optimum formulation ratio to obtain best thermal insulation performance. Finally, possible thermal insulation mechanisms of the PPH material were presented using SEM, TG and TG-IR techniques. One of the thermal insulation mechanisms is the incident heat flux absorbed by water evaporation from the PPH material. Another is the thermal protection of the char formed from the PPH material at high incident thermal radiation, which can prevent heat and mass transfer.     

铁路沿线可燃重气储罐最小隔离区域划分探讨*

为保护铁路线,以某化工厂距离高铁路线最近的丙烯球罐为例,提出丙烯球罐泄漏最小隔离区域划分方法以及2种保护高铁线路方案,利用重气扩散模型和定量风险评价（QRA）软件分别进行丙烯扩散模拟、爆炸模拟,并进行危险与可操作性分析（HAZOP）和保护层分析（LOPA）。结果表明:球罐发生泄漏及火灾爆炸等事故,会给附近铁路线带来严重破坏;丙烯泄漏或球罐因周围其他设备设施或可燃物质着火而温度升高时,保护措施不足;隧道的安全可靠性要高于仅设1道防爆墙,隧道长度需覆盖最小隔离区域的可及范围,在扩散区域内也需设立普通挡墙,在极度危险情况下,需要实施高铁停开等保护措施。     

气凝胶消防服隔热层研制的可行性分析

为了减少火焰环境对消防员的伤害,基于消防服隔热层对消防员生命安全保障的重要性,运用对比描述的方法对现有隔热层进行了分析比较,探究了其优缺点和性能,提出了轻质且具有优异隔热性能是隔热层的发展趋势,通过对气凝胶性能的理论分析和服用性能分析,研究了利用气凝胶材料研制消防服的隔热层,结果表明气凝胶在服装领域应用已经比较广泛,在消防服领域中也已有初步应用,但用气凝胶研制消防服隔热层仍存在着一定的挑战。     

Pressure and temperature increase of LPG in a thermally coated pressure vessel exposed to fire: Experimental and model results

Damage caused by incidents with transport tanks with compressed liquified gas is amongst the most extreme that can be encountered with transport vessels. This is particularly the case with the Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE), which may occur if such a tank is exposed to fire for a prolonged period. Therefore, the local Dutch LPG transport sector adopted a thermally insulating tank coating as a ‘standard outfit’ for their tank trailers, with the aim to delay a BLEVE for a sufficiently long period for emergency services to take appropriate measures and for people near the accident location to be evacuated. On a European scale however, no consensus has been reached on the cost-benefit of such measures.With the current drive towards “greener” and renewable energy sources, this issue has regained attention with alternative fuels such as LNG, CNG and Hydrogen and a need was felt for (better) theoretical models and experimental data concerning the behavior of transport tanks carrying these substances.In this paper a new tank thermal (equilibrium) model is described to predict pressure and temperature behavior of a multi layered, thermally insulated tank containing a compressed liquified gas exposed to heat. Results are compared with data of three bonfire experiments, in which 3 m³ tanks, filled for ca. 50% with LPG were exposed to fire. A good match between modelled and experimental pressure and temperature evolution in time could be obtained using a constant value for the thermal conductivity of the insulation layer. The modelling showed that the thermal insulation value is crucial for an accurate prediction of these parameters as well as the opening time for a pressure safety valve. As relevant temperatures may cover a very wide range (from cryogenic in LNG-tanks to over 1000 °C in a fire) knowledge of the thermal (and physical) behavior of the insulating layer over a large temperature range is essential.The same holds for the behavior of the PRV when subjected to fire. Extreme temperatures may also lead to deviating behavior from what is expected based on the initial settings.     

On the response of 500 gal propane tanks to a 25% engulfing fire

This paper presents detailed data on the thermal response of two 500 gal ASME code propane tanks that were 25% engulfed in a hydrocarbon fire. These tests were done as part of an overall test programme to study thermal protection systems for propane-filled railway tank-cars.

The fire was generated using an array of 25 liquid propane-fuelled burners. This provided a luminous fire that engulfed 25% of the tank surface on one side. The intent of these tests was to model a severe partially engulfing fire situation.

The paper presents data on the tank wall and lading temperatures and tank internal pressure. In the first test the wind reduced the fire heating and resulted in a late failure of the tank at 46 min. This tank failed catastrophically with a powerful boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion (BLEVE). In the other test, the fire heating was very severe and steady and this tank failed very quickly in 8 min as a finite rupture with massive two-phase jet release. The reasons for these different outcomes are discussed. The different failures provide a range of realistic outcomes for the subject tank and fire condition.     

大型原油商业储备油库火灾危险性数值模拟分析

石油储备油库多向大型化、复杂化方向发展,发生事故时扑救非常困难。为了深入探讨巨型油罐火灾发展趋势与规律、事故危害后果,结合宁夏惠安堡原油商业储备油库这一工程实例,采用基于大涡模拟的FDS模型作为模拟计算平台,对巨型油罐火灾的燃烧过程进行数值模拟计算。通过分析计算,得到烟气分布、温度分布、热辐射强度分布等火灾过程参数的变化趋势,以及在有风和无风状态下着火罐对相邻油罐的影响,探讨现行建设工程消防技术标准就储罐防火间距、火灾时对邻近罐体冷却设计要求运用于巨型储油罐时的消防安全状况,为巨型储油罐消防安全科学合理设计提供理论依据。     

障碍物对天然气喷射火影响的数值模拟研究

为研究障碍物控制天然气喷射火对周围设施危害的有效性,基于流体力学基本原理与湍流模型,采用FDS模拟软件,分别研究高度为10 m的障碍物宽度和障碍物与泄漏孔间距对喷射火的影响。研究得出:障碍物对喷射火阻挡效果明显,减缓了火焰在速度方向的传播;障碍物越宽,控制火焰向前传播的效果越好,障碍物后方受火焰高温和热辐射危害越小,但随着宽度的增加,后方温度和热辐射下降率减小,障碍物宽3 m时,对火焰控制效果最好;随着障碍物与泄漏孔间距增加,障碍物后方热辐射先增加后减小,间距为5 m时,障碍物对火焰的控制效果最好,此时喷射火下游受保护的区域最宽。研究结果可为储气罐发生泄漏火灾事故处置及应急设施设计提供参考。     

窗口火作用下建筑幕墙外保温系统防火性能的试验

建筑幕墙外保温系统火灾事故发生频率高,火灾危险性大,其防火安全性能已成为社会关注的焦点。采用大尺度实体火试验方法,选取具有代表性的金属幕墙保温系统和保温装饰板外保温系统作为试验对象,对防火隔离带和防火封堵位于墙体不同位置的4种工况,开展了一系列窗口火试验。通过采集试验表观现象、火焰蔓延特性、温度分布特性、系统损坏特征等耐火性能试验数据,综合比较分析了不同工况下不同燃烧性能等级的建筑幕墙外保温系统的耐火性能。结果表明,建筑幕墙上下贯通的空腔结构加剧了火蔓延的烟囱效应,存在较大的安全隐患。防火封堵可以阻断空腔中的热对流,防火隔离带可以阻隔材料之间的热传导,二者均可以有效抑制火焰在垂直和水平方向上的蔓延,大幅提高建筑幕墙外保温系统的防火性能。在建筑外墙窗口上方、水平线1及水平线2下方20 mm处分别设置宽度为100 mm的防火封堵和宽度为300 mm的防火隔离带时,系统具有较好的防火性能,综合考虑实际工程的应用性和经济性,可将其设为防火构造设计的基准参数。     

局部火灾条件下某钢结构屋架的抗火保护研究

本文针对局部火灾条件下钢结构屋架的防火保护问题,结合典型案例提出了一种基于性能计算分析的抗火保护设计评估分析方法.首先通过火灾场景分析及烟气运动模拟计算,得到钢结构屋架所处的热环境,再计算各构件在不同保护条件下的温升及应力分布,并判断构件及结构在不同的保护方式下是否失效,最后得到经济合理的保护区域和防火涂层厚度.该方法可以为类似的局部火灾条件下钢结构抗火保护提供参考.     

An experimental study of an LPG tank at low filling level heated by a remote wall fire

This paper describes an experimental study of 2300 L pressure vessels exposed to remote fire heating by a natural gas fuelled wall fire simulator. The tanks were filled to 15% capacity with commercial liquid propane. The flame intensity and distance were varied to study the effect of different heating levels on the tank and its lading.The fire simulator is first characterized with tests including fire thermocouples, radiative flux meters and thermal imaging. With the appropriate positioning of a target tank it is possible to get very realistic fire heat fluxes at the tank surface.Three tests were conducted with the 2300 L tanks filled to 15% capacity with propane. The tanks were positioned at three different distances from the wall fire resulting in measured average peak heat flux at the tank surfaces ranging between 24 and 43 kW m^?2. The data shows rapid rise in vapour space wall temperatures, significant temperature stratification in the vapour space, and moderate rate of pressure rise. These results provide excellent data for the validation of computer models used to predict the response of pressure vessels exposed to moderate heating from a remote fire.     

外墙保温材料数值模拟研究

根据外墙保温材料具体的工程参数为依据,对挤塑型聚苯乙烯(XPS)、膨胀型聚苯乙烯(EPS)和聚氨酯(PU)三种材料的燃烧参数进行设定,设定火源为从窗口喷射而出的火焰,运用FDS软件进行数值模拟与分析。经过模拟发现:外墙保温材料在竖向燃烧中,火焰前锋高度呈现抛物线式增长,y=at2+bt+c,前期增长迅速,后期逐渐平稳。火焰前锋速度按照线性变化,vp=αt+β。在整个燃烧过程中,火焰前锋速度平稳的降低。XPS板导热系数最好,各测点的温度上升最慢,EPS板蓄热系数最好,所以其温度曲线最为平稳。     

热-力耦合作用对建筑结构火灾安全的影响

结构火灾安全可以避免建筑物在火灾中坍塌.火灾热环境影响建筑结构的响应,传统的标准火灾环境有一定的局限性,不能完全适用于若干真实火灾场景.因此有必要开展真实火灾环境下建筑结构的热-力响应特性研究,发展有效的工程工具来设计经济安全的结构.近来,性能化的结构火灾安全设计评估方法和相应技术发展迅速,该文给出一种综合考虑热-力耦合作用的结构火灾安全设计评估方法及相应流程.首先通过建筑和燃料特性来预测可能的火灾热环境特性,然后再分析构件和结构的热响应和力学响应特性来判定结构是否会失效,以及可以降低热和力影响的预防失效措施.该文通过案例分析将该方法应用于某中庭钢结构屋顶的防火保护,得到经济合理的防火涂层设计,满足有关防火规范的安全等价要求.