Validation of discharge and atmospheric dispersion for unpressurised and pressurised carbon dioxide releases

This paper discusses the validation of discharge and subsequent atmospheric dispersion for both unpressurised and pressurised carbon dioxide releases using the consequence modelling package Phast.The paper first summarises the validation of the Phast dispersion model (UDM) for unpressurised releases. This includes heavy gas dispersion from either a ground-level line source (McQuaid wind-tunnel experiments) or an area source (Kit-Fox field experiments). For the McQuaid experiments minor modifications of the UDM were made to support line sources. For the Kit Fox experiments steady-state and 20-s finite-duration releases were simulated for both neutral and stable conditions. Most accurate predictions of the concentrations for finite duration releases were obtained using the UDM Finite Duration Correction method.Using experiments funded by BP and Shell and made available via DNV's CO2PIPETRANS JIP, the paper secondly summarises the validation of the Phast discharge and dispersion models for pressurised CO₂ releases. This modelling accounted for the possible presence of the solid CO₂ phase following expansion to atmospheric pressure. These experiments included both high-pressure steady-state and time-varying cold releases (liquid storage) and high-pressure time-varying supercritical hot releases. Both the flow rate and the concentrations were found to be predicted accurately.The above validation was carried out with no fitting whatsoever of the Phast extended discharge and dispersion models.     

Phast validation of discharge and atmospheric dispersion for pressurised carbon dioxide releases

The consequence modelling package Phast examines the progress of a potential incident from the initial release to the far-field dispersion including the modelling of rainout and subsequent vaporisation. The original Phast discharge and dispersion models allow the released substance to occur only in the vapour and liquid phases. The latest versions of Phast include extended models which also allow for the occurrence of fluid to solid transition for carbon dioxide (CO₂) releases.As part of two projects funded by BP and Shell (made publicly available via CO2PIPETRANS JIP), experimental work on CO₂ releases was carried out at the Spadeadam site (UK) by GL Noble Denton. These experiments included both high-pressure steady-state and time-varying cold releases (liquid storage) and high-pressure time-varying supercritical hot releases (vapour storage). The CO₂ was stored in a vessel with attached pipework. At the end of the pipework a nozzle was attached, where the nozzle diameter was varied.This paper discusses the validation of Phast against the above experiments. The flow rate was predicted accurately by the Phast discharge models (within 10%; considered within the accuracy at which the BP experimental data were measured), and the concentrations were found to be predicted accurately (well within a factor of two) by the Phast dispersion model (UDM). This validation was carried out with no fitting whatsoever of the Phast extended discharge and dispersion models.     

A design basis for the operational modelling of atmospheric dispersion

Based on the latest practices at the Institut de Protection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IPSN) of the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), this paper presents the basic elements used for the simple modelling of hypothetical atmospheric pollution resulting from transient or continuous discharge. The effects of given kinetics under various weather conditions, which are not necessarily stationary or uniform, but are likely to occur with little or no wind are also considered. Discharges are considered as sequences of instantaneous puffs. The parameters deduced experimentally or from observations are functions of the transfer time, and cover all time and space scales. The restrictions of use are indicated, especially concerning heavy gases. Finally, simple formulae are proposed for concentrations and depositions so as to be able to make a rapid estimation of the orders of magnitude with almost no computation.     

Design of a system for real-time modelling of the dispersion of hazardous gas releases in industrial plants 2. Accidental releases from storage installations

This paper is the second part of a research programme concerning the modelling capabilities of accidental releases of heavier-than-air toxic gases. The existing theory, which includes the strength of the source and the subsequent development of the released cloud under representative environmental conditions, is described. Comparison of the ZZB-2 system predictions with field data from the Desert Tortoise and Lyme Bay V, ammonia and chlorine releases, shows excellent agreement at distances between ≈ 200 m and a few kilometres from the source. The correlation between observed and predicted cloud concentrations, was in all cases significant at a confidence level better than 95%.     

A modified steady-state model for evaluation of ammonia concentrations behind a water curtain

Water curtain system has been proved an effective mitigation measurement for ammonia spill dispersion. Calculating of ammonia cloud concentration with water curtain was less studied. This paper presents a steady-state calculation model to calculate open and forced ammonia spill dispersion. The formula of ammonia absorption was built and integrated into the calculation model. The calculated downwind ammonia concentrations for open and forced spill dispersion were reproduced and compared with literature using a statistical method. In addition, the relationship between ammonia concentration in water droplet and the droplet diameter was studied. The results display that the formula of ammonia absorption is suitable for calculating mass transfer process between the ammonia cloud and the water curtain. The calculation model presents good performances for open and forced ammonia spill dispersion. This study indicates that the calculation model can be satisfactory in determining the impact of open and forced ammonia spill dispersion and the design of water curtain mitigation system.     

Sensitivity analysis of Phast’s atmospheric dispersion model for three toxic materials (nitric oxide, ammonia, chlorine)

We present the results of a parametric sensitivity analysis of a widely used model for atmospheric dispersion of toxic gases, in order better to understand the influence of user-adjustable parameters on model outputs. We have studied 60 min continuous release scenarios for three different products (nitric oxide, ammonia and chlorine), chosen to cover a range of physical characteristics and storage conditions. For each product, we have broken down base-case scenarios into a number of sub-scenarios corresponding to different release conditions which determine physical phenomena (flow rate, release angle, release elevation and atmospheric stability class). The use of statistical tools to analyze the results of a large number of model executions allows us to rank model parameters according to their influence on the variability of a number of model outputs (distances and concentrations), on a per-scenario and per-product basis. Analysis of the results allows us to verify our understanding of the modeling of cloud dispersion.     

Accident consequence calculation of ammonia dispersion in factory area

With the widespread use of ammonia in the process industry, more and more accidents were caused by ammonia leakage and dispersion. The dispersion of ammonia is determined by its physical properties, release source conditions and atmospheric environment. Full-scale numerical simulation based on CFD theory was carried out to study the dispersion law of ammonia in a food factory. It was found that ammonia concentrated on the symmetric plane and showed an upward movement near the source. Moreover, the effect of pressure on the dispersion of ammonia was explored showing that the concentration of ammonia near the source increased with the increase of pressure, while the dispersion of ammonia far from the source is mainly influenced by wind field. Last but not the least, the dangerous area completely covers the obstacle region according to the harmful concentration, but the lethal concentration range and explosion range both only existed near the release source. Correspondingly, the concentration of ammonia in the region far from the symmetric plane can be regarded as a safe area. When the accident happens, one should stay away from the release source and evacuate towards the sides in a timely manner. We hope that this work can provide an effective method in predicting the impact of ammonia dispersion and can arouse concerns over the public safety.     

Assessing the influence of real releases on explosions: Selected results from large-scale experiments

The research activities in the project Assessing the Influence of Real Releases on Explosions (AIRRE) included a unique series of large-scale explosion experiments with high-momentum jet releases directed into congested geometries with subsequent ignition. The primary objective for the AIRRE project was to gain improved understanding of the effect that realistic releases and turbulent flow conditions have on the consequences of accidental gas explosions in the petroleum industry. A secondary objective was to develop a methodology that can facilitate safe and optimal design of process facilities. This paper presents selected results from experiments involving ignition of a highly turbulent gas cloud, generated by a large-scale, pressurised release of natural gas. The paper gives an overview of the effect on maximum explosion overpressures of varying the ignition position relative to the release point of the jet and a congested region placed inside the flammable cloud, with either a high or a medium level of congestion. For two of the tests, involving a jet release and the medium congestion rig, the maximum overpressures significantly exceeded those obtained in a quiescent reference test. The paper presents detailed results for selected tests and discusses the effect of the initial flow field generated by realistic releases – including turbulence, net flow and concentration gradients – on relevant explosion phenomena.     

工业企业事故性泄漏扩散模型

对工业企业的泄漏扩散模型的国内外研究情况进行了调查研究,在对各模型优缺点分析的基础上,针对目前工业企业的事故后果模拟评价中所采用泄漏扩散模型存在的问题和不足,提出应用PG扩散模型研究物质泄漏的扩散模式,结合某企业的物质扩散算例说明该模型的实际应用,为工业企业的事故后果模拟评价以及重大事故应急预案的编制提供了一定的参考.     

隧道火灾的全尺寸试验研究

在3条公路隧道上进行了10次全尺寸试验,研究不通火灾条件和风速下烟气的运动情况。主要测量了各隧道1000m范围内的拱顶下方烟气温度、烟气层高度分布以及烟气前锋的运动情况等,并分析了纵向风速对火灾羽流形态、烟气前锋运动速度、隧道内线型缆式感温探测系统响应等的影响。此处所列的所有全尺寸试验数据可以进行进一步的分析,以便研究各种已知火灾模型在计算长隧道火灾时所得的结果是否有效。     

大气扩散模型统计性确认评估

使用计算模型预测物理过程之前,必须对该计算模型进行论证,确认评估通过后才能用于物理状态和过程的计算和预测。讨论了基于数据统计属性的确认评估对面向大气扩散物理现象的计算模型之适用性;探究了模型评估工作的基本内容、关键概念和通用原则;给出了确认评估参数的定义、选择原则及示例;分析了评估度量指标的内涵和适用条件;探讨了可接受模型需要满足的指标准则及统计性确认评估指标的选用;最后,指出了基于统计度量的确认评估方法的改进方向。扩散模型评估理论的探讨有助于提高基于模型仿真的大气扩散研究的准确性,也有利于高精度模型和基准试验的设计、开发与遴选。     

Validation of geometry modelling approaches for offshore gas dispersion simulations

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes are widely used for gas dispersion studies on offshore installations. The majority of these codes use single-block Cartesian grids with the porosity/distributed-resistance (PDR) approach to model small geometric details. Computational cost of this approach is low since small-scale obstacles are not resolved on the computational mesh. However, there are some uncertainties regarding this approach, especially in terms of grid dependency and turbulence generated from complex objects. An alternative approach, which can be implemented in general-purpose CFD codes, is to use body-fitted grids for medium to large-scale objects whilst combining multiple small-scale obstacles in close proximity and using porous media models to represent blockage effects. This approach is validated in this study, by comparing numerical predictions with large-scale gas dispersion experiments carried out in DNV GL's Spadeadam test site. Gas concentrations and gas cloud volumes obtained from simulations are compared with measurements. These simulations are performed using the commercially available ANSYS CFX, which is a general-purpose CFD code. For comparison, further simulations are performed using CFX where small-scale objects are explicitly resolved. The aim of this work is to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of these different geometry modelling approaches.     

基于BSMPKU的高分辨率大气扩散数值模拟研究

为了检验北京大学街区尺度模式BSMPKU(Block Scale Model of Peking University)在城市大气环境研究中的适用性,首先利用Thompson风洞试验的数据集对BSMPKU模式进行了验证,并将其模拟结果与OpenFOAM(Open Source Field Operation and Manipulation)的模拟结果进行比较,然后将BSMPKU模式应用在复杂的实际建筑物群中,进行了3种不同交通线源排放的理想数值模拟研究.结果表明:1)对于单个建筑物,随建筑物宽度增加,建筑物迎风面回流区和建筑物背风面的尾流涡区范围增大;2)BSMPKU和OpenFOAM对单个建筑物周围的流场及浓度场有较好的模拟能力;3)与基于高斯扩散理论的AERMOD相比,BSMPKU和OpenFOAM能更好地模拟出建筑物周围的浓度场,但两个模式的模拟结果都与实测值存在一定误差;4)在实际小区中,受建筑物群影响,建筑物群内的流场分布比较复杂,大部分地区风速大幅下降,建筑物群内污染物浓度场的分布受排放源位置和走向的影响很大;5)BSMPKU能较好地模拟出实际城区的流场和浓度场分布,具有一定模拟和预报复杂城区污染物扩散过程的能力.     

Numerical simulation of water curtain application for ammonia release dispersion

Using water curtain system to forced mitigate ammonia vapor cloud has been proven to be an effective measure. Currently, no engineering guidelines for designing an effective water curtain system are available, due to lack of understanding of complex interactions between ammonia vapor cloud and water droplets, especially the understanding of ammonia absorption into water droplets. This paper presents numerical calculations to reproduce the continuous ammonia release dispersion with and without the mitigating influence of a downwind water curtain using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software ANSYS Fluent 14.0. The turbulence models k–ɛ and RNG were used to simulate the ammonia cloud dispersion without downwind water curtain. The simulated results were compared with literature using the statistical performance indicators. The RNG model represents better agreement with the experimental data and the k–ɛ model generates a slightly lesser result. The RNG model coupled with Lagrangian discrete phase model (DPM) was used to simulate the dilution effectiveness of the water curtain system. The ammonia absorption was taken into account by means of user-defined functions (UDF). The simulated effectiveness of water curtains has good agreements with the experimental results. The effectiveness of water mitigation system with and without the ammonia absorption was compared. The results display that the effectiveness mainly depends on the strong air entrainment enhanced by water droplets movement and the ammonia absorption also enhances the effectiveness of water curtain mitigation system. The study indicates that the CFD code can be satisfactorily applied in design criteria for an effective mitigation system.     

随机游动模型在大气污染扩散分析中的应用探讨

应用随机游动扩散模拟方法,并结合天津市的实际气象数据,对某区域的大气污染扩散情况进行了模拟计算.由模拟过程和结果可以看出,相比于高斯模型等其他常用方法而言,随机游动扩散模拟适用的范围较广,可用于瞬时以及非均匀的浓度扩散分布状况,也能够不受污染物质的特性所限制(气态物和重粒子都可进行模拟).模拟结果对有关部门的污染防护与事故处理有一定的参考意义.     

Numerical study of medium to large scale BLEVE for blast wave prediction

So far, the prediction of blast wave generated from the Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE) has been already broadly investigated. However, only a few validations of these blast wave prediction models have been made, and some well-established methods are available to predict BLEVE overpressure in the open space only. This paper presents numerical study on the estimation of the near-field and far-field blast waves from BLEVEs. The scale effect is taken into account by conducting two different scale BLEVE simulations. The expansion of pressurized vapour and evaporation of liquid in BLEVE are both modelled by using CFD method. Two approaches are proposed to determine the initial pressure of BLEVE source. The vapour evaporation and liquid flashing are simulated separately in these two approaches. Satisfactory agreement between the CFD simulation results and experimental data is achieved. With the validated CFD model, the results predicted by the proposed approaches can be used to predict explosion loads for better assessment of explosion effects on structures.     

大气扩散计算流体力学模型综合评估方法研究

模型评估方法研究是模型研发工作的重要组成部分。基于科学性验证与统计性确认提出了大气扩散CFD模型的综合确认评估方法,通过示例的方式展示了方法的使用效果。综合确认评估方法可以提高模型筛选的速度,降低统计性评估对确认性试验数据的需求量,从总体上提高模型确认的效率。评估理论的研究有助于提高基于模型的大气扩散研究的准确性,也有利于高精度模型和试验的设计、开发与遴选。     

A dynamic approach for evaluating the consequences of toxic gas dispersion in the chemical plants using CFD and evacuation modelling

Accidental releases of toxic gas in the chemical plants have caused significant harm to the exposed occupants. To evaluate the consequences of these accidents, a dynamic approach considering the gas dispersion and behavior evacuation modelling has been proposed in this paper. This approach is applied to a hypothetical scenario including an accidental chlorine release in a chemical plant. CFD technique is utilized to calculate the time-varying concentration filed and evacuation modelling is used to obtain the evacuation routes. The exposure concentrations in the evacuation routes are calculated by using the code of data query. The integrated concentration toxic load model and probit model are used to calculate the probability of mortality of each occupant by using the exposure concentrations. Based on this dynamic approach, a new concept of average probability of mortality (APM) has been proposed to quantify the consequences of different accidental scenarios. The results show that APM decreases when the required detection time decreases or emergency evacuation mode is implemented. The impact of the detection time on APM becomes small as the wind speed increases. The effect of emergency evacuation mode is more obvious when the release occurs in an outdoor space.     

Modeling of explosion dynamics in vessel-pipe systems to evaluate the performance of explosion isolation systems

Explosion isolation systems provide critical protection for interconnected vessels and work areas, preventing the spread of explosions through interconnecting pipes and ducts. These systems not only prevent propagating events, but also mitigate the elevated explosion hazards of interconnected vessels, related to pressure piling and enhanced turbulence. Explosion isolation systems can, however, fail catastrophically when they are not properly designed for a use case.Evaluating the performance of explosion isolation systems includes assessing their pressure resistance, flame-barrier efficacy, and determining appropriate installation distances, which typically requires extensive testing. To predict the performance of a system for use cases outside the tested conditions, models are needed to reliably predict both the explosion dynamics and the isolation system response.In this study, a physics-based model for explosion dynamics in vented vessel-pipe systems is developed and validated. An extensive series of large-scale validation experiments were conducted, including tests using an 8 m³ vessel with attached pipes, varying the pipe dimensions, ignition location, and mixture reactivity. The model accurately captures the effects of experimental parameters and predicts the time available for isolation systems to form a flame barrier. This model can help to predict installation distances and reduce the number of tests needed to comprehensively evaluate explosion isolation systems and their use cases.