Evaluating the potential for overpressures from the ignition of an LNG vapor cloud during offloading

Ignition of natural gas (composed primarily of methane) is generally not considered to pose explosion hazards when in unconfined and low- or medium-congested areas, as most of the areas within LNG regasification facilities can typically be classified. However, as the degrees of confinement and/or congestion increase, the potential exists for the ignition of a methane cloud to result in damaging overpressures (as demonstrated by the recurring residential explosions due to natural gas leaks). Therefore, it is prudent to examine a proposed facility’s design to identify areas where vapor cloud explosions (VCEs) may cause damage, particularly if the damage may extend off site.An area of potential interest for VCEs is the dock, while an LNG carrier is being offloaded: the vessel hull provides one degree of confinement and the shoreline may provide another; some degree of congestion is provided by the dock and associated equipment.In this paper, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software FLACS is used to evaluate the consequences of the ignition of a flammable vapor cloud from an LNG spill during the LNG carrier offloading process. The simulations will demonstrate different approaches that can be taken to evaluate a vapor cloud explosion scenario in a partially confined and partially congested geometry.     

Blast damage to storage tanks and steel clad buildings

The 2005 Buncefield vapour cloud explosion showed the huge cost associated with blast damage to commercial property surrounding a major explosion incident. In most cases there was serious disruption to business activity; in many cases the buildings had to be demolished or abandoned for long periods until extensive repairs were carried out.Another key feature of this and other recent vapour cloud explosions has been the damage done to storage tanks. The blasts almost invariably cause immediate top and bund fires in any tanks surrounded by the vapour – even if they contain relatively high flashpoint materials such as diesel.The first part of this paper describes the patterns of damage observed in buildings in the industrial estates around Buncefield. Methods for assessing the degree of external and internal damage are presented.The second part of the paper deals with failure modes and ignition of various types of liquid storage tank during vapour cloud explosions. Again, the Buncefield data provides excellent examples that illustrate the importance of tank design, fill level, location relative to the cloud, etc.     

基于模糊逻辑系统的管道风险评估

为了合理地对管道风险进行评估,提出了一种基于模糊逻辑系统的管道风险评估方法.根据模糊逻辑系统的基本原理,建立了管道风险评估的模糊逻辑方法模型,根据模糊风险矩阵及模糊规则库等理论研究成果,对管道风险进行模糊推理,并得出给定管道系统的模糊风险指标值.以某段天然气管道的风险评估为实例,证实该方法能够合理地评估出给定管道系统的...     

改进的加权C-F模型方法在煤矿安全评估中的应用

为在不确定的条件下准确地评估煤矿生产安全风险,构建煤矿安全评估证据体系(体系分为3级,包括3个一级证据,6个2级证据,22个3级证据),基于该体系和改进的加权C-F模型方法,提出一种新的煤矿安全评估方法。在煤矿安全领域专家给定推理规则强度和证据加权因子等数据下,应用该模型方法对不同类型煤矿进行计算机仿真实验,结果表明该方法在不确定条件下,能智能地评估煤矿企业生产安全风险,为提升煤矿安全生产和科学决策水平提供指导。     

基于粗糙集理论的危险货物运输风险分析

为解决不确定环境中危险货物运输风险分析问题,针对风险数值分析等方法无法识别构成风险的主要因素和次要因素,无法获得因素重要度,以及不能揭示风险因素与风险之间的因果关系等问题,提出基于粗糙集理论的危险货物运输风险分析方法。首先将原始样本进行属性约简和规则约简,获得各个属性的重要度,识别影响危险货物运输安全的主要因素和次要因素;然后,通过对原始样本进行实例推理,推导出危险货物运输事故规律;最后通过算例验证模型和算法的有效性。结果表明,道路的平纵曲线半径是影响危险货物运输安全的最重要因素,其次是驾驶员因素和运输车辆因素。     

基于快速检索的高速公路建设期安全事故应急响应

为提高我国高速公路建设安全管理水平,有效遏制事故损失,围绕事故应急响应速率及应急预案针对性等问题,通过引入基于案例推理技术,搜索案例库中相似的已建成项目的事故数据,为新建项目的应急预案提供有针对性的决策辅助,同时利用可变模糊聚类迭代模型将已有案例进行数据预处理,从而达到快速应急响应的目的。研究结果表明,这2种方法的结合可以大大提高响应效率和搜索精度,为高速公路建设期安全事故的快速应急管理提供可行性思路。     

热带气旋影响下的电网应急案例框架构建研究

在我国电网防灾抗灾体系中,因风灾等自然灾害影响具有持续性,造成应急准备阶段对灾害演变过程认知不足而引发响应阶段抢修故障。热带气旋是导致电网破坏严重的自然灾害之一,近些年发生率高于以往同期。风灾是阶段变化的,情景又是动态演变的。针对热带气旋的影响,考虑其不同影响阶段构建应急案例,可在应急响应行动过程,有效准确的面对风灾特性而带来的抢修故障。提出电网风灾的案例框架构建方法,并结合风灾的特点进行框架分类,可有效应对灾害的不确定性从而增加案例可用度。同时对风灾案例库建设、抗台演习演练与实际应对三种目的下的案例进行属性约简,依热带气旋演变,将案例个体拆分化采取逐步多次检索生成可行预案,从而提高响应效率。     

云模型在城镇空气质量评价中的应用

空气质量评价是当前城镇环境评价的一个重要环节,这一过程存在着很强的模糊性和随机性。云模型把模糊性和随机性完全集成,构成定性与定量之间的映射。文章将云模型引入空气质量评价,结合空气质量评价标准,建立了云模型空气质量评价方法,并通过对比验证了该方法的有效性。     

A quantitative correlation of evaluating the flame speed for the BST method in vapor cloud explosions

In recent decades, vapor cloud explosions (VCEs) have occurred frequently and resulted in numerous personnel injuries and large property losses. As a main concern in the petrochemical industry, it is of great importance to assess the consequence of VCEs. Currently, the TNT equivalency method (TNT EM), the TNO multi-energy method (TNO MEM), and the Baker-Strehlow-Tang (BST) method are widely used to estimate the blast load from VCEs. The TNO MEM and BST method determine the blast load from blast curves based on the class number and the flame speed, respectively. To quantitatively evaluate the flame speed for the BST method, the experimental data is adopted to validate the confinement specific correlation (CSC) for the determination of the class number in the TNO MEM. As a bridge, a quantitative evaluation correlation (QEC) between CSC correlation and the flame speed is established and the blast wave shapes corresponding to different flame speeds are proposed. CFD software FLACS was used to verify the quantitative correlation with the numerical models of three geometrical scales. It is found that the calculated flame speeds by the QEC are in good agreement with the simulated ones. A petrochemical plant is selected as a realistic scenario to analyze the TNT EM, TNO MEM, BST method and FLACS simulations in terms of the positive-phase side-on overpressure and impulse at different distances. Compared with the flame speed table, the predicted overpressure from BST curves determined by the proposed QEC is closer to that from FLACS and more conservative. Furthermore, the predicted results of different methods are compared with each other. It is found that the estimated positive-phase side-on overpressure and impulse by the TNO MEM are the largest, and the estimated impulse by the TNT EM is the smallest. Moreover, the estimated overpressure and impulse are larger in the higher reactivity gas.     

基于融合权集对云的煤矿安全评价及应用*

为合理评价煤矿安全状态,针对煤矿安全影响因素多、指标体系关联度复杂等问题,提出融合权与集对云的安全评价模型。运用云理论特征值修饰集对分析联系度,兼顾系统的模糊性与不确定性,并引入融和后的各指标最优权重,得出系统综合云联系度;绘制等级云图判定系统安全状态及偏向趋势;结合煤矿实例进行验证。结果表明:案例煤矿所处安全状态为较安全,有偏向一般安全状态微势。分析结果与实际相符,且充分考虑煤矿安全评价体系的随机性,该模型可为煤矿安全评价提供理论指导。