BLEVE

The aim of this (HAZOP) hazard operability study risk assessment method is to highlighting the safety aspect while decanting LPG from dispatching unit to road tanker. The LPG gas is highly flammable and have potential hazard of explosion, (BLEVE) boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion. this explosion may cause to fatality and heavy property damage so that we have applied this risk assessment (HAZOP) method to find out all relevant potential risk to it and also given required control measure to reduce or eliminate risk of fire and explosion in order to make the decanting process of LPG safe.

The Risk Assessment is an important legal requirement which should be carried out in industries in order to prevent any incident in future and manage emergencies better. In this article a typical LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) storage bullet of capacity 14.7m 3 and truck tanker of capacity 18 m 3 were selected for the study. Risk assessment was carried out for various fire scenarios such as BLEVE, VCE, and Jet fire which can happen in LPG storage area. The inputs used in the estimation are collected from various articles and from a typical LPG handling and storing industry in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. The meteorological conditions for the assumed Madurai region are given as an input data in the ALOHA software for dispersion predictions of various scenarios. The accident situations are selected from various reports and literatures of LPG storages around the world. By using the ALOHA software, the dispersion models are used to estimate dispersion concentrations, Blast effects, Flammable effects, Thermal radiation and Toxic effects. The results are arrived from the predicted and user defined inputs in ALOHA software with the references and industrial investigations.

Resumen El gas licuado de petróleo (GLP) es un combustible que se utiliza en múltiples aplicaciones residenciales, comerciales e industriales. Al ser un combustible, su manejo requiere cuidados mínimos de seguridad. Un fenómeno asociado al almacenamiento de un combustible en un recipiente a presión es la BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion), que significa una explosión de vapores que se expanden al hervir un líquido. Esta BLEVE puede darse como una combinación de varios factores (descuido, falta de medidas de seguridad, falta de mantenimiento, falta de prevención, eventos fortuitos e impericia) que se pueden juntar en una instalación de gas licuado de petróleo y que puede ser causa de una catástrofe. Las Normas Nacionales e Internacionales sobre el manejo del GLP dan los lineamientos mínimos que se deben tener en cuenta al momento de planificar, diseñar y realizar una instalación de gas, y sobre todo dan los lineamientos que se deben establecer en la parte de seguridad. El presente trabajo muestra breves procedimientos de seguridad que se pueden aplicar en las instalaciones de GLP con el objetivo de minimizar la aparición de una BLEVE en una instalación de GLP. Palabras claves: BLEVE, gas licuado de petróleo, seguridad, instalación.

In recent years, there has been an exponential increase in LNG liquefaction and regasification capacity of many countries. The factors underlying this growth are the use of LNG to produce electricity, a reduction in costs due to technological advances and the current environmental concerns. In Italy, natural gas is transported into pipelines and LNG mainly by road, starting from coastal storage facilities, or from docks. But together with the development of these activities there is also a need to assess and counter the related risks. The handling of tanks offers dispersion scenarios connected to collision or impact, or to leaks during LNG transfer operations. So, there may be a need for emergency LNG transferring, managing the risks of the scenario. Some emergency procedures and safety measures for LNG storage and transport have been studied by the Italian Firefighters. This work offers a brief overview of the risks and safety measures associated with LNG storage and road transport in Italy and Europe.

The occurrence of incidents resulting from chemical
releases requires preparatory measures. Despite special layers
of protection in chemicalindustries to avoid such releases and
subsequent consequences, human errors still occur and
negatively contribute to failures in different activities include
maintenance practices and operating control and so on. It is
proven that one of the most devastating risk in the oil and gas
companies is explosion, particularly BLEVE. Thus, the study
of this phenomena and analysis of its consequences at various
stages is necessary. Recent studies claimed that the
predictionof damaging effectafter the explosion by
mathematical models is necessary for its effective
management. For this reason, we aim to analysis the
consequence of BLEVE in high pressurized propane vessel (V-
3001/A) in order to be well prepared for further emergency
activities and also implement further modifications. There are
numerous software presented to model the consequences of
chemical substances releases (Such as PHAST, ALOHA,
SLAB, DEGADIS). Because of validation of modelling
capabilities and a particular consideration of PHAST software
for vessels’ explosion, this software has been adapted to
analysis BLEVE phenomena and its consequences in the
Bandar Abbas condensate refinery of Iran. At first, expert
team, including maintenance, plant, process, safety engineers
and relevant operators held several meetings in order to define
BLEVE scenario. Note to process flow diagram and design
detail, the process parameters of propane storage tank
(including; mass, volume, temperature, pressure, and so on)
applied in the PHAST software (Version 6.7). In this model,
the most dominant climatic condition in Bandar Abbas city has
been defined (temperature, 42oC, relative humidity, 90%, wind
speed, 3.5 m/s). Finally, estimated losses caused by explosion
wave in nearby facilities such as pumps, compressors, gas
turbines, pipelines, spherical and cylindrical tanks have been
assessed. The results of this study demonstrated that some of
the surrounding facilities will be suffering from BLEVE’s
overpressure wave, while most of themwill be free from any
damage (Blast wave pressure <0.1 psi). Thus, the authors
recommended that protective wall around pipelines need to
build to deter the imposed pressure. In addition, the
dislocationof several cylindrical tanks would be helpful.
Finally, we suggest that chain effects, radiation analysis, shock
waves, and the effectiveness of corrective measures would be
helpful for further study.