Consequence Modeling

The formation of a flammable vapor cloud following a spill of cryogenic liquids, such as ammonia and LNG (liquefied natural gas), on a ground or water includes significant toxic, fire or explosion hazards. The ability to predict the consequences of such an event is crucial to perform proper risk...

The advanced software (FAHTS) and (USFOS) enhances the capabilities of risk evaluations and fire simulations regarding survivability of offshore drilling structures. Coupling industry leading 3D Computerized Fluid Dynamic (CFD) software packages with Finite Element Analysis (FEA), permits the...

A release of flammable substances can result in various fire or explosion events depending on whether there is an immediate or delayed ignition. Although developments have taken place in producing fit-for-purpose ignition models, there remain significant uncertainties, including how to identify the...

When performing a consequence based facility siting study, it is often necessary to choose a criteria for the maximum credible hole size that is the source for a hazardous release. Many companies choose a variable hole size using a fraction of the pipe size to determine the source hole. Other...

Many accidents involve two-phase releases of hazardous chemicals into the atmosphere. Rainout results in reduced concentrations in the remaining cloud, but can also lead to extended cloud duration because of re-evaporation of the rained-out liquid. For accurate hazard assessment one must accurately...

Process risk is a function of both the likelihood of occurance of an incident, and of the consequences of the incident. There is a common perception that inherently safer design focuses solely on reducing or eliminating the consequences. However, inherently safer design can also focus on the...

Deflagration to detonation transitions (DDT) were previously observed in a set of large-scale unconfined vapor cloud explosion (VCE) tests involving ethylene-air mixtures in a moderately congested environment. The test rig congested region was 48 feet long by 12 wide by 6 feet high, with a regular...

An explosion occurred in the boiler room of a food processing plant as the steam generation system was coming online after a maintenance shutdown. The explosion shattered the case of the condensate return pump fatally injuring an employee, while another employee was burned by the escaping steam...

The methodologies in the chapter on “Dispersion Modeling” in the CCPS book Guidelines for Consequence Analysis of Chemical Releases, provide means for modeling outdoors releases at relatively long distances from a large source. At times it is necessary to model releases at relatively short...

The American Petroleum Institute (API) developed Recommended Practice (RP) 753 to provide guidance for siting portable buildings in petrochemical processing plants. It identifies analysis methods for siting portable buildings and provides siting distance guidance for vapor cloud explosion hazards...