(192c) Fire on All Cylinders: Pool Fire Modeling for LNG Plants

Thermal radiation from pool fires can damage equipment and lead to escalation; it is also required for facility siting studies in many cases. Efficient and detailed modeling of pool fires is critical to improving safety at LNG plants and can be helpful for evaluating mitigation options. However, the only computer program approved for calculating thermal radiation exclusion zones under 49 CFR 193.2057 is LNGFIRE3, which uses a simple point source model and can only model LNG pool fires. The computational fluid dynamics modeling tool FLACS has extended its capabilities to include fire modeling. The ability of the FLACS software to handle detailed 3D geometry provides for the evaluation of thermal radiation mitigation measures, as well as tracking exposure to equipment and buildings located within the facility. Pool fire scenarios typical of LNG plants will be presented, with a focus on protecting pressure vessels.