Title
Developments in vapour cloud explosion blast modeling
Author
Mercx, W.P.M.
van den Berg, A.C.
Hayhurst, C.J.
Robertson, N.J.
Moran, K.C.
Prins Maurits Laboratorium TNO
Publication year
2000
Abstract
TNT Equivalency methods are widely used for vapour cloud explosion blast modeling. Presently, however, other types of models are available which do not have the fundamental objections TNT Equivalency models have. TNO Multi-Energy method is increasingly accepted as a more reasonable alternative to be used as a simple and practical method. Computer codes based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) like AutoReaGas, developed by TNO and Century Dynamics, could be used also in case a more rigorous analysis is required. Application of the Multi-Energy method requires knowledge of two parameters describing the explosion: a charge size and a charge strength. During the last years, research has led to an improved determination of the charge strength (i.e., the class number or source overpressure) to be chosen to apply the blast charts. A correlation has been derived relating the charge strength to a set of parameters describing the boundary conditions of the flammable cloud and the fuel in the cloud. A simple approach may not be satisfactory in all situations. The overpressure distribution inside a vapour cloud explosion is generally not homogeneous and the presence of obstructions causes directional blast propagation in the near field. A CFD approach, in which the actual situation is modeled, supplies case-specific results. An overview of the key aspects relevant to the application of the Multi-Energy method and CFD modeling is provided. Then the application of the two methods is demonstrated for an example problem involving the calculation of the explosion blast load on a structure at some distance from the explosion in an offshore platform complex. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.
Subject
Explosives
Blast prediction
Explosion simulation
Quantitative risk analysis
Source term prediction
Vapour cloud explosion
Fuel
Computational fluid dynamics
Mathematical method
Offshore platform
Computational fluid dynamics
Numerical method
Offshore structure
Cloud
Computer program
Energy
Gas
Hydrodynamics
Model
Prediction
Risk assessment
Simulation
Technique
Vapor
Air Pollution
Explosions
Humans
Safety management
Volatilization
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0304-3894(99)00085-0
TNO identifier
235423
Publisher
Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands
ISSN
0304-3894
Source
Journal of Hazardous Materials, 71 (1-3), 301-319
Document type
article