2 replies to this topic

[-Samad.]

Greetings everyone!

 

I am evaluating a fire accident which occurred in a refinery. After cold run, when it comes to fire the pilot burner of the crude heater (290 MMBtu/hr), the heater exploded due to accumulated gas from leakage somewhere in the heater. And raptured tubes caused crude on fire for 2 hrs before it was extinguished. All equipment near the heater are damaged, due to explosion and fire both. Lines are also effected. Even Fractionator is exposed and its aluminium cladding has melted down.

 

My scope of work is to evaluate the accident consequences. For this purpose I have to know the maximum temperature that had reached there, and assign temperature zones, so that I can perform metallography, API inspections, and different testings of the equipments, lines and structure effected.

 

My questions are:

 

1- Can I develop a fire case scenario and model this crude on fire on any software/simulator like Shell FRED?? in Shell FRED, we can model different fire case scenarios and get radiation zones.

•  there is crude oil in Shell Fred default fluids. can we change its properties to our crude?
• shell fred models radiation contours. can we get zones for temperature?

2- How can I know the maximum temperature/flame temperature that had reached there? any way of evaluating this.

 

please feel free to reply/comment. 

 

Thanks and best regards,

 

 

[aparna15]

Hi

From what I understand you are trying to understand the potential impacts the incident could have caused.

One of the most wifely used software package if PHAST.

However there is limitation on pressure and temperature for which we can use them.

For real time 3d case study you should try to use CFD packages. There is an open source CFD package available for fire scenarios.

The only drawback is that it needs a lot of judicious parameters and some expertise in using momentum equations.

Hope it helps you. If possible share the incident details so that we can try and develop model.

And if you specify the material properties these softwares run thermodynamic models and let u know maximum temperature and radiation effects

[Bobby Strain]

You should enlist the services of a qualified professional if you are seriously seeking answers.

 

Bobby