Gas explosion effects on methane – tank elements (original) (raw)
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Effect of Gas Explosions on RC Buildings with Structural Key Elements
IABSE Symposium Report, 2006
This paper is devoted to analyse the Key Element strategy to avoid the progressive collapse of RC buildings under gas explosion. The possibility that a building may experience a progressive collapse depends on several factors, which are related to both the gas explosion hazard and the structural vulnerability. The Key Element strategy aims at reducing the risk of progressive collapse based on the design of appropriate structural elements, whose response can be estimated by means of the well known Baker's method, which is based on the prediction of the blast peak pressure. To this purpose, both empirical and computational fluid dynamic methods can be adopted. Usually, simple empirical formulas are applied, which allow the vent surface to be efficiently controlled in order to reduce the vulnerability associated to gas explosion hazard. On the other hand, empirical formulas should be used with particular care when irregular geometry is of concern, since the flame front can become turbulent, producing a significant increase of the blast peak pressure. Therefore, when complex compartments are analyzed, in order to evaluate the risk of gas explosion, the use of Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) methods is advisable. In such a paper, in order to allow a reliable applicability of a design approach based on the Key Element strategy, the blast peak pressure is evaluated by using different geometrical compartments and different methodologies, showing how it can vary in a wide range, depending on the compartment regularity.
Modelling the response of masonry structures to gas explosions
Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 1999
In practice no system is infallible no matter how stringent the safety standards and procedures are concerning the release and use of gas in the process industries. Structural damage arising from an internal explosion often has serious repercussions. It is, therefore, imperative for engineers to be able to predict the extent of the damage that may occur, and to develop means to mitigate such effects.
European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering, 2012
In explosion-structure interaction problems such as the dynamic response of a cylindrical shell to a blast load, an accurate prediction of both blast loading and geometrical and/or material nonlinear structural response still remains a hard challenge. Furthermore, closedform simplified analytical or semi-empirical models provides faster and more versatile tools of analysis. To assess the validity of simplified analytical models as reliable design tools and to check the conformity of numerical simulations, experimental studies are carried out at small scale to give benchmark results. A first campaign present blast test results performed on rigid instrumented cylinders to quantify the loading in terms of time and space pressure distribution.
European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering, 2012
The problem of dynamic buckling of thin cylindrical tanks subjected to an external blast caused by an accidental external gaseous detonation is studied in this paper. A campaign is performed on flexible cylinders at a reduced scale to quantify the structural response. Simplified semi-analytical models based on Donnell's equations and critical imperfection amplification thresholds are used to provide damage predictions. Numerical results are compared to experimental ones which shows a qualitative good agreement. Finally, a reliability analysis on a real atmospheric oil tank is performed and compared with damage diagrams in the form of pressure impulse curves and safety recommendations. RÉSUMÉ. Dans cet article, on s'intéresse au flambage dynamique de réservoirs métalliques soumis à une onde de souffle issue d'une détonation de gaz. Une campagne d'essais est réalisée à échelle réduite. Une approche semi-analytique basée sur le modèle de coque surbaissée de Donnell et l'amplification d'imperfections est utilisée pour déterminer des courbes critiques de flambage. La confrontation des résultats expérimentaux et de la modélisation simplifiée étant satisfaisante, une analyse de fiabilité et une comparaison aux seuils forfaitaires est réalisée sur un cas réel.
LPG explosion damage of a reinforced concrete building: A case study in Sanliurfa, Turkey
Engineering Failure Analysis, 2013
Around the morning EET of 17 June 2011, at Karakopru town of Sanliurfa in Turkey, a LPG explosion at a petrol station took place and as a result of this explosion 1 person was died and 21 people were seriously wounded. The in situ investigation revealed that the explosion was originated by the ignition of an explosive atmosphere that had formed at the basement space of the building due to the LPG leakage. Although it is considered the risk of LPG release to be low, the potential consequences of such a leak is devastating. In the present study, the interesting damages of RC members and their mechanisms in the building exposed to the explosion were explained in conjunction with photos and drawings. Damages observed were so interesting that, they were far beyond the imagination of anyone. It is considered that the presented damages and their mechanisms will give a new insight to the people interested in explosion damages.
Investigation on Air-Blast Explosion Effect on reinforced concrete Buildings (Case Study)
As a result of the spread of wars and terrorist acts that led to the bombing of public and private buildings in Aden/Yemen which is a case study, in this research it became necessary to conduct an assessment of the type of damage, and study the possibility of rehabilitating the elements that were partially destroyed. Here; in this paper, we studied of a number of buildings that were subjected to a direct air explosion, assessed the blast force effect of the wave on the surrounding buildings, found that the damage is directly related to the distance to the center of the explosion, as well as the age of the building and the materials used, which give us indications to recognize the factors that help to assess and treat the damage. Through this study, it was concluded that there is a need to the compressed gas produced from the explosion to be released by hatches in the closed areas in the building. If these hatches affect the function of these areas, weak points must be made in the wa...
Numerical analysis of the explosion of gas tanks using computational fluid dynamics
Revista IBRACON de Estruturas e Materiais, 2023
Buildings are composed of several systems, each with specific designs and regulations to ensure that constructions are safe and viable. Many residential, commercial, and industrial buildings have systems with gas central storage, which must be subjected to strict safety criteria to avoid accidents. In addition to the safety mechanisms provided by manufacturers, designers of these gas central storage must consider other devices to reduce explosion risk and mitigate the damaging blast effects. Explosions are physical-chemical phenomena that are characterized by the sudden expansion of a material and, consequently, energy release. When an accidental explosion occurs, much damage is caused by the shock wave and fragments. In the case of pressure vessels, a mechanical explosion can occur. Studying this explosion is essential to developing a more reliable, safe design for surrounding buildings and its users. This work aims to study the effects of gas tank explosions. In this study, the Autodyn computational tool based on fluid dynamics (CFD) is used. This software allows the modeling of complex explosion scenarios and the evaluation of blast wave parameters. For each numerical model, the overpressure levels outdoors and indoors are evaluated. The results indicated how the wave overpressures are distributed in different scenarios, and from them, it was possible to analyze the damaging levels.
Explosion Phenomena and Effects of Explosions on Structures. I: Phenomena and Effects
Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction, 2010
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Process Safety Progress, 2012
Many flammable products are stored in large tanks at atmospheric pressure. Ignition of a hydrocarbon-air mixture in such tanks can lead to an explosion and cause lethal casualties or damage the surrounding facilities and buildings. To apprehend this, safety distances for humans, structures, and equipments need to be defined. Several simple methodologies have been set up to estimate safety distances in case of an atmospheric storage tank explosion. This third and last article concerning fixed roof atmospheric storage tank explosions focuses on numerical modeling, including gas explosion and structural response simulations. Three-dimensional gas explosion simulations using the CFD code FLACS have been performed to define a typical pressure load profile to apply on the inner side of the tank shell. Then, the structural response of the tank (deformation and displacement), under the loading conditions previously obtained, has been computed with LS-DYNA. Consequently, the findings question some of the assumptions used in analytical methods described previously. The specific input data needed to obtain a reasonably conservative estimation of the safety distances have been identified.