Conference Papers
Pressure vessel burst (PVB) is an explosion scenario commonly encountered at chemical processing facilities. PVBs pose both blast and fragmentation hazards. Blast prediction methods specific to PVBs were first developed in the 1970s and revised blast curves were published in 1995. The published blast curves were developed for spherical vessel bursts. However, most pressure vessels are cylindrical rather than spherical. The blast wave originating from a cylindrical PVB is not spherical (i.e., as with a spherical vessel). Rather, the blast to the sides of a cylindrical vessel is stronger than on the ends, creating nonspherical pressure contours, particularly near the vessel. The cylindrical vessel directional blast effect has recently been investigated by the authors, resulting in a correlation to account for the directional effects. However, it was assumed in the prior work that the vessel was at ground level. This paper extends the prior work to elevated PVBs. Both elevated spherical and cylindrical PVBs are examined to provide new correlations for blast overpressure and impulse for a range of vessel geometries and burst conditions.
As the biofuels industry continues to expand in support of global decarbonization mandates and objectives, facility owners and developers are being challenged to balance production efficiency, operational reliability, and personnel safety.
As high hazard facilities, biofuels sites should focus on developing a fire protections strategy informed by performance-based analysis so strategies implemented meet the unique challenges found at each facility.
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