Quantify BLEVE Energy Released from Petroleum Storage Vessel

摘要

In most conditions, it's difficult to predict the severity of hazards of boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) because the liquid mass involved in the explosive expansion can not be exactly quantified, while it's just the liquid's potential energy plays a role in the explosion. Based on the theory that only the liquid of which the temperature exceeds the superheat limit temperature can result in boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion, the liquid explosive energy can be calculated according to the change of enthalpy and entropy. A model was developed to describe and simulate the temperature distribution of the liquid contained in petroleum storage vessel subjected to fire. The method can predict the liquid mass above the superheat limit temperature (SLT). Based on the simulation result, the temperature stratification was taken into account to compute the liquid mass beyond SLT, and following to quantify the explosion energy in BLEVE.