Mathematical modelling of accidental gas releases

摘要

The increasing use of natural gas entails large networks, located mostly in highly populated zones. Therefore, any accidental releases of gas that might occur through damaged pipes imply a risk which must be controlled. In such cases, the prediction or of release flow-rate a and time of duration of the emergency is very important. However, the mathematical models currently available for performing this prediction show a major gap in the range of conditions over which they can be applied with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Furthermore, they do not take into consideration the unsteady state existing when a safety device is closed after a certain time of release.