Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FTOPS2
Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) are
petroleum products which are quite safe when contained in their
storage containers.
Released into the atmosphere they condense the moisture in the air
producing vapor clouds these vapor clouds pose a serious hazard to
the safety of personnel and plant alike should they be ignite.
Knowing how to properly respond to releases of LNG and LPG products
can make the difference between a small leak or a catastrophic event
which kills many people and destroys property.
No LPG - LNG release should be considered a minor event. The
potential for it to rapidly escalate into a catastrophe is ever present.
9/26/2010 2
LPG - LNG COMPOSITION
9/26/2010 3
LPG CHARACTERISTICS
LPG is:
¾ Colourless
¾ Odourless
¾ Non-Corrosive
¾ Specific Gravity (H2O = 1) 0.51
¾ Vapor Density (Air = 1) 1.92
¾ A gas at atmospheric pressure
¾ Boils at -42.1 C
¾ Flammable (2.1 % - 9.5 %)
¾ Auto ignition temp 450 0 C
¾ 0.307 millijoule ignition temp
¾ Expansion ratio of 275:1
9/26/2010 4
LNG CHARACTERISTICS
LNG is:
¾ Colourless
¾ Odourless
¾ Non-corrosive
¾ Lighter then air (> -1070 C)
¾ A gas at atmospheric pressure
¾ Boils at – 1620 C
¾ Flammable (range 5% to 15%)
¾ Auto ignition temp 537 0 C
¾ 0.29 millijoule ignition temp *
¾ Expansion ratio of 600:1
9/26/2010 5
MAJOR EVENT CONSEQUENCES
There are numerous conditions which can result in a leak of flammable
vapors any of which can result in unwanted events.
The main consequences to be aware of are:
9/26/2010 6
MAJOR HAZARDS
¾ Cryogenic injuries
¾ Metal failure due to brittle effect
¾ Large leaks develop large vapor clouds
¾ Vapor clouds will travel down wind, possibly to an ignition source
¾ LPG Vapor clouds explode (UVCE), unconfined LNG clouds do not
¾ Obstructions reduce cloud spread but increase blast overpressures
¾ It takes little energy to ignite LPG/LNG vapors
¾ LNG gas fires are 2 times hotter then any other hydrocarbon fire
¾ Jet fires can cause adjacent supports, pipes and vessels to fail
¾ When subjected to fire, pressurized vessels can BLEVE
9/26/2010 7
CONGESTION vs OVERPRESSURE
9/26/2010 8
THE GOOD NEWS
¾Natural gas is less reactive than other fuels and potential plant
explosions are less severe than with, say, hydrogen, propane or
ethylene.
¾Unconfined RPT are not considered hazardous since they are less
energetic then combustion explosions.
RPT
9/26/2010 9
FLAME SPEED vs OVERPRESSURES
9/26/2010 10
CONTROL MEASURES
DESIGN OPERATIONS
9/26/2010 11
DANGERS OF RADIANT HEAT
LNG pool fires burn between 150 kW/m2 to 340 kW/m2. The following
table should bring this information and impact on personnel safety into
perspective. Emissive power of a pool fire decreases with height (or
length along the axis).
9/26/2010 12
RADIANT HEAT RISKS
Heat emissions are the principal cause of damage from LNG fires,
capable of causing severe damage to personnel, structural steelwork,
plant and adjacent facilities if left unchecked.
9/26/2010 13
LNG FLAME CHARACTERISTICS
In the absence of wind an LNG pool fire column will burn upwards as
the burned gas rises with convection. The lower part or base of the
flame generates the most amount of heat. This heat diminishes with
height.
9/26/2010 14
VAPOUR CLOUD FLAMMABLE RANGE
9/26/2010 15
WIND EFFECTS / FLAME TILT
When an LNG fire does occur its important to understand that wind has
a direct effect on the flame direction (tilt) and radiant heat affecting
adjacent equipment. (Note the absence of smoke)*
Rule of thumb: flame height is 2 to 2.5 times pool diameter.
9/26/2010 16
LARGE LNG FIRES
Unlike small LNG pool fires which burn smokeless. Large LNG pool
fires (> 20m dia.) burn with smoke.
The main effect of this condition is that the smoke of these fires reduces
the fires radiant heat. The cause is suspected to be the lack of sufficient
oxygen in the middle of the fire to complete the combustion cycle.
The reduced flame surface emissive power is due to the smoke .
9/26/2010 17
SHIP RELATED EVENTS
9/26/2010 18
LPG-LNG EVENT CONTROL
As the cloud enters the water curtain it is heated resulting in its further
warming, evaporation and dispersion. The most effective tools are
monitors set at approximately 40 degrees which helps to entrain air
into the vapor cloud lowering its LFL.
(Water must not be allowed to run into the pool)*
9/26/2010 20
VAPOUR SUPPRESSION
LNG LPG
500:1 300:1
9/26/2010 21
FIRE INTENSITY CONTROL
9/26/2010 22
EXTINGUISHMENT
9/26/2010 23
UNIGNITED LPG/LNG STRATEGY
9/26/2010 24
LPG/LNG FIRE STRATEGY
9/26/2010 25
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!
9/26/2010 26