Modeling the thermal effect of a fire in an oil tank to the next tank

Oleksii Basmanov

National University of Civil Defence of Ukraine

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6434-6575

Maksym Maksymenko

National University of Civil Defence of Ukraine

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1888-4815

Volodymyr Oliinik

National University of Civil Defence of Ukraine

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5193-1775

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52363/2524-0226-2021-34-1

Keywords: emergency, tank fire, fire heat impact, radiant heat transfer, convective heat transfer

Аnnotation

The forecasting of the consequences of emergencies caused by the fire of a vertical steel tank with oil product in the tank group is considered. Due to the thermal impact of the fire on the next tanks, there is a threat of cascading fire. Assumptions based on the model of heating the tank shell under the thermal influence of a fire in the adjacent tank are substantiated. This model is a differential equation that describes the process of heat transfer inside the tank shell, with boundary conditions on the outer and inner surfaces of the shell. These boundary conditions describe the heat exchange of the shell surfaces with the torch, the environment and the vapor-air mixture in the gas space of the tank. The model takes into account heat exchange by radiation and convection. An estimation of the value of the mutual irradiation coefficient with a torch for an arbitrary point on the tank shell is obtained. It is shown that after transition to dimensionless coordinates the value of the irradiation coefficient for all tanks with a capacity of up to 20000 m3 depends only on the type of liquid – flammable or highly flammable. An estimation of the convective heat transfer coefficient under free convection conditions with ambient air for the outer surface of the tank shell and with a vapor-air mixture in the gas space of the tank for the inner shell surface is obtained. The estimation is obtained by using the methods of similarity theory.

Numerical solution of the heat balance equation for the tank shell allows finding the temperature distribution on the shell at an arbitrary time. This allows determining the area on the tank shell that needs cooling and determining the time limit of its onset. It is shown that within 5 minutes after the start of the fire, the temperature of the part of the adjacent tank shell that facing the fire reaches dangerous values.

References

1. Yang, R., Wang, Z., Jiang, J., Shen, S, Sun, P., Lu, Y. (2020). Cause analysis and prevention measures of fire and explosion caused by sulfur corrosion. Engineering Failure Analysis, 108, 104342. doi: 10.1016/j.engfailanal.2019.104342
2. Wu, Z., Hou, L., Wu, S., Wu, X., Liu, F. (2020). The time-to-failure assessment of large crude oil storage tank exposed to pool fire. Fire Safety Journal. 2020. 117 (103192). doi: 10.1016/j.firesaf.2020.103192
3. Zhang, Z., Zong, R., Tao, C., Ren, J., Lu, S. (2020). Experimental study on flame height of two oil tank fires under different lip heights and distances. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 139, 182-190. doi: 10.1016/j.psep.2020.04.019.
4. Zhang, M., Dou, Z., Liu, L., Jiang, J., Mebarki, A., Ni, L. (2017). Study of optimal layout based on integrated probabilistic framework (IPF): Case of a crude oil tank farm. Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 48, 305–311. doi: 10.1016/j.jlp.2017.04.025.
5. Lackman, T., Hallberg, M. (2016). A dynamic heat transfer model to predict the thermal response of a tank exposed to a pool fire. Chemical engineering transactions, 48, 157–162. doi: 10.3303/CET1648027
6. Jinlong, Zh., Hong, H., Grunde, J., Maohua, Zh., Yuntao, L. (2017). Spread and burning behavior of continuous spill fires. Fire Safety Journal, 91, 347–354. doi: 10.1016/j.firesaf.2017.03.046
7. Mukunda, H. S., Shivakumar, A., Bhaskar Dixit, C. S. (2021). Modelling of unsteady pool fires – fuel depth and pan wall effects. Combustion Theory and Modelling. doi: 10.1080/13647830.2021.1980229
8. Elhelw, M., El-Shobaky, A., Attia, A., El-Maghlany, W. M. (2021). Advanced dynamic modeling study of fire and smoke of crude oil storage tanks. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 146, 670–685. doi: 10.1016/j.psep.2020.12.002
9. Semerak, M., Pozdeev, S., Yakovchuk, R., Nekora, O., Sviatkevich, O. (2018). Mathematical modeling of thermal fire effect on tanks with oil products. MATEC Web of Conferences, 247 (00040). doi: 10.1051/matecconf/201824700040
10. Espinosa, S. N., Jaca, R. C., Godoy, L. A. Thermal effects of fire on a nearby fuel storage tank // Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries. 2019. 62 (103990). doi:10.1016/j.jlp.2019.103990
11. Ahmadi, O., Mortazavi, S. B., Pasdarshahri, H., Mohabadi, H. A. (2019). Consequence analysis of large-scale pool fire in oil storage terminal based on computational fluid dynamic (CFD). Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 123, 379–389. doi: 10.1016/j.psep.2019.01.006
12. Abramov, Y. A., Basmanov, O. E., Mikhayluk, A. A., Salamov, J. (2018). Model of thermal effect of fire within a dike on the oil tank. Naukovyi Visnyk NHU, 2, 95–100. doi: 10.29202/nvngu/2018-2/12
13. Salamov, J., Abramov, Y., Basmanov, O. (2018). Analysis of tank cooling systems in fuel tank storage. 43, 156–161. Retrieved from http://repositsc.nuczu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/6940
14. Fire Fighting Leader Handbook. (2017). Kyiv book and magazine factory, 2017, 320.
15. 15. Salamov, J., Abramov, Y., Basmanov, O. (2020). Estimating the convective heat transfer coefficient of the tank shell and the vapor-air mixture in the gas space of the tank. Problems of fire safety, 47, 99–104. Retrieved from http://repositsc.nuczu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/11117