Simulation of LPG Pressure Vessel under Fire Engulfment

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bhilai Institute of Technology, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492001, India

²Department of Mechanical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302017, India

Adv. Mater. Lett., 2021, 12 (5), 21051629

DOI: 10.5185/amlett.2021.051629

Publication Date (Web): Mar 08, 2021

Copyright © IAAM-VBRI Press

E-mail: prabhjot.virdee@gmail.com

Abstract

Liquefied Petroleum Gases [LPG] are flammable mixtures of gases such as propane and butane mainly which is transported and stored in liquid phase in storage vessels under amply pressure. These industrial processes are of high fire and explosion hazard. When a vessel carrying LPG is damaged, an abrupt drop in pressure may release colossal quantities of evaporating gas and energy that has a destructive effect on the vessel itself and its surroundings. When comes in contact with ignition source, BLEVE phenomenon is developed. Elevated temperature environment outside the LPG pressure vessel can cause vessel explosion due to the pressure mount inside the tank and drop in strength of the tank walls. This catastrophic rupture will lead to BLEVE phenomenon which when ignited will again lead to a vapor cloud explosion. Most common scenario is when the pressure vessel partially filled with liquid form of LPG is exposed to a fire. The primary focus of the paper is to analyze the LPG storage pressure vessel under thermal loading condition. For this Finite element modeling approach is used and the analysis is carried out in ANSYS^TM software.

Keywords

Pressure vessel, FEM, BLEVE, fire, temperature distribution.