Explosion of fixed roof atmospheric storage tanks, part 1: Background and review of case histories

Abstract

Many flammable products are stored in large tanks at atmospheric pressure. Ignition of a hydrocarbon–air mixture in such tanks can lead to an explosion and cause lethal casualties or damage the surrounding facilities and buildings. To apprehend this, safety distances for humans, structures and equipments need to be defined. Several simple methodologies have been set up to estimate safety distances in case of an atmospheric storage tank explosion. This first article gives an overview of accident frequencies of atmospheric storage tanks and past accidents described in the open literature, to show the possible accidental sequences, underline the most frequent causes involved in explosions of atmospheric storage tank, and highlight the potential consequences of such accidents. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2011

Risk Analysis of a Fuel Storage Terminal Using HAZOP and FTA

“…In Appendix A , a list of well documented past accidents has been extracted from reports and works available in the literature. The list includes accidents in petroleum and LNG product storage facilities [ 12 , 13 , 43 , 44 ].…”

Explosion of fixed roof atmospheric storage tanks, part 2: Analytical methods to assess safety distances

“… Flame development during vented gas explosions [1]. [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at wileyonlinelibrary.com. ]…”

“…To apprehend this, safety distances for humans, structures, and equipments need to be defined. Several simple methodologies have been set up to estimate safety distances in case of an atmospheric storage tank explosion. After giving an overview of past accidents [1], this second article focuses on assessment of safety distances using analytical methods available in the open literature. A short theoretical background is first exposed to understand phenomena involved in vented gas explosions. Then, a summary of current methodologies and corresponding assumptions used to evaluate external overpressure in case of a tank explosion is given.…”

“…After giving an overview of past accidents [1], this second article focuses on assessment of safety distances using analytical methods available in the open literature.…”

Explosion of fixed roof atmospheric storage tanks, part 3: Gas explosion and structural response simulations

“…The first paper [1] gave an overview of accident frequencies of atmospheric storage tanks and past accidents, to show the possible accidental sequences, underline the most frequent causes involved in explosion of atmospheric storage tanks, and highlight the potential consequences of such accidents.…”