Fuel tank explosion risk analysis 2

[Slowzuki]

We have evaluated a 10 000 gal tank of Fuel Oil #2 in regards to it being placed adjacent to a building. The review was done out of concern of terrorism.

A scenario of a bomb being detonated near the double wall tank was the general concern.

Our review decided it was a severe fire hazard, but not an explosion risk.

One person in our team felt there was a risk of vapour cloud formation and a resulting explosion, and recommended the tank be moved 600ft from the building.

What are military guidelines for fuel oil tank location?
Ken

 

[cappe]

The following article may be of some help. Jon A. Schmidt, P.E. describes how to estimate the loading (and hence the anticipated damage) to a structure from an external blast. The results of these calculations can help you quantify whether or not you have a vapor explosion hazard.

http://www.structuremag.org/archives/mar2003/Blast-full version.pdf

 

[chicopee]

WHAT ABOUT BURYING THE TANK?

 

[pgould66]

Personally,I would be much more interested in tests conducted using an explosive charge or explosive charge coupled with an incindiary and placed directly in a partially filled tank of Fuel Oil. Can it be made to detonate or will it just spread and burn?

 

[IRstuff]

A two-stage explosive in the scenario you described in the original post could allow the fuel to be dispersed or vaporized and then ignited by the second charge. This is the basic principle of the fuel air explosive, which is well-known and in public literature.

If you intend to protect against a terrorist attack, you'll need to prevent access to vehicles. Additionally, your tank walls will need to survive a large explosion.

TTFN

 

[pgould66]

You and I are of the same mind set, but I've been told by numerous experts that the chances of an explosion are virtually none,especially when you are talking about large (> 6000 G) tanks of fuel oil or JP8. I'm not convinced but have not found definitive testing one way or the other.

 

[IRstuff]

Just point out to them that 10 yrs ago, no one would have expected a truck full of fertilizer to explode.

Many materials will explode, given the right set of conditions. Aluminum, an other benign material is highly flammable and explosive if properly sized and distributed. Something that is inherently flammable could still provide a decent explosion if adequately prepped and dispersed.

TTFN

 

[WKTaylor]

slowzuki..

Take a look at MIL-HDBK-1013/1A "Physical Security of Facilities", Section 8 "Bomb Blast Hardening". Seem like a good engineering Intro to this subject... but a little thin on POL facilities. appears to discuss factors involving car, Truck and human "carriers".

Note: the section mentions aanother couple of manuals...

"NAVY Terrorist Vehicle Bomb Survivability Manual"
"Army Security Engineering Manual"

Regards, Wil Taylor

 

[pgould66]

I've read most of those and they don't really address the issue, but I appreciate the thought. I've seen tests on propane tanks and fuel (gas) tankers, although even then they placed the explosive on the tanker vice in the tanker, but cannot find a single test where anyone has deliberately tried to determine if a large tank of fuel oil can be used for a fuel air bomb and what the effects would be on the buildings adjacent to the tank.

 

[Slowzuki]

Thanks fellows,

Being a civilian installation, the call was made to limit access to the tanks via fencing and video equipment.

The tank is temporary as the facility will be expanding over the area it is installed. When it is moved, it will be placed well away from the building.

I started doing estimates of the energy required to vaporize the oil and it was quite a bit. If we started talking amounts of explosive to vaporize the whole contents of the tank the building is gone before the tank goes.


Re fertilizer, that has been known a long time. My grandfather was chemical engineer at the CIL fertilizer/explosives plant. Lots of people knew and from the way he talked bulk quantities of amonium nitrate were watched in those days too.

 

[MrChristian]

Did you know that military aircraft fuel tanks used to contain explosives!
Called Explosion Suppression System, Light sensitive units in the tank would indicate when eg.tracer/AA/cannon entered the tank causing a potential fire / explosion. This would trigger the tower of explosive elements within the tank to 'snuf out' any fire and subsequent explosion.
When carrying out a tank change, a/c power is isolated - didn't want anyone to open the access panel and end up with a 'Tom & Jerry'esc black face from the resultant 'Bang'!!
pss They also designed a Air / Nitrogen fuel tank pressurization system (with multiple N2 bottles to try and provide an inert gas above the fuel surface - weighty though.
(A/C fuel systems are pressurised with air from the engine(s) to assist fuel feed and transfer and to lower the Reads Vapour Pressure (RVP).

 

[pgould66]

Chicopee asked about burying the tanks. For the last 2 years we have been spending tons of money to remove the underground storage tanks (USTs) due to concerns of leaking, environmental damage, and political pressure from host nation green peace activists.