Continue to Site

Eng-Tips is the largest engineering community on the Internet

Intelligent Work Forums for Engineering Professionals

  • Congratulations pierreick on being selected by the Eng-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

LPG Vessel Explosion Impact on Boundary Wall

Status
Not open for further replies.

SmallInfo

Petroleum
Oct 30, 2017
104
Hi Experts,

I am currently analysing a scenario involving two premises, one housing an LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) vessel and the other containing a fuel tank, with a boundary wall separating them. In this scenario, I am considering the possibility of an explosion of the LPG vessel, resulting in the vessel's dish striking the wall.

I am seeking guidance on how to assess whether a typical masonry wall is capable of withstanding the impact of the vessel's dish in such an event. Are there any relevant case studies or references available for a similar scenario that could provide insight into the structural integrity requirements?

Thank you for your expertise and assistance in this matter.
 
Replies continue below

Recommended for you

How exactly is this LPG vessel / tank going to "explode"?

If you're talking failure of the vessel due to an external fire, look up BLEVE....
You're going to need something more than a masonry wall, more like a 250mm thick reinforced concrete wall. It won't make much difference though when the fireball fries everything.

I would seriously question whether this is
A A credible event
B An event which you can actually reasonably protect your second fuel tank
C Something that would make any difference whatsoever to the final outcome.

Erecting a wall to prevent fire or leak from the fuel tank not affecting the LPG tank or vice versa in terms of a jet fire from the LPG tank ( more likely) might be good, but a simple block wall should provide sufficient time to either evacuate or deal with the fire.

Philadelphia_Energy_Solutions_Refinery_BLEVE_spha44.png




Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
 
A rocket attack might do it.

Put them in a dike, direct explosive overpressures upward.

Masonry will not work.
Reinforced concrete walls 2 ft thick might stand some chance if they are not too high.

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."
 
The probability of an LPG vessel failure resulting in the complete unzipping of a shell end is going to be so low as to be negligible and hence whilst it might come up in a HAZID, really needs to be consigned to the not credible zone IMHO.

Protect both tanks from pool fires or jet fires by all means, but not this scenario.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
 
About 40 years back I did an investigation about a propane tank explosion and the damage to a curtain wall... most of the damage was caused by the reflected 'vacuum', which had a greater impact on the connections to the aluminum extrusions.

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik
 
How big is this LPG vessel as well?
A domestic / small industrial size or something much bigger?

Is this one premises or two adjacent properties?

Biggest issue with LPG is a reasonable sized leak from pipe work connections creating a carpet of very cold LPG drifting along the ground until it finds an ignition source....

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
 
Is reflected vacuum the implosion after the explosion occurs?

--Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor