The safety of the territory is directly dependent upon the propane-butane storage and use technology. The paper reveals the efficiency of FlowVision software-based computational fluid dynamics technology (CFD) in modeling the stagnation zones and the behavior of fuel-air mixture (FAM) cloud within the territory of storage facilities. Propane-butane storage tank farm storage was selected as the object of research. CAD SolidWorks was used in the design of his three-dimensional model. Methods using "dispersed heavy gas models" have been developed. It is based on the numerical solution of three-dimensional fluid and gas dynamics equations, including the laws of conservation of mass, momentum (the Navier-Stokes equation) and constitutive equation. Recommendations on changes to be implemented during the design stage of tank farms with propane-butane mixture have been developed in order to increase facility safety in case of equipment depressurization. It is known that buildings, located on the territory, impair the airflow, resulting in the presence of large stagnant zones. It has been established that as a result of the movement of air flow through the territory of the tank farm, the maximum areas of stagnation zones are observed with the north wind and the minimum – with the southeast wind. Using the three-dimensional modeling techniques and finite volumes the stagnation zones in the tank farm were computed for different wind directions and measurement heights, enabling a comprehensive assessment of the situation at the facility in question and development of series of safety-increasing measures.
The risk of accidents involving light hydrocarbons is caused by the physicochemical properties of the components, primarily propane and butane. The most catastrophic accidents involving these substances were on November 19, 1984, in the city of San Juan Ixhuatepec (Mexico) and on June 4, 1989, on the Asha – Ulu-Telyak section (USSR), in each of which more than 500 people died. The novelty of the study is determined by the requirement to ensure industrial and fire safety of storage facilities for light hydrocarbons by predicting probable zones of air flow stagnation. The authors calculated the formation of probable air stagnation zones for various space-planning solutions by using a three-dimensional modelling system and the finite volume method. The paper developed a methodology for assessing the safety of storage facilities for light hydrocarbons in emergency situations, which is based on the analysis of probable air stagnation zones by using three-dimensional modelling systems. The practical significance of the study is determined by the additional development of a parameter for assessing the safety state of a storage facility for light hydrocarbons (Ks) and a resulting parameter (Kr) for calculating the optimal location of structures and their structural changes. Integration of stagnation zone sizes into a single formula with the results of other safety calculations is an urgent scientific and applied problem.
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