Blast Adjustment Factors for Elevated Vertical Cylindrical PVBs

Abstract

Pressure vessel burst (PVB) is an explosion scenario commonly encountered at chemical processing facilities. PVBs pose both blast and fragmentation hazards. Blast prediction methods specific to PVBs were first developed in the 1970s and revised blast curves were published in 1995. The published blast curves were developed for spherical vessel bursts. However, most pressure vessels are cylindrical rather than spherical. The blast wave originating from a cylindrical PVB is not spherical (i.e., as with a spherical vessel). Rather, the blast to the sides of a cylindrical vessel is stronger than on the ends, creating non-spherical pressure contours, particularly near the vessel. The cylindrical vessel directional blast effect has recently been investigated by the authors, resulting in a correlation to account for the directional effects. However, it was assumed in the prior work that the vessel was at ground level. This paper extends the prior work to elevated PVBs. Both elevated spherical and cylindrical PVBs are examined to provide new correlations for blast overpressure and impulse for a range of vessel geometries and burst conditions.

Safety distance for pressure‐resistance tests of cylindrical pressure vessels in the industrial field

“…The contours indicate where the designated overpressure has been reached. When the devised function is applied, the safety distance is 31.6 m. At this distance, the pipes are broken, followed by gas leakage, and the concrete wall of the spray collapses; this is comparable to the criteria of Clancey 30 and Kinney and Graham, 31 who stated that partial demolition of houses under an overpressure of 1 psi. In addition, when the function of the safety distance expands to the op cylinder = 2.5 psi line (15 m) and the op cylinder = 7 psi line (6 m), the accident result and the criteria show a united tendency, as described in Figure 6.…”

“…Baker et al 25 found that the explosion energy should be doubled when a pressure vessel is located on the ground because of surface reflection. In addition, the PVB of a nonspherical tank has been studied 28–30 …”

“…In addition, the PVB of a nonspherical tank has been studied. [28][29][30] F I G U R E 1 Loss of lives by explosion or rupture in Korea.…”

Full-scale experiments to study shock waves generated by the rupture of a high-pressure pipeline

“…Geng et al . investigated the directional blast effects of cylindrical pressure vessel burst numerically, resulting in a group of adjustment factors for blast overpressure and impulse for a range of vessel geometries and burst conditions.…”