CONSEQUENCE AND VULNERABILITY ANALYSES
Computer simulations with CHEMS-PLUS [5] considered flammable product release from the gas pipeline, followed by fire or explosion. The assumptions are:
•Natural gas is considered similar to methane
•Product toxicity is not considered
•The jet fire has turbulent flow
Accident Scenario
The jet fire scenario assumes a flammable or explosive atmosphere when the gas pipeline fails; thus, gas leakage entrains air with the gas effluent stream. The gas dilution starts at the leaking point because of the high pressure of the gas pipeline. Therefore, a turbulent-free jet is formed, wherein the gas concentration and velocity along its axis depend on the orifice diameter. The mass of this turbulent jet, composed of a vapor and air mixture, is within the flammability limits. In the case of an immediate ignition, a jet fire is formed, and the magnitude depends directly on the gas leakage. The flame is extinguished when the gas leakage ceases. The velocity along the axis of the jet decreases progressively with the distance from the leakage point. The point where this velocity is equal to the wind velocity is considered as the transition point between the dispersion attributed to the jet effect and the dispersion attributed to the vertical turbulence of the atmosphere.
Considering the delayed ignition, two accidental events may occur [7]:
1
Flash fire that is the delayed ignition of a gas cloud, with short time duration and without overpressure effects, but presenting thermal effects.
2
UVCE (unconfined vapor cloud explosion). According to Wiekema [8], more than 1 ton of methane, between the lower and upper explosive limits, is required for a UVCE.
A consequence study of a possible flash fire was not performed because there is no consequence model (thermal radiation). There would be no injuries unless there is a person within the area occupied by the flammable cloud.
Analysis of the computer simulations indicated that fracture and crack scenarios of the gas pipeline produced less than 1 ton of natural gas within the flammability limits, given that this product is rapidly dispersed into air. Therefore, UVCE is considered only for the collapse scenario. The input data [4] to simulate the accident scenarios with CHEMS-PLUS are as follows:
•The carbon steel gas pipeline has an external diameter of 18 in. The pipeline is located in a trench and covered with soil with a minimum depth of 1 meter.
•The operational pressure of the pipeline is 100 kg/cm2, and the temperature is 25° C, considered as constants during the whole leakage period. The analysis is based on the supposition that the gas can be released through the soil (1 meter thickness) with no resistance to its flow, as a conservative condition.
•Gas leakage cannot be interrupted quickly and the yield of the methane in the UVCE was assumed as 2%.
•Meteorological data include: annual atmosphere temperature of 26° C, prevailing wind direction SW, with average velocity of 3 m/s, and air relative humidity of 70%.
•The rupture classes assumed in the study are in accordance with the standards of the World Bank [2], where D is the internal diameter of the gas pipeline (equivalent diameter) and the released gas quantities are also shown in Table 1.