Flashing liquid experimental data
Working with gasses stored under high pressure poses a risk. Equipment failure and/or human error can lead to fast release of the gas under what is called flashing conditions. Hydrocarbons present in the gas make it flammable and severe damage can be caused to both people and property near the source. The European Commission funded a consortium of four organisations to improve modelling tools in an effort to better manage the risk associated with flashing liquids. The Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS) was charged with providing experimental data for validating the model results. INERIS worked with two types of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG): propane and butane. Over one hundred experiments were performed, varying parameters such as tank pressure, nozzle geometry and the effect of obstacles. Traditional monitoring techniques were supplemented with lasers and fast response probes. Analysis of the data collected highlighted areas for improvement with respect to how the models deal with the source of the flashing liquid. Treatment of dispersion will also benefit from the knowledge gained, especially in the near field, which until now has been relatively neglected. INERIS is looking to extract further value from the experimental data set and in the process help make industrial working environments safer.
