Aspects of risk assessment for hazardous pipelines containing flammable substances

Abstract

Abstract The Major Hazards Assessment Unit has developed a computerized method for the quantified risk assessment of hazardous pipelines. This paper describes the method in general terms, with a more detailed description of three important event models: PROFIT, a transient flowrate model for ruptured pipelines which includes compressibility and thermodynamic effects; MAJESTIC, a multiple point source jet flame thermal radiation hazard model; and DISPI, an integrating model for the risks from dispersing flammable vapour clouds using elliptical trigonometry. The application of the method to a typical high pressure pipeline is described.