Prediction of parameters affecting the safety of tank farms in case of emergency

Abstract

The current article demonstrates that the physical nature of blow-out of oil products burning in the tank is connected with overheating and fast vaporization of bottom water accumulated in the tank or on a surface of internal floating roof. It is shown that the period of time, during which the homothermal layer of oil, heated up to the boiling point while burning in the tank, reaches the level of bottom water or the water added in the tank in the process of extinguishing depends on the heat losses into environment through the side surface of the tank. It is determined that blow-out time depends on the water cooled surface area of the tank. It is shown that intensive water cooling extremely decreases the rate of formation of homothermal layer with increasing of its thickness.