Flash point liquid fuels

The flash point of a petroleum liquid is the temperature to which it must be brought so that the vapor evolved burns spontaneously in the presence of a flame. For diesel fuel, the test is conducted according to a closed cup technique (NF T 60-103). The French specifications stipulate that the flash point should be between 55°C and 120°C. That constitutes a safety criterion during storage and distribution operations. Moreover, from an official viewpoint, petroleum products are classified in several groups according to their flash points which should never be exceeded. 

Liquid fuels for ground-based gas turbines are best defined today by ASTM Specification D2880. Table 4 Hsts the detailed requirements for five grades which cover the volatility range from naphtha to residual fuel. The grades differ primarily in basic properties related to volatility eg, distillation, flash point, and density of No. 1 GT and No. 2 GT fuels correspond to similar properties of kerosene and diesel fuel respectively. These properties are not limited for No. 0 GT fuel, which allows naphthas and wide-cut distillates. For heavier fuels. No. 3 GT and No. 4 GT, the properties that must be limited are viscosity and trace metals. 

Important liquid fuel properties for a gas turbine are shown in Table 12-5. The flash point is the temperature at which vapors begin combustion. The flash point is the maximum temperature at which a fuel can be handled safely. 

The fuels consumed in the fire were treated wood, penta, and creosote (coal tars). Both are considered combustible liquids, with flash points above 160° F (CC). Vapor conditions within the headspaces of tanks can, however, reach explosive conditions, and the introduction of an ignition source resulted in spontaneous combustion. Under ideal conditions, creosote burns similar to crude oil, and in standard lab burn tests, has an average burn rate of 4 mm/min. There is no data on the burn rate of penta however, its vapors would have likely burned at much slower rates and a series of complex chemical transformations would have occurred. 

Flash point The lowest temperature at which a heated liquid fuel will ignite. 

Certain properties of a liquid fuel are measured routinely in a laboratory for characterization purposes. Besides density and viscosity, these properties include the pour point, the cloud point, and the flash point. Standard ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) procedures are available for their determination. 

The aniline clo d point is a measure of the paraffinicity of a fuel oil. A high value denotes a highly paraffinic oil while a low value indicates an aromatic, a naphthenic, or a highly cracked oil. The flash point represents the temperature to which a liquid fuel can be heated before a flash appears on its surface upon exposure to a test flame under specified conditions. A knowledge of the flash point is needed to ensure safe handling and storage without fire hazards. 

The inverse of the tunnel experiments discussed is the propagation of a flame across a layer of a liquid fuel that has a low flash point temperature. The stratified conditions discussed previously described the layered fuel vapor-air mixture ratios. Under these conditions the propagation rates were found to be 4-5 times the laminar flame speed. This somewhat increased rate compared to the other analytical results is apparently due to diffusion of air to the flame front behind the parabolic leading edge of the propagating flame [41],... 

Experiments [43] with very high flash point fuels (JP, kerosene, Diesel, etc.) revealed that the flame propagation occurred in an unusual manner and a much slower rate. In this situation, at ambient conditions, any possible amount of fuel vapor above the liquid surface creates a gaseous mixture well outside the fuel s flammability limits. What was discovered [44, 45] was that for these fuels the flame will propagate due to the fact that the liquid surface under the ignition source is raised to a local temperature that is higher than the cool ambient temperature ahead of the initiated flame. Experimental observations revealed [45] that this surface temperature variation from behind the flame front to the cool region ahead caused a variation in the surface tension... 

Safety Considerations Design and location of storage tanks, vents, piping, and connections are specified by state fire marshals, underwriters codes, and local ordinances. In NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code, 2003 (published by the National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, Ma.), liquid petroleum fuels are placed in Class I through Class III B based on their flash point, boiling point, and vapor pressure. 

Liquids with flash points from (1.068 X 10 sq m/s)] at 122°F (SOX) dry fuel oils, etc. Kerosene, light furnace oils, diesel 30... 

Flash point is the minimum temperature at which the vapor above a liquid fuel will first support a combustion transient or "flash." Flash point is measured by a... 

Fuel oil is any liquid petroleum product that is burned in a furnace for the generation of heat, or used in an engine for the generation of power, except oils having a flash point below 100°F and oil burned in cotton or wool burners. The oil may be a distillated fraction of petroleum, a residuum from refinery operations, a crude petroleum, or a blend of two or more of these. 

Physical Form. JP-4 is a colorless to straw-colored liquid with the odor of gasoline and/or kerosene. JP-7 is a liquid, usually colorless and with the odor of kerosene. JP-4 can be made by refining either crude petroleum oil or shale oil. It is called a wide cut fuel because it is produced from a broad distillation temperature range and contains a wide array of carbon chain lengths, from 4- to 16. It consists of approximately 13% (v/v) aromatic hydrocarbons, 1.0% olefins, and 86% saturated hydrocarbons. JP-7 is made by refining kerosene, a product of refined crude petroleum. It was developed for use in advanced supersonic jets because of its thermal stability and high flash point. ... 

There exists, in the literature on high internal phase emulsions, a small number of publications on possible applications of HIPEs, involving a diverse range of topics. The production of petroleum gels as safety fuels is one such example [124,125] this was mentioned in the section on non-aqueous HIPEs. The main advantage over conventional fuels is the prevention of spillage, which reduces the risk of fire in an accident. Also, studies on the flash-point of emulsified fuels [127] showed a considerable increase, compared to the liquid state, for commercial multicomponent fuels. In addition, there may be an enhancement of the efficiency of combustion of the fuel on emulsification, as it is known that a small amount of water in fuel can improve its performance [19]. 

It Ls important to note that a combustible liquid at or above its flash point will behave in the same manner that a flammable liquid would in a similar emergency. As an example No.2 fuel oil when heated to a temperature of 150°F can be expected to act or react in the same way gasoline would at 50°F. In most instances, however, to reach this elevated temperature will require the introduction of an external heat source. Some common examples of combustible petroleum liquids are given in Table 7. 

Fuel in the form of a vapor that is emitted when a liquid is at or above its flash point temperature. 

Most combustible liquids do not present a vapor problem if accidentally released into the atmosphere. The probability of a fire, therefore, is considerably less than it would be if the spill was of a flammable material. If, however, the combustible liquid is at a temperature higher than its flashpoint, then it can be expected to behave in the identical manner a flammable liquid. One major difference between the two in a fire situation is that the potential exists for cooling the combustible liquid below its flash point by the proper application of water (generally applied in the form of water spray). In the event the liquid is burning, and if the fire forces are successful in achieving the required reduction in liquid temperature, then vapor production will cease and the fire will be extinguished because of a lack of vapor fuel. Unless this reduction in liquid temperature can be brought about, the fire will necessitate the same control considerations a low-flash liquid fire would. 

Flash Point Temperature The lowest temperature a liquid may be and still have the capability of liberating flammable vapor at a sufficient rate that, when united widi the proper amounts of air, the air-fuel mixture will flash if a source of ignition is presented. The amounts of vapor being released at the exact flash point temperature will not sustain the fire and, after flashing across the liquid surface, the flame will go out. 

Also according to Van Dolah ammonium nitrate-oil mixtures offer a certain dust explosion hazard and any electric equipment (switches controls, motors, lights) located in the plant should conform to the safety requirements or should be installed outside the plant. In order not to increase the dust explosion hazard no liquid hydrocarbon fuel with higher volatility than No. 2 Diesel fuel (minimum flash point of 145°F, ASTM closed-cup procedure) should be used as an admixture to ammonium nitrate. More volatile fuels, such as gasoline, kerosine or No. 1 Diesel fuel cannot be recommended according to Van Dolah, as they would seriously increase the hazard of a vapour explosion. 

Kerosene (kerosine, paraffin oil approximately boiling range 205 to 260°C, flash point approximately 25°C) is a flammable pale-yellow or colorless oily liquid with a characteristic odor. The term kerosene is also too often incorrectly applied to various fuel oils, but a fuel oil is actually any liquid or liquid petroleum product that produces heat when burned in a suitable container or that produces power when burned in an engine. 

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