Vapor-phase explosion

Eichler, T. V., andH. S. Napadensky. 1977. Accidental vapor phase explosions on transportation routes near nuclear power plants. IIT Research Institute final report no. J6405. Chicago, Illinois. 

Thus, another reason to stay out of the vapor phase explosion region is to prevent the ignition of a liquid phase explosion. 

Estimating the Energy Released in a Vapor-Phase Explosion... 

Estimate the energy released in a vapor-phase explosion of 1 kg of ethylene with a stoichiometric amount of air. 

Fowles, G.R. Vapor Phase Explosions Elementary Detonations . Science 204 April 1979 168. 

Eichler, T.V., and Napadensky, H.S., Accidental Vapor Phase Explosions on Transportation Routes Near Nuclear Power Plants," IIT Research Institute, Chicago, IL, Final Rept NUREG/CR-0075, 1977. 

Additional comment by C. McKinley, Air Products, Inc, Concerning the difference between liquid and vapor phase explosiveness of liquid oxygen combustibles, the essential point is the relative proportions of oxygen to combustibles. 

In the absence of air, TEE disproportionates violently to give carbon and carbon tetrafluoride the same amount of energy is generated as in black powder explosions. This type of decomposition is initiated thermally and equipment hot spots must be avoided. The flammability limits of TEE are 14—43% it bums when mixed with air and forms explosive mixtures with air and oxygen. It can be stored in steel cylinders under controlled conditions inhibited with a suitable stabilizer. The oxygen content of the vapor phase should not exceed 10 ppm. Although TEE is nontoxic, it may be contaminated by highly toxic fluorocarbon compounds. 

Processes involving oxygen and nitrogen oxides as catalysts have been operated commercially using either vapor- or Hquid-phase reactors. The vapor-phase reactors require particularly close control because of the wide explosive limit of dimethyl sulfide in oxygen (1—83.5 vol %) plants in operation use Hquid-phase reactions. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram for the Hquid-phase process. The product stream from the reactor is neutralized with aqueous caustic and is vacuum-evaporated, and the DMSO is dried in a distillation column to obtain the product. 

Dutch State Mines (Stamicarbon). Vapor-phase, catalytic hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone over palladium on alumina, Hcensed by Stamicarbon, the engineering subsidiary of DSM, gives a 95% yield at high conversion plus an additional 3% by dehydrogenation of coproduct cyclohexanol over a copper catalyst. Cyclohexane oxidation, an alternative route to cyclohexanone, is used in the United States and in Asia by DSM. A cyclohexane vapor-cloud explosion occurred in 1975 at a co-owned DSM plant in Flixborough, UK (12) the plant was rebuilt but later closed. In addition to the conventional Raschig process for hydroxylamine, DSM has developed a hydroxylamine phosphate—oxime (HPO) process for cyclohexanone oxime no by-product ammonium sulfate is produced. Catalytic ammonia oxidation is followed by absorption of NO in a buffered aqueous phosphoric acid... 

Degenerate Explosion it was a free radical autocatalytic process and control was difficult, but manageable. The main disadvantage was that it produced as much or more acrolein as propylene oxide. Because no market existed for acrolein at that time, the project was abandoned. Within two years, the acrylic market developed and a new project was initiated to make acrolein and acrylic acid by vapor-phase catalytic oxidation of propylene. 

An explosion occurred in a vapor-phase hydrocarbon oxidation plant, injuring ten people and seriously damaging the plant, despite the fact that it was fitted with a protective system that measured the oxygen content and isolated the oxygen supply if the concentration approached the flammable limit. 

Making a detailed estimate of the full loading of an object by a blast wave is only possible by use of multidimensional gas-dynamic codes such as BLAST (Van den Berg 1990). However, if the problem is sufficiently simplified, analytic methods may do as well. For such methods, it is sufficient to describe the blast wave somewhere in the field in terms of the side-on peak overpressure and the positive-phase duration. Blast models used for vapor cloud explosion blast modeling (Section 4.3) give the distribution of these blast parameters in the explosion s vicinity. 

The positive-phase duration of the blast wave from a vapor cloud explosion is in the range of 100 and 300 ms. 

Explosively Dispersed Vapor Cloud Explosions (Giesbrecht et al. 1981). The Giesbrecht et al. (1981) model is based on a series of small-scale experiments in which vessels of various sizes (0.226-10001) containing propylene were ruptured. (See Section 4.1.2, especially Figure 4.5.) Flame speed, maximum overpressure, and positive-phase duration observed in explosively dispersed clouds are represented as a function of fuel mass. 

If, on the other hand, a vapor cloud s explosive potential is the starting point for, say, advanced design of blast-resistant structures, TNT blast may be a less than satisfactory model. In such cases, the blast wave s shape and positive-phase duration must be considered important parameters, so the use of a more realistic blast model may be required. A fuel-air charge blast model developed through the multienergy concept, as suggested by Van den Berg (1985), results in a more realistic representation of a vapor cloud explosion blast. 

TNT-equi valency methods express explosive potential of a vapor cloud in terms of a charge of TNT. TNT-blast characteristics are well known fiom empirical data both in the form of blast parameters (side-on peak overpressure and positive-phase duration) and of corresponding damage potential. Because the value of TNT-equiva-lency used for blast modeling is directly related to damage patterns observed in major vapor cloud explosion incidents, the TNT-blast model is attractive if overall damage potential of a vapor cloud is the only concern. 

The earliest tables were compiled from data collected from nuclear weapon tests, in which very high yield devices produced sharp-peaked shock waves with long durations for the positive phase. However, these data are used for other types of blast waves as well. Caution should be exercised in application of these simple criteria to buildings or structures, especially for vapor cloud explosions, which can produce blast waves with totally different shapes. Application of criteria from nuclear tests can, in many cases, result in overestimation of structural damage. 

Pyrotecluiic sepVapor phase liigh explosives... 

Additional events of concern that may or may not involve flammable or combustible materials are condensed-phase explosions, uncontrolled chemical reactions, boiling liquid expanding vapor explosions (BLEVEs),... 

Process plants are categorized into different hazard classifications, according to the potential explosion energy available from vessel rupture, condensed-phase explosion, confined vapor (building) explosion, or VCE. 

Potential explosion phenomena include vapor cloud explosions (VCEs), confined explosions, condensed-phase explosions, exothermic chemical reactions, boiling liquid expanding vapor explosions (BLEVEs), and pressure-volume (PV) ruptures. Potential fire phenomena include flash fires, pool fires, jet fires, and fireballs. Guidelines for evaluating the characteristics of VCEs, BLEVEs, and flash fires are provided in another CCPS publication (Ref. 5). The basic principles from Reference 5 for evaluating characteristics of these phenomena are briefly summarized in this appendix. In addition, the basic principles for evaluating characteristics of the other explosion and fire phenomena listed above are briefly summarized, and references for detailed evaluation of characteristics are provided. 

For vapor to move in the unsaturated zone, the soil formations must be sufficiently dry to permit the interconnection of air passages among the soil pores. Vapor concentration and vapor flow govern its movement. Vapor can move by diffusion from areas of higher concentration to areas of lower concentration and ultimately to the atmosphere. Therefore, the transportation of the vapor phase of gasoline components in the unsaturated zone can pose a significant health and safety threat because of inhalation and explosion potential. 

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