Numerical Simulation and Risk Analysis on Large-Scale Oil Tank Farm Conflagration Based Upon FDS

Abstract With regard to the oil characteristics of volatility and fluidity, safety issues may occur in case of oil tank leakage, conflagration and even explosion. In this thesis, the fire dynamics simulator (FDS for short) was used to simulate the conflagration of a 5000m3floating-roof oil tank. By simulating and calculating the oil tank conflagration, it obtained the effect of the distribution principle and the ambient wind speed in the thermal radiation field on the distribution principle in the radiant heat field. In comparison of the heat flux failure criteria at home and abroad, the safe intensity threshold between adjacent oil tanks was analyzed when the conflagration occurs on single oil tank. Then it came to a conclusion that, latent risk exists in current domestic fire separation distance 0.4D, which couldn’t meet the safety requirement on adjacent oil tanks. Meanwhile, it analyzed the distribution principle of the radiation thermal field in single floating-roof oil tank conflagration, and obtained the minimum safety distance of adjacent oil tanks at various ambient wind speeds, thus providing reference standards and scientific proof for designing safe tank farm as well as controlling the danger sources.