Fire Testing of Total Containment Pressure Vessels

• Published in: Chemical engineering transactions 2016-01, Vol.48
• Main Authors: Michael Birk Albrecht, Frank Otremba, Francisco Gonzalez, Anand Prabhakaran, J. Borch, Ian Bradley, Luke Bisby
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2283-9216
• DOI: 10.3303/CET1648047

Full engulfment fire tests have been conducted on total containment pressure vessels filled to 50% and 98 % capacity with water. The tests included an unprotected tank and tanks with two different levels of thermal protection. Total containment in this context means there was no pressure relief device. The tests were conducted with 1/3rd linear scale rail tank cars similar to the DOT 111 tank cars used in North America. The 2.4 m3 model tanks were subjected to 100 % engulfing fires fuelled by liquid propane. The fireheat flux was approximately 80 % by radiation and 20 % by convection with a total heat flux to a cool surface of approximately 100 kW/m2. The tanks were instrumented with wall and lading thermocouples and pressure transducers. The fire conditions were measured using directional flame thermometers (DFT). In these tests the tank pressure increased rapidly suggesting strong liquid temperature stratification. Even at high fill levels of 98 % the tank wall temperature in the vapour space increased rapidly to dangerous levels. The results from these tests will be used to validate computer models of the tank heating process.