Thermal radiation from LPG pool fires

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Thermal radiation from LPG pool fires

Khater, H.A. / Khalil, A.K. / Mahrous, G. / Kamel, M.M.

In order to assess the potential hazards of thermal radiation from Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) pool fires, the thermal flux as a function of distance from the fire should be known. Once the distribution of the incident flux is known, safe separation distances can be determined between LPG storage tanks. In addition, appropriate safety measures can be taken to offsite structures in case of accidental LPG spills on land or water which result in pool fires. This paper presents an experimental and analytical study of the role of thermal radiation from laboratory small scale LPG pool fires. Thermal radiation from LPG fires is a complex function of the concentration distribution. The forward radiative transfer to target surfaces has been measured at various distances from the fire, for different pool sizes. The radiation fraction has been also estimated by measuring the pool burn rates. The results are compared to those predicted using a homogeneous analytical approach. Favourable agreement has been found.