Optimal design of

FLNG installations:
limiting the potential
consequences of
accidental
explosions Dr. Madhat Abdel-jawad
MD GexCon Australia Indonesia and the Middle
East
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GexCon in short
GexCon spun off CMR (Christian Michelsen
Research) which started Large research
programs in the 70s, 80s and 90s within gas
explosion and dust explosion safety

 More than 800 man years of

explosion experience
 ~ 400 fire and explosion
projects per year
 Main office in Bergen, Norway
 Other offices in Perth(AUS),
Jakarta (Indonesia), others.
 Agents in Qatar, UAE,
Malaysia and elsewwhere.
GexCon – 2008 3

GexCon’s Core Business

 Consequence Explosion Analysis
 Worst case Analysis
 Targeted Analysis
 Probabilistic Analysis
 Fire and Smoke Analysis FEA and CFD
 Toxic Dispersion Analysis
 Causes
 Examples of Past accident investigations include:
 TWA 800 (NTSB)
 P36 (Petrobras)
 Piper Alpha (Investigation led by Lord Cullen)
 Buncefield (Total)
 Prevention
 Protection
Gas Explosions 4
GexCon – 2008Hazards on Offshore Facilities, Kuala Lumpur, 19-20 October 2010 4

Analysis Process Overview Leak Dispersion

Geometry import

FLACS Import + Adjustments

Structural Response
Consequence Modelling
Vapour Cloud Explosion

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FLNG: probabilistic study

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FLNG: probabilistic study; step 1

geometry: Anticipated congestion

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FLNG: choice of dispersion

scenarios

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FNLG: ventilation calculations

Port side vs. Starboard side modules

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FLNG: generation of large clouds

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FLNG: explosion simulations

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Exceedance curves

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Seminar on Management of the Gas Value Chain, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 27-28, 2012 12

Explosion generated turbulence

• Positive feedback
mechanism of explosion
generated flow and
combustion

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Seminar on Management of the Gas Value Chain, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 27-28, 2012

Experiments – 45 m long array of cross

flow obstructions; no confinement

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Seminar on Management of the Gas Value Chain, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 27-28, 2012

Experiments – obstructed vs. non-

obstructed

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Experiments in congested area – DDT and
detonation
Experiments – DDT and detonation
Seminar on Management of the Gas Value Chain, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 27-28, 2012 17

Safety gaps

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Seminar on Management of the Gas Value Chain, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 27-28, 2012 18

Safety gaps
• FLNG layout: module based with safety gaps:
1. Reduce likelihood of clouds spanning several modules
2. Reduce pressure if clouds span several modules
3. Reduce pressure load from one module to the other
 Implications for Design Accidental Loads (DAL)

• Explosion where clouds span a gap:

Flame propagation in:
1. Congested areas -> flame acceleration & pressure
2. Open gap -> flame deceleration & reduced pressure
3. Flame re-enters congested area -> flame acceleration &
pressure

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GexCon – 2008 19

Safety gaps
 Seminar on Management of the Gas Value Chain, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 27-28, 2012
GexCon – 2008 2020

Safety gaps
 Dimensioning gas cloud & implication for gap distance
 Large cloud -> gap -> large impact on DAL (Design Accidental Load)
 Small cloud -> gap -> marginal impact on DAL

 Safety gaps can have large cost implications

 Alternative solutions:
 Blast walls, gas migration barriers or water curtains
GexCon – 2008 21

P > 4.0 bar

P = 0.025 bar

Experiments in 3-D corner

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GexCon – 2008 23

Fuel Storage Tanks with Frangible Roofs

GexCon – 2008 24

Tank Explosions (Zhi Lu, 1994)

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FLNG: LNG spills

Implications for explosion analysis:
 FLACS geometry – bunds
 Bunding: significant impact on pool/cloud size
 Leak locations: relative to edge of vessel, drainage points, drip
trays, leaks relative to larger objects
 Wind speed will be important for mixing

Wind: 5m/s

Wind: 1m/s

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Seminar on Management of the Gas Value Chain, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 27-28, 2012 27

FLNG example: summarized

 In spite of lower leak frequency, release of

non-buoyant gas is the major contributor to
explosion risk:
 For the same release rate, clouds becomes
bigger (stay on the ground and don’t
disappear upward)
 For the same cloud size, heavier (non-
buoyant) HC give stronger explosions
 Non-buoyant gases stay along the ground
and have higher likelihood of being ignited

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