Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE) Fireball Diameter & Duration

Fireball Diameter

Dc  5.8  m f 1/3

where:
Dc = final fireball diameter, m
mf = mass of fuel in fireball, kg

Fireball Duration

tc  0.45  m f 1/3 for mf<30,000 kg

tc  2.6  m f 1/3 for mf>30,000 kg

where:
tc = fireball duration, seconds (s)

Geometric View Factor, Fv

  Dc  
2

X  2  
  
Fv   3/2
 2  Dc  2 
X  2  
   

where:
Fv = Geometric View factor, dimensionless
X= the distance measured along the ground from the object to a point directly below the center of the fireball, m

Solid Flame Radiation Received at a Receptor

q  E  Fv
where:
q= solid flame radiation, kW/m2
E= surface emissive power, kW/m2
Note: The CCPS suggest that a reasonable value for the surface emissive power associated with large
scale releases of hydrocarbon fuels is 350 kW/m2
Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) is an affiliated body of AIChE

Example
A liquefied propane tank truck whose volume is 22.7 m3 is involved in a traffic accident,
and the tank truck is engulfed by fire from burning gasoline. The tank is 90% filled with propane.
Assume that all of the propane will contribute to the fireball.

Inputs
3
Volume = 22.7 m
3
Density = 585.3 kg/m
% Filling = 90 %
X= 100 m

Outputs
mf = 11957.7 kg
Dc = 132.6 m
tc = 10.3 s
Dc /2 = 66.3 m
Fv = 0.255
2
q= 89.1 kW/m

Prepared by: Ankur Srivastava

Chemical Engineer
Email: ankur_2061@hotmail.com
Point Source Radiation Model (Hymes) from Fireball due to BLEVE

2.2   a  R  H c  m f 0.67
q
4    L2

where:
2
q= point source radiation, kW/m
τa = atmospheric transmissivity
R= Radiative fraction of Heat of Combustion
NOTES:
1. R= 0.3 for fireballs generated from vessel rupture at pressures below vessel relief valve set pressure
2. R= 0.4 for fireballs generated from vessel rupture at pressures at & above vessel relief valve set pressure
Hc = net heat of combustion per unit mass, J/kg
mf = mass of fuel in fireball, kg
L= distance from fireball center to receptor, m

Atmospheric Transmissivity

 a  log10 14.1 RH 0.108  ( L  ( Dc / 2) 0.13 

where:
RH = Relative Humidity, %
L= distance from fireball center to receptor, m
Dc = final fireball diameter, m
Note: Equation shall not be used for Relative Humidity less than 20%

Example
Inputs
mf = 11957.7 kg (from Sheet BLEVE_Fireball_Dia_Duration)
RH = 50 %
R= 0.4
Hc = 5.03E+07 J/kg
L= 100 m (L > Dc/2)
Dc /2 = 66.3 m (from BLEVE_Fireball_Dia_Duration)

Outputs
τa = 0.77
2
q= 145.9 kW/m