A Performance Based Approach to Fire and Gas Detector Mapping and Why it Matters

Presenter: Murtaza Gandhi

 Manages Fire and Gas Systems (FGS) mapping & Hazardous Area Classification (HAC) services at BakerRisk.
 15+ years of experience in the process industry with 10+ years in the field of fire and gas detectors.
 Extensive experience with various phases of the ISA84/IEC61511 functional safety life cycle.
 A continuous member and leader of ISA at the student, local, and international level since 2001.

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A Performance Based Approach to Fire and Gas Detector
Mapping and Why it Matters

Presenter: Murtaza I. Gandhi, P.E. MGandhi@BakerRisk.com

Principal Engineer, BakerRisk 281-822-3100
Copyright BakerRisk. All rights reserved. July 16, 2020
 Key Takeaways

1 Scenario Coverage 2 Risk Based Prioritization

Approach of Detectors
Consequence-Based Fire and Gas
Detector Mapping

3 Importance of 4 Gas Detector Mapping

Validating Models with for a Toxic Shelter
Testing

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 Outline

1. Why F&G detection studies?

i. And a brief background on mapping
2. Methodology: Consequence and Risk-Based Approach
3. Research on Scenario Coverage
o What’s happening in the industry?
o BakerRisk work process for F&G mapping
o Demo test (including NFPA)
4. Gas Detection in Toxic Shelters

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 Why F&G detection studies?
And a brief background on mapping.
 Why F&G Detection Studies?

F&G Detection System facilitates a prompt mitigation response as process units become less populated

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 Why F&G Detection Studies?

How many?
Gas Where to
locate?

Other Detectors Fire

BakerRisk
F&G Studies End
F&GTool©
User
Risk Consequence
Calculations Models

Acoustic

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 What’s Happening in the Industry?

• What makes F&G Studies difficult?

o HSE 8 years of offshore data – 60% of known releases were detected
o Current technical industry standards
• API Pub 2031 (1991)
• IEC 60079
• ISA TR84.00.07
• Most clients have internal standards
• Best industry practice
o Traditional studies
• Experience based
• CFD modeling involves high cost to place very few detectors

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 Definitions (ISA TR84.00.07)
• Geographic Coverage : The fraction of the geometric
area or volume of a defined monitored process area
that, if a hazard were to occur in a given geographic
location, would be detected considering the defined
voting arrangement
o In other words: % of area covered
• Scenario Coverage : The fraction of the hazard
scenarios from process equipment within a defined
and monitored process area that can be detected
considering the frequency and magnitude of the
hazard scenarios and the defined voting arrangement
o In other words : % of scenarios detected
 BakerRisk’s F&G Studies and F&GTool©

• BakerRisk’s F&G studies assist our clients in the placement and optimization
of fire and gas detectors.
• We use F&GTool©, a proprietary software developed by BakerRisk.
o Allows detector placement and coverage to be evaluated and viewed in a 3D environment.
o Allows consequence and risk results to be imported and used to place and optimize detectors.

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 Methodology:
Consequence- and Risk- Based Approach
 Typical F&G Studies Workflow
Existing
Consequence/
Risk Models
Import
Define Consequence
Performance and Risk 3D Model Generate
Criteria Results Development Report

Model Prep Site Visit Detector

for Site Visit Layout
(CAD Generation,
Drawings, Optimization,
P&ID review, and
Iterative Prioritization
etc.)
Process (if needed)

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 Fire and Gas Detection

• Fire and gas detectors are located based on consequence and risk contours,
client guidelines, and industry standards.
• Gas detectors
o Point gas detectors are given coordinates and a height to show a physical location in 3D
o Line detectors are given coordinates and a height to allow them to interact with the 3D model
o Acoustic detectors are given coordinates and a height to allow them to interact with 3D model
• Fire Detectors
o Conical flame detectors , heat detectors and fusible plugs

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 F&G Model
Flammable, toxic, and fire Detector locations are
3D model is built with plot scenarios are imported from optimized and coverage
plan and site visit data Consequence Models calculated per risk calcs

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Completed Model – 3D View

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 Model Development

Plot plan of Develop 3D

the unit model

Physical Completed
survey model

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 Plot Plan

Process Facility

Residential Campsite

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Complete Model – 2D

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Complete Model – 3D

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Flammable Contours

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Thermal Contours

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Example Flammable Gas Detection

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Example Fire Detection

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Completed Model – 2D

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Completed Model – 3D

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 Risk Based Approach

• ISA TR84.00.07

Three main components:

1. Detection Coverage
2. FG system availability
3. Mitigation Effectiveness

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 Risk Based Approach

• Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA)

o Use QRA Societal or Individual Risk Results to calculate the detector priority
o Helps prioritizing the implementation of detectors in a phased approach
o Beneficial in performing cost benefit analysis of adding detection

Classification Societal Risk Threshold

(fatalities/year)
High >1E-4
Significant >1E-5
Suggested <1E-5

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BakerRisk Research on Scenario Coverage
 BakerRisk Test Case Study

•74 tests
Setup •Test duration between 1 and 1.5 minutes

Release •Saturated propane

•1/2″, 3/4″ , 1″ releases

Orientations •5 Directions
•Horizontal, West, East, Up, Down

•14 detectors
Detectors •Located 60 to 200 feet from release point
•3 different manufacturers

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 BakerRisk Test Case Study (cont.)

Calibration of the Calibration of Conducted randomly

difference in detector response to determine the
response with and from different response for various
without weather manufacturer release sizes,

Test 11 – 74
baffles detectors orientation and

Test 6 – 10
3 detectors were weather conditions.
Test 1 - 5

placed very close to

each other in the Tests were performed
direction of the in late morning and
release afternoon, night, and
early morning to
capture different
wind conditions

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 BakerRisk Test Case Study (cont.)

• For this presentation, ½″ and ¾″

releases are considered ORIENTATION OF ½″ , ¾″ TESTS

• A total of 58 tests were conducted for

½″ and ¾″ releases
• Detectors were not moved throughout
these tests to ensure proper
comparison
• All detectors were located at 1.5ft
DOWNWIND VERTICAL (UP) CROSSWIND CROSSWIND VERTICAL
(WEST) (EAST) (DOWN)

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 BakerRisk Test Case Study Results

• Horizontal release downwind

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BakerRisk Test Video: 0.5-inch Horizontal Case

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 Case Study – Scenario Coverage

• Considerations in the calculations

o Initiating event frequency of the release occurring is 1
o Probability of wind in the direction of release is considered 1 (winds were steady
from south-southwest, predominant wind direction)

• Based on the above considerations, scenario coverage was calculated for

each of the 5 release directions and then for the overall scenario of a
release occurring in any of the 5 directions under different wind conditions

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 Case Study - Results
Total
Total Scenario Scenario Coverage
Direction
Direction
Tests
Scenario Coverage 1oo1 Scenario Coverage 2oo2
Tests Coverage 1oo14 2oo14

Horizontal – downwind
Horizontal – downwind 14
14 100%
100% 100%
100%

Vertical – Up
Vertical – Up 10
10 0%
0% 0%
0%

West – crosswind
West – crosswind 11
11 18%
18% 18%
18%

East – crosswind
East – crosswind 11
11 82%
82% 73%
73%

Vertical - Down
Vertical - Down 12
12 100%
100% 92%
92%

All directions
All directions 58
58 62%
62% 59%
59%

 The scenario coverage for release in predominant wind direction is

100% while for multiple release directions drops to 60% overall
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 NFPA Test Results –
Saturated Propane 0.3 kg/s (Medium Velocity Nozzle)

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Toxic Gas Detection in a Shelter
Toxic Shelter

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Toxic Gas Detection

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F&G as a Service
Fire & Gas Detection and Fire Protection

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 References
• ISA-TR84.00.07-2018 – Guidance on the evaluation of fire, combustible gas and toxic gas
effectiveness
• “Approaches to calculate scenario coverage”, ISA PCS 2015, Gandhi et al
• “Build on your facility siting and QRA Investment: Designing an effective detection and
mitigation system”, AIChe GCPS 2019, Gandhi et al
• “Toxic gas detection in ammonia plants for Shelter-In-Place”, 61st Ammonia Conference,
Sarrack et al
• “Quantitative evaluation of fire detection coverage and mitigation effectiveness”, ISA PCS
2018, Black et al
• “Vapor mitigation testing using fixed water spray system”, FPRF, Gandhi et al
(https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/Hazardous-
Materials/Vapor-mitigation-testing-using-fixed-water-spray-system)
• “Shelter-in-Place, reducing risk from toxic impacts”, Sarrack et al
(https://www.bakerrisk.com/news/launch-of-best-practice-guidance-series-by-bakerrisk/)

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A Performance Based Approach to Fire and Gas Detector Mapping and Why it Matters

Murtaza Gandhi
MGandhi@BakerRisk.com
281-822-3100
www.bakerrisk.com

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 Upcoming BakerRisk Webinar:
API Recommended Practice 1173, Pipeline Safety Management Systems

Date: September 10, 2020

Presenter: Stephanie Salazar

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