Fire hazard and risk analysis of large fuel storage tank in IOC terminal

Abstract

Fires and explosions in large oil storage tanks terminal cause significant loss of property and casualties and are always the concern of the world. To have proper understanding and knowledge about tank fires in terminals a detail study has been done considering various factors like safe separation distance, thermal radiation intensity and deluge water requirement. This paper offers the study of fire hazard especially the radiative heat flux absorbed by adjoining storage tanks. Large storage tanks fire has significant amount of energy release and causes strong thermal radiation to the properties and structures nearby. The thermal radiation intensity has been determined by providing safe separation distance recommended by various standards along with its permissible thermal radiation level for adjoining tanks. The calculated amount of mass flow rate of water required ranges in between 0.09 and 0.23 l/m2s which significantly varies from the recommendations of different code. However, by not ensuring required amount of water as a protective measure to safeguard the target tanks will put its integrity in doubt.