Important safety considerations for arrangement of flammable storage tanks: Thermal radiation effects with meteorological conditions

We examine the effects of thermal radiation on the meteorological conditions and layout of flammable liquid storage tanks. Currently, the separation distances between the tanks are dictated by regulations to prevent the domino effect of fire accidents. Although thermal radiation leads to the domino effect, it is questionable whether thermal radiation is considered in the current Korean regulations. In this study, three cases-one based on a regulation and two others associated with meteorological conditions-are considered, for which the radiation effects and tank layouts are calculated. A software program and an optimization algorithm, namely ALOHA and sequential least-squares programming, respectively, are employed for hazard analysis and optimization, respectively. The results indicate that the current regulation is appropriate under normal meteorological conditions but may not ensure prevention of the domino effect under the worst conditions.

Automated summary

We investigated the impact of thermal radiation on the layout and meteorological conditions of flammable liquid storage tanks. Current regulations dictate the separation distances between the tanks to prevent the spread of fire accidents. However, it is unclear whether thermal radiation is taken into account in the Korean regulations. Our study considered three cases and calculated the radiation effects and tank layouts. The results showed that while the current regulation is suitable under normal weather conditions, it may not prevent the domino effect under the worst conditions.