Experimental studies on the thermal stratification and its influence on BLEVEs

The thermal stratification of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and its effect on the occurrence of the boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) have been investigated experimentally. Stratifications in liquid and vapor occur when the LPG tank is heated. The degree of the liquid stratification beta increases with an increasing heat flux and decreasing filling ratio. The effect of stratification on the BLEVE has been examined with depressurization tests of LPG. The results show that the pressure recovery for the stratified LPG (beta = 1.4) upon sudden depressurization is much lower than that for the isothermal LPG (beta = 1). It can be concluded that the liquid stratification decreases the liquid energy and the occurrence of the BLEVE. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.