Risks Assessment of Petroleum Fires at Elevated Pressures and Temperatures aboard Oil Tankers Using Computer Model

Abstract

This paper starts with briefs for effects of elevated pressures and temperatures on risks increase of petroleum fires including autoignition phenomenon. The paper then discuss some important parameters in combustion science such as burning velocities, which is a very important factor in risk assessment for any combustible material (fuels, oil products and chemicals) via using computer programs at different initial conditions to evaluate final temperatures of flames in the surroundings. Four different fuels are used in this work. The paper also explains other important issues such as, Flammability limits of such materials and flames instability. Those two parameters help to know and understand flames behaviors and their propagation in the surrounding environment. Flame instabilities are phenomenon, which not well understood in combustion due its complexity and the tremendous changes and fluctuations of physical and chemical states of burned species in flames. This situation makes fire more dangerous and harder to control. Finally, the paper ends with some conclusions