LNG Tanks exposed to distant pool fires: A cfd study

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a viable, environmental-friendly alternative marine fuel. Several LNG-fueled vessels are already operating, and the LNG market is expected to grow further in the next years. A capillary marine LNG infrastructure network is developing to strengthen the fuel supply chain, which includes small-scale LNG storage and bunkering installations. However, safety remains a crucial aspect for the expansion of sustainable and reliable LNG technologies due to flammability hazards of natural gas. Storage tanks are vulnerable units from a safety point of view: external fires might affect LNG tanks leading to their catastrophic failure with a possibility of accident escalation. The present contribution aims at the evaluation of thermal response of storage tanks exposed to high levels of thermal radiation from distant sources, such as a pool fires generated after the ignition of LNG spills. A two-dimension computational fluid dynamic (CFD) approach is applied to predict tank pressurization rate and temperature distribution for a set of case studies. The results obtained give insight about the dynamic response of pressurized cryogenic vessels involved in process accidents, providing a useful contribution to emergency response planning as well as identifying important safety aspects regarding LNG storage and distribution chain.