HAZARDS OF SPILLAGE OF LNG INTO WATER

The program was a follow-on to an earlier (1969) study in which the spillage of liquefied natural gas (LNG) into water produced unexpected vapor explosions. The two main objectives of the present study were to assess the hazards of vapor explosions, and to repeat on larger scale the earlier observations of atmospheric dispersion of the natural gas downwind of a spill. The LNG came from two domestic sources: One in which heavy hydrocarbons were present in very low concentration and which vaporized quietly; One in which the ratio ethane/heavier hydrocarbons was about 10/1 and which provided numerous delayed vapor explosions. No explosion was obtained which duplicated the 1969 experience. The program did not reveal the mechanism of vapor explosions. The program did show that explosions under various experimental conditions did not ignite the flammable vapor cloud and that the energy release is very modest relative to chemical explosions. (Author)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • See also MRIS #005624 in Vol 3.
• Corporate Authors:

  Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh

  Mining and Safety Research Center
  Pittsburgh, PA  United States 
• Authors:
  • Burgess, D
  • Biordi, J
  • Murphy, J
• Publication Date: 1972-9

Media Info

• Pagination: 92 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Explosions; Liquefied natural gas; Pipeline safety; Spills (Pollution)
• Old TRIS Terms: Lng explosions; Lng spills
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Pipelines; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00044605
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: PMSRC-4177 Final Rpt
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 4 1974 12:00AM