Impact of LNG vapor dispersion on evacuation routes inside LNG terminals

Abstract

The liquid natural gas (LNG) industry has been growing rapidly in recent decades. A lot of LNG terminals have been built, or are in the planning stage. While determining or shaping safety analyses related to LNG terminals, consequence modeling is typically used to estimate the distances or the potential range of an LNG vapor dispersion. Through such analyses, areas potentially affected by flammable vapors are calculated. The evaporated natural gas dispersion from the pool formed by spilled LNG can be calculated by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, in which an extensive number of simulations and analyses are estimated and presented. Evacuation of people from the LNG terminal to safe areas using safe routes is of great importance. The aim of this paper is to present the significance of conducting simulations with the objective of determining the length of the dispersed natural gas cloud from spilled LNG on a water surface, as well as the subsequent spatial endangerment of the existing evacuation routes for a specific LNG terminal.