Evaluation of the Effects and Consequences of Major Accidents in Industrial Plants

Evaluation of the Effects and Consequences of Major Accidents in Industrial Plants analyzes the different major accidents which can occur in process plants and during the transportation of hazardous materials. The main features of fires, explosions and toxic releases are discussed, and a set of mathematical models allowing the prediction of their effects and consequences are explained. With a practical approach, the models are applied to simple illustrative examples, as well as to more complex real cases. The use of these calculations in the frame of Quantitative Risk Analysis is also treated. Evaluation of the effects of major accidents in industrial installations covers the following topics: general introduction, source term, fire accidents, vapour cloud explosions, BLEVEs and vessel explosions, atmospheric dispersion of toxic or flammable clouds, vulnerability, and quantitative risk analysis. This book is a useful tool for engineering professionals, as well as an interesting reference for teaching at graduate and post-graduate levels.
- Both the essential aspects and the calculations related to the diverse accidents are discussed - The prediction of effects and consequences is performed with a practical approach - Recent contributions from literature have been included - Subjects of increasing importance have been included: an extense analysis of BLEVEs, for example, or the atmospheric dispersion of pathogenic agents

Joaquim Casal is an Emeritus Professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain, with 35 years of experience in quantitative risk analysis. He has conducted accident analyses for legal cases, performed risk assessments for chemical companies, and researched major accidents. A visiting professor internationally, he has authored around 300 papers and three books, focusing on safety and risk analysis in process plants and hazardous material transportation. He founded the Centre for Studies on Technological Risk in 1992 and has held leadership roles at UPC and the Autonomous Government of Catalonia. He continues to teach risk analysis courses globally.

1. Introduction2. Source term3. Fire accidents4. Vapour cloud explosions5. BLEVEs and vessel explosions6. Atmospheric dispersion of toxic or flammable clouds7. Vulnerability8. Quantitative risk analysisNomenclatureReferencesAnnex 1 Constants in the Antoine equationAnnex 2 Flammability levels, flash temperature and heat of combustion (higher value) for different substancesAnnex 3 Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGLs)Annex 4 Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health concentrations (IDLH)Annex 5 Determining the damage to humans from explosions using characteristic curves