Coursework 1

Advanced Safety and Loss Prevention

Hand in date: 22 Feb 2017 (via Moodle submission)

1. Calculate the initial mass discharge rates for the following two release scenarios:

a) a 30 mm diameter hole in the side of a vessel containing methane at 60 bara pressure and
20 oC. Assume ideal gas behaviour with the ratio of the specific heat capacities, Cp/Cv =
1.307. The discharge coefficient, Cd = 0.8 and the ambient pressure = 1.01 bara.

[15 marks]

b) a 60 mm diameter hole in the side of a tank containing liquid methane at atmospheric

pressure and -165 oC. Assume incompressible liquid behaviour and that the liquid level in the
tank is 20 m above the hole prior to its failure. The discharge coefficient, Cd = 0.61.

[15 marks]

2. You are performing a quantified risk assessment of a process facility, and have decided that the
major accident events which could occur and could in turn affect offsite populations are presented
by the following four scenarios:

Event Frequency (/year) N value (fatalities)

Pipeline Flash Fire 8 x 10-4 40
Pipeline Jet Fire 1 x 10-3 100
Explosion Overpressure 2 x 10-4 5
Ammonia Vapour Cloud 3 x 10-2 15

a) Calculate the total Expectation Value associated with offsite events for the facility.
[10 marks]
b) Using the Expectation Value for the individual events, prioritise these and state where you
should spend your resources on risk mitigation. [10 marks]

c) Draw the FN curve for these events. [15 marks]

3. Draw a Bow tie diagram for the accidental release of a flammable, toxic gas from a high
temperature pressurised vessel [11 marks] indicating three examples each of the following in the
same diagram:

a) Hazards [6 marks]
b) Preventive measures [6 marks]
c) Mitigating measures [6 marks]
d) Consequences [6 marks]