COMPUTER AIDED PLANT LAYOUT

The advent of computer modeling is beginning to impact several aspects of plant layout fire and explosion protection considerations. In the case of special hazard isolation via spatial separation, models of flame radiation, blast waves from vapor cloud explosions, and flammable and toxic vapor dispersion are available with graphical output that can be used interactively with plot layout overlays. Most of the models are commercially available for use on personal computers, but the license fees can be expensive.

In some cases, the special hazard consequence models have been combined with accident prob-ability calculations to produce risk contours plots, i.e. contours representing the area in which the probability or frequency of a blast wave pressure or a vapor concentration exceeds some specified value. These contours can be used as a computer aided design tool to evaluate alternative plant layouts and plant sites (for example, Ramsey et al., 1982; and the AIChE Guidelines fr Chemical Process Quantitative Risk Analysis, 1989). The Institution of Chemical Engineers has developed a simplified design procedure for plot layout based on contour plotting (Mecklenburgh, 1982).

Analogous computer models have been developed for interior compartment fires. HAZARD I, developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Fire Research, is one such computer model that is now being used to explore alternative building and room layouts from the standpoint of fire resistance and successful escape and rescue. The applicability and accuracy of this and similar computer models is yet to be determined for most industrial fire scenarios.

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