Large-scale rapid phase-transition explosions
Conference
·
OSTI ID:6278216
When a cryogenic liquid such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) is suddenly heated, one of the results is a kind of explosive boiling that occurs with the rapid-phase-transition (RPT) from liquid to gas. Such RPT explosions can produce damaging energy releases. RPT explosions with detonation energy equivalents of several kilograms of TNT have occurred in the large-scale spill tests of LNG conducted during the past few years by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). In these tests, quantities of LNG from 5 to 40 m/sup 3/ were spilled onto water in a facility located at the Naval Weapons Center (NWC), China Lake, California. Although the main thrust of the spill tests was the study of dispersion and combustion of the gas cloud produced by the rapidly evaporating LNG, a strong secondary interest soon developed in the large and unexpected RPT explosions that occurred, some of which damaged the facility. In the 1981 experiments a special effort was made to investigate the RPT phenomenon by varying and measuring the physical parameters thought to be responsible for it. The results of the RPT experiments and observations at China Lake are presented and discussed here. Many of these results differ from those obtained in laboratory-scale experiments, indicating the presence of a scaling effect that is not yet understood. A critique of current cryogen/water RPT models is also presented, with special emphasis on their applicability to the large-scale spill results. 14 figures, 5 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 6278216
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-88688; CONF-830439-6; ON: DE83011887
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Effects of large-scale LNG/water RPT explosions
LNG spill experiments: dispersion, RPT, and vapor burn analysis
Coyote series data report LLNL/NWC 1981 LNG spill tests dispersion, vapor burn, and rapid-phase-transition. Volume 1. [7 experiments with liquefied natural gas, 2 with liquid methane, and one with liquid nitrogen]
Conference
·
Thu Apr 26 23:00:00 EST 1984
·
OSTI ID:6383764
LNG spill experiments: dispersion, RPT, and vapor burn analysis
Technical Report
·
Sat May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982
·
OSTI ID:5373001
Coyote series data report LLNL/NWC 1981 LNG spill tests dispersion, vapor burn, and rapid-phase-transition. Volume 1. [7 experiments with liquefied natural gas, 2 with liquid methane, and one with liquid nitrogen]
Technical Report
·
Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983
·
OSTI ID:5381934
Related Subjects
03 NATURAL GAS
030800* -- Natural Gas-- Environmental Aspects
033000 -- Natural Gas-- Properties & Composition
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DATA
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXPLOSIONS
FIELD TESTS
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GAS SPILLS
GASES
INFORMATION
LAKES
LIQUEFIED GASES
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS
NUMERICAL DATA
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SURFACE WATERS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TESTING
030800* -- Natural Gas-- Environmental Aspects
033000 -- Natural Gas-- Properties & Composition
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DATA
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXPLOSIONS
FIELD TESTS
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GAS SPILLS
GASES
INFORMATION
LAKES
LIQUEFIED GASES
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS
NUMERICAL DATA
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SURFACE WATERS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TESTING