Dispersion of vapor from LNG spills: simulation in a meteorological wind tunnel of spills at China Lake Naval Weapons Center, California. Final report

Technical Report · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6623749

Neff, D E; Meroney, R N

Physical simulation of a series of four, six cubic meter Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) spills on water was provided by the Meteorological Wind Tunnel facilities at Colorado State University. Field data were collected from spills performed at Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, California, in Fall 1978. The simulation test series was to provide field test planning information, extend the value of a limited set of field measurements, and validate the concept of physical modeling of LNG plume dispersion as a predictive hazard analysis tool. Two test series were conducted to aid in placement of field concentration measurement instrumentation. The first utilized 1:170 scale model of the China Lake site in the Meteorological Wind Tunnel and the second utilized 1:85 scale model in the Environmental Wind Tunnel. Dispersion data collected in the four field tests at China Lake were extended in two test series conducted in the Environmental Wind Tunnel over a 1:85 scale model. The following results were obtained: (1) comparison between dispersion data for similar test parameters but at two different model scales, 1:85 and 1:170 produces similar concentration variation; (2) the China Lake surface roughness and topography causes the LNG vapor plume to disperse more rapidly than would be experienced over flat terrain; and (3) for the four simulated LNG field tests the arrival time, peak concentration, maximum peak, etc., have been tabulated; peak ground level concentration contours have been determined; and normalized peak concentration coefficients vs. downwind distance have been plotted.

• Research Organization: Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins (USA). Fluid Mechanics and Diffusion Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6623749
• Report Number(s): AD-A-084339
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030800* -- Natural Gas-- Environmental Aspects
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BOUNDARY LAYERS
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FLAMMABILITY
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GAS SPILLS
GASES
HAZARDS
LAYERS
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
MASS TRANSFER
NATURAL GAS
PLUMES
SCALE MODELS
SIMULATION
STRUCTURAL MODELS
TOPOGRAPHY
VAPORS