Quantifying release rates during loss of primary containment

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The transportation and storage of potentially hazardous fluids occurs in nearly all industrial processingfacilities. Loss of primary containment (LOPC) is a risk associated with each processing step that can bereduced through proper engineering and management practices, but that cannot be eliminated completely. Toquantify the risk posed by a certain processing step, it is important to be able to accurately predict the quantityof hazardous fluids that would be released as well as their fate in the environment if a loss of containment wereto occur. Prosaris Consulting Ltd. is a Nova Scotia based consulting company that specializes in thedevelopment of loss prevention and risk management programs in the process industries, and in helping theseindustries promote and maintain a robust process safety culture. Currently, Prosaris is developing a softwaretool that will make the assessment of risks posed by LOPC more efficient. This software tool will provide thecritical link between the known process/plant layout, operating conditions, LOPC scenarios, and key processsafety metrics/indicators. One key component of this software will be its ability to quantify the release rates ofhazardous fluids during an LOPC event.The goal of this research project is to develop a validated modeling methodology and simulation environmentthat can be used to quantify release rates and quantities during LOPC scenarios. The modeling methodologywill be developed using currently available best practices and state-of-the-art methods, with specificmodifications for the application. The methodology will then be integrated into a simulation environment andvalidated through comparison with experimental release data. By partnering with Dalhousie University,Prosaris will be able to take advantage of the available expertise in process modeling and fluid dynamicssimulation. This will result in the generation of new knowledge in advanced modeling and simulation methods,the transfer of expertise to the private sector, the training of highly qualified personnel, and the development ofa technology with commercialization potential.