Risk Analysis of Vapour Cloud Explosions for Oil and Gas Facilities

This book focuses on describing and applying risk analysis of vapour cloud explosions (VCEs) in various oil and gas facilities, such as petrol stations, processing plants, and offshore platforms. Discussing most of the complicated features of gas explosion accidents, the book studies in detail the gas explosion risk analysis approaches of different oil and gas facilities in order to develop more accurate, detailed, efficient and reliable risk analysis methods for VCEs under different conditions. Moreover, it introduces an advanced overpressure approach to predict VCEs using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling, and details applications of CFD using a FLame ACceleration Simulator (FLACS). The book is intended for researchers and organisations engaged in risk and safety assessments of VCEs in the oil and gas industry.

Prof Guowei Ma obtained his BSc from Peking University, MEng from Xi’an Jiaotong University, China, and PhD from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is currently a Vice President and the Dean of School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, China. He is also a Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, the University of Western Australia (UWA). His research interests including smart infrastructure, analysis of discontinuous deformation, multiphysics simulation, disaster prevention and control of civil engineering structures. He is the Associate Editor of the International Journal of Protective Structures and an Editorial Board Member of another five International Journals. Prof Ma has co-authored three books published by the Springer and over 300 international journal and conference papers. He has been invited to deliver more than 30 keynote lectures in International Conferences/Symposiums/Workshops. ProfMa is currently the co-president of the Discontinuous Deformation Analysis Commission of the International Society for Rock Mechanics. In 2011, Prof Ma received the Second Prize of the State Natural Science Award of China. He was selected by the “Thousand Talents Program” of China in 2012. Prof Ma has been the President of Western Australia Chinese Scientists Association and Chair, the first Australia-China Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation.

Dr. Yimiao Huang is a research associate of civil and structural engineering at the University of Western Australia. He specializes in risk evaluation of vapour cloud explosion accidents occurring at oil and gas facilities. His current research focuses on life-cycle risk management and safety control of vented gas cloud explosions for underground utility tunnels. Dr. Huang has expertise in modelling and evaluating explosion risks by incorporating both qualitative and quantitative risk analysis methods.

Dr. Jingde Liis a Research Assistant working for Curtin University in the Centre of Infrastructural Monitoring and Protection (CIMP). His current research project is vented gas explosion analysis and far-field overpressure prediction. Dr. Li has a strong research background in development and improvement of explosion modelling methodology and application. He has expertise in evaluating and understanding of flammable and toxic gas dispersion, fires and explosions in relation to gas dynamics, flame propagation and detonation, etc.