PREVENTING FIRES AT LIQUID OXYGEN STORAGE FACILITIES

Abstract

Liquid oxygen is a highly flammable gas that is used in a variety of industries, including medicine and manufacturing. It is stored in cryogenic tanks, which are designed to keep the oxygen at a low temperature and pressure. However, if a leak occurs, the liquid oxygen can vaporize and ignite, posing a serious fire hazard. This study investigated the risk of fire at a liquid oxygen storage site in the absence of a tray under the cryogenic tank. A fire simulation was conducted using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The results showed that the absence of a tray significantly increased the risk of fire. The oxygen vapors were able to pool on the ground, creating a large flammable area. In addition, the heat from the fire would have caused the liquid oxygen to vaporize even faster, further increasing the risk of fire. The findings of this study highlight the importance of using trays under cryogenic tanks to prevent fire hazards. Trays help to contain the oxygen vapors and prevent them from pooling on the ground. They also help to absorb the heat from a fire, which can help to slow the spread of the fire.