CFD Simulation Models and Diffusion Models for Predicting Carbon Dioxide Plumes following Tank and Pipeline Ruptures—Laboratory Test and a Real-World Case Study

John Abraham (), Lijing Cheng and John Gorman
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John Abraham: School of Engineering, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA
Lijing Cheng: Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
John Gorman: School of Engineering, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-22

Abstract: Ruptures of pipelines can result in dangerous fluids spreading toward populated areas. It is critical for designers to have tools that can accurately predict whether populated areas might be within a plume rupture zone. Numerical simulations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are compared here with experimental and real-world carbon dioxide ruptures. The experimental data were used to validate the computer model; subsequently, the algorithm was used for a real-world rupture from 2020 that occurred in the USA. From experiments, CFD predictions were superior to diffusion model results based on measurements made downstream of the release (within 1% concentration). Results from the real-world simulation confirm that a nearby town was in a plume pathway. Citizens in the town sought medical attention consistent with the calculated plume concentrations. CFD predictions of the airborne concentration of carbon dioxide in the town approximately 1 mile (1.5 km) downstream of the rupture reveal time-averaged concentrations of ~5%. One person was unconscious for ~45 min at a distance of 0.6 miles from the rupture site; other unconscious persons were in the center of the town (~1 mile from the rupture site) and ~1.2 miles from the rupture. These reports are in excellent agreement with the calculated plume concentrations in the region.

Keywords: computational fluid dynamics; pipeline rupture; plume modeling; pipeline safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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