Physical-and-chemical calculations of safe mode of propane transportation

• Published in: Journal of physics. Conference series Vol. 2094; no. 5; pp. 52056 - 52061
• Main Authors: Katansky, A A, Zhuravleva, N G, Pankratova, M E, Pastushkova, M A, Trotsenko, A A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 01.11.2021
• ISSN: 1742-6588; 1742-6596
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/2094/5/052056

Abstract The key criteria used to assess fire-and-explosive hazard of any facility are: flash point, self-ignition temperature and minimum ignition energy. This article addresses how fire-and-explosive hazard criteria can be used to forecast emergency situations while transporting great quantities of flammable substance – propane, based upon ambient environment temperature. Calculations that were made have led to a conclusion that fire-and-explosive safety concentration mode for propane handling will be: lower concentration value is equal to 1.27 % or under than that value; upper concentration value is equal to 13.96 % or greater than that value. When selecting safe transportation and storage conditions for self-igniting combustible substances, great attention is given to relationship between environment, mass of substance transported and time-period to spontaneous ignition. For propane, the safe self-ignition temperature is deemed to be less than 360°C. Calculations for theoretical experiment regarding propane transportation were made based upon three critical temperature values: 1) 25 °C+10 °C - initial starting point when ambient temperature is 25 °C (roadway temperature is disregarded because ambient temperature is not high enough); 2) 60 °C+10 °C – point of arrival where ambient temperature is 60 °C; 3) 470 °C – propane self-ignition temperature. This helped us to figure out that propane can be stored and transported safely if the minimal electric ignition source is under 4 *10 −6 Joule .