doi:10.3850/978-981-08-7724-8_01-04

ABSTRACT

It is generally accepted that the ignition of a vapour cloud that engulfs process pipework congestion can lead to a vapour cloud explosion as a result of flame acceleration through the congested region. However, the Buncefield incident in 2005 involved a significant vapour cloud explosion on a site that had little pipe work congestion and therefore it is important to carry out further investigation to determine why substantial overpressures were generated. Fortunately for this investigation, a large quantity of evidence was available related to the explosion. This evidence has been used to determine if the known explosion mechanisms of deflagration and detonation can provide an explanation for the vapour cloud explosion. The investigation included detailed modelling of the explosion development, with the conclusion that a deflagration along a long line of trees and undergrowth, leading to a deflagration to detonation transition, is consistent with the observed evidence.

Keywords: Buncefield, Explosion, DDT, Detonation, CFD.

© 2011 CPD Unit, University of Leeds