Fire Safety in Industrial Buildings

Recommended Prerequisites

Fire Dynamics; Fire Risk Analysis.

Teaching Methods

Lectures

The methodology is oriented to the motivation of students to learn more about the subjects discussed and to provide materials in an intelligible from to the student. Audiovisual media in digital format as the projection of images and movies are used for lectures.

Theoretical and Practical

The methodology used for theoretical and practical problem solving has as target to promote discussion to reach conclusions.

Study Visits

To consolidate the knowledge acquired in class students are invited to visit an industrial unit and the Laboratory of Energetic and Detonics.

Learning Outcomes

To provide the main concepts as to characterize the main energetic materials used in the industry and the potential scenarios that could lead to fire or explosions; make students to understand the physical and chemical phenomena associated with gas and dust explosions and to quantify the effects of explosions on structures and people, as well as to apply risk assessment methods for fires and explosions in industrial processes and to apply specific rules to prevent the formation of explosive atmospheres.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. General concepts about chemistry and physics of combustion and explosion.

2. Type of accidents in industrial processes: causes, losses, sequential phases of development of the accidents, historical cases.

3. Characterization of energetic materials.

4. Physical and chemical processes associated with industrial accidents: liquid spillage, leakage of steam, steaming liquid.

5. Fires and explosions: ignition sources, explosive atmospheres and characteristic parameters, environmental factors influences on explosion characteristics, explosion regimes and effects.

6. Explosion of gases and vapours: flammability limits of gases and vapours, factors that influence flammability limits of gases and vapours, factors that influence the regime and explosion violence, assessing of gas explosion effect in industrial plant.

7. Dust explosion: mechanisms of dust explosions, factors that influences dust explosion, dust explosion characteristics.

8. Fire prevention and explosion protection: role and responsibility for staff, prevention measures against fire and explosion scenarios.

9. Regulations and standards for explosive atmospheres.

Head Lecturer(s)

José Carlos Miranda Góis

Assessment Methods

Continuous
Troubleshooting reports: 20.0%
Research report on industrial cases with potential explosion scenarios: 30.0%
Frequency or Exam: 50.0%

Bibliography

1. Daniel A. Crowl, Joseph Louvar, 2002. Chemical Process Safety: Fundamentals with Appl.; 2^nd Ed., Prentice Hall Int. Series, ISBN 0130181765.

2. Baker W. E., Cox, P. A., Westine, P. S., Kulesz, J. J., Strehlow, R. A., 1983. Explosion hazards and evaluation; Elsevier Science Publ. Company, ISBN 0-444-42094-0.

3. Frank T. Bodurtha, 1980. Industrial Explosion Prevention and Protection; Mc Graw-Hill Book Company, ISBN 0070063591.

4. John D. DeHaaan, 2002. Kirk’s Fire Invest.; 5th Edition, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-060458-5

5. Michael L. Donahue, 2002. Safety and Health Guidelines for Fire and Explosion Investigators; Fire Protection Pub., ISBN 087939207X.

6. ISHST, 2006. Segurança e saúde dos trabalhadores expostos a atmosferas explosivas: Guia de Boas Práticas; ISHST, ISBN 989-8076-00-3

7. Heinrich Groh, 2004. Explosion Protection; Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, ISBN 0750647779.

8. Roy E. Sanders, 1999. Chemical Process Safety: Learning from Case Histories; Butterworth Heinemann, ISBN 0750670223.