Industrial Fires and Explositions and Environmental Degradation

Recommended Prerequisites

Fire Dynamics; Fire Risk Analysis, Fire Safety in Industrial Plants.

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

Discuss potential scenarios that could lead to fire and/or explosions in industrial plants, allowing students to understand the physical and chemical phenomena associated with gas and dust explosions and to estimate thermal charge of the plants and the effects of explosions on structures, people and environment. Discuss risk assessment methods for fires and explosions in industrial plants and the applied rules and norms used in fire and explosions prevention and environment protection, to provide skills to expertise potential situations for serious accidents.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Chemistry and physics of combustion and explosion.

2. Type of accidents in industrial processes.

3. Materials and assessment methods to quantify thermal charge inside industrial plants.

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 on explosion characteristics, regime and effect.

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

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

8. Fire prevention and explosion protection.

9. Regulations and standards on ATEX and environmental protection.

Head Lecturer(s)

José Carlos Miranda Góis

Assessment Methods

assessment
Problem solving reports: 20.0%
Report about industrial case scenarios with explosion potential: 30.0%
Midterm Exam or Exam: 50.0%

Bibliography

1. Daniel  A. Crowl, Joseph Louvar, 2002. Chemical Process Safety: Fundamentals with Applications; 2^nd Edition, Prentice Hall International 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 Publishing 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 Investigation; 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 Publications, 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.

Decretos-lei e directivas.