Simulation analysis on the hazardous of vinyl chloride leakage - a practical example from Kaohsiung industrial park.

• Main Authors: Chang, Chih-Ming, 張智銘
• Other Authors: Yu, Wu-Chou
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/00517801405415184189

碩士 === 國立屏東科技大學 === 環境工程與科學系所 === 104 === Leaked propylene from pipelines resulted in the 2014 gas explosion incident in Kaohsiung, one of the crucial hubs for the petrochemical industry in Taiwan. Hazardous chemical spills and related hazard risks are on the rise. This study investigates the extent of influence vinyl chloride leakage bears on neighboring regions in terms of distance under various seasonal, wind velocity, temperature, and spill volume effects. The Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmosphere free software developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency is employed to export and overlay the results onto the Taiwan Geospatial One Stop portal to investigate the potential worst-case severity of leakages on neighboring regions. This study examines a typical petrochemical plant in Linyuan District of Kaohsiung City. A scenario is simulated in which the plant equipment malfunctions and safety and containment measures fail during a vinyl chloride gas leak. Subsequently, the evacuation zone surrounding the plant and the plant’s internal emergency response procedures are examined for formulating appropriate and accurate emergency response organizational and rescue operations related to leakage accidents. The simulation settings are as follows: a worst-case scenario in a winter environment involving a wind velocity of 1.4 m/s, an outdoor temperature of 20.5 °C, a relative humidity of 67%, and an atmospheric stability of Stability Class E; 5 storage tanks filled up to 80% of the full storage volume; and a 5,769-metric ton vinyl chloride liquid leakage through an 8-inch rupture. The simulation results show under the Level 3 Emergency Response Planning Guideline (ERPG) concentration of < 20,000 ppm for vinyl chloride, a known human carcinogen, the hazardous range covered all regions within a radius of 1.7 km from the plant, in which all personnel within these regions must be evacuated. Under the ERPG-2 concentration of < 5,000 ppm, the hazard region covered a 3.7 km radius, for which evacuation plans should be developed. This study suggests that relevant governmental agencies and plants whose operations involve highly toxic materials should establish real-time reporting systems for alerting neighboring residents when a leakage occurs; this will facilitate initial rescue efficacy and provide hazard containment mechanisms to ensure the safety of residents living downwind from the accident site.