- Author
- SubbaRao, L. D.
- Title
- Measurement of Vapor Concentrations in Heated Combustible Liquid Storage Tanks.
- Coporate
- Worcester Polytechnic Inst., MA
- Report
- Thesis, October 1996, 178 p.
- Keywords
- storage tanks | vapors | combustible liquids | fire tests | gas detectors | flash point | kerosene | fuel oils | experiments
- Identifiers
- trimethylbenzene; catalytic type combustible gas detector; bench top experiments; cargo tank mock-up experiments
- Abstract
- A seires of tests has been conducted with a catalytic type combustible gas detector. The detector was used to monitor vapor/gas concentrations in a heated 65 liter capacity heated storage tank containing various high flash point liquids. The detector's %LFL readings were low at all the temperatures tested. For example, at the liquid's flash point the following results were obtained. Liquid Flash Point (C) %LFL reading at flash point Kerosene 58 53-67 Fuel oil (Fresh) 95 38 Trimethylbenzene 48 55 Additional observations from the tank tests and from the GC-MS analysis of tank vapor sample include: (1) The vapor phase composition and the flash point of No. 6 Fuel oil change. The same No. 6 Fuel oi in the laboratory was found to have flash points of 95 deg C when it was fresh, 110 deg C when it aged and 132 deg C when it was repeatedly heated. (2) Light hydrocarbons like propane, butane and pentane can form in considerable quantities in the headspace of No. 6 fuel oil even at temperatures below the flash point. (3) A cool flame or some other sudden oxidation occurs in wall heated storge tanks of No. 6 fuel oil and tri-methylbenzene at temperatures comparable or slightly below the flash point.