Development of Advanced CFD Tools for Enhanced Prediction of Explosion Pressure Development in Early Project Phase and Deflagration to Detonation Transition Risk on US GOM Drilling and Production Facilities 12121-6403-01 Scott Davis GexCon US 1 Ultra-Deepwater Floating Facilities and Risers & Systems Engineering TAC meeting January 22, 2015 Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council Boardroom, Sugar Land, TX rpsea.org
Objectives o Vapor cloud explosions (VCEs) are one of the most dangerous and high-consequence events than can occur on offshore facilities o Two main factors prevent safer designs: Lack of validated design tools to predict deflagration-to-detonation transition Lack of detailed geometry information in early design phase o The objective of this project is to: Improve and validate tools necessary to predict high-consequence events Provide a guidance document to facility owners and designers 2
Project Deliverables o Provide enhanced analytical and CFD (FLACS) tools to predict explosion consequences validated at the large scale for various congestion levels, including onset of DDT and active mitigation o Provide a summary of anticipated congestion method (ACM) validation against Gulf of Mexico (GOM) topsides facilities o Provide a draft industry guidance document and recommended practices for explosion risk for GOM topsides 3
4 Procedure
Project Timeline Phase 1 Task Title 1.0 Project Management Plan 2.0 Technology Status Assessment (TSA) 3.0 Technology Transfer Routine Reports and Other 4.0 Activities Technical Tasks Phase Technical Requirements and 1 Basis of Design Development Concept Development, 5.0 Design, and Testing Experimental Test Plan 5.1 Development ACM Model Plan 5.2 Development Months after September 2014 (Contract Award) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910111213141516171819202122232425 Complete project management plan Complete TSA Finalize technology transfer program Complete Concept Report Complete Roadmap to close the technology gaps 5 6.0 Large Scale Experiments 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Detailed Large Scale Test Facility Design Large Scale Test Facility Modifications Large Scale Test Facility Setup Conduct Large Scale Experiments 6.5 Data Analysis and Reporting 7.0 Computational Modeling Finalize facility design Complete facility modifications Complete test setup Complete large scale mitigation testing Complete large scale testing Finish data analysis Complete tests matrix calculations Preliminary Model Validation
Specific Deliverables o Documents Delivered to RPSEA Project Management Plan Technology Status Assessment Technology Transfer Plan Concept Report o Upcoming Deliverables/Milestones Finalize Facility Design (January 31 st ) Concept Report to Close the Technological Gaps (February 28 th ) Complete Facility Modification (February 28 th ) Complete Test Facility Setup (March 31 st ) 6
Updates - Task 5: Concept Development, Design, and Testing Procedures o Literature Review Review of previous experiments Health and Safety Executive, BFETS experiments British Gas Research & Technology, 45m rig British Gas, Project MERGE Shell Global Solutions, Ethane Experiments British Gas, Midlands Experiments Experiments performed with Propane On the cusp of DDT o Adding slightly more length or congestion will achieve DDT 7
Updates - Task 5: Concept Development, Design, and Testing Procedures o FLACS Rig Design Experiments At the time of presentation nearly 1,000 CFD simulations have been performed with three fuels (methane, propane, ethylene). These evaluated L/V (packing density) V obs /V (volume blockage ratio) A s /V (surface are to volume ratio) Varied geometry parameters included Pipe diameter (6 configurations) Pipe spacing (2 configurations) Row spacing (3 configurations) Pipe orientation (3 configurations) 8
Updates - Task 5: Concept Development, Design, and Testing Procedures o Sample rig design units o Approximately 100 total geometries evaluated 9 0.05m pipe 1d pipe spacing 0.5m row spacing Horizontal orientation 0.2m pipe 2d pipe spacing 0.5m row spacing Alternating orientation
Updates - Task 5: Concept Development, Design, and Testing Procedures o Rig Design Results Strong relationships between overpressure and Pipe diameter Pipe spacing Row spacing Fuel type No strong correlation between overpressure and Pipe orientation DDT Likely for many geometry configurations with propane and ethylene DDT may be difficult for methane 10 o No strong relationship between overpressure and traditional congestion parameters (L/V, A s /V, V obs /V)
Updates - Task 5: Concept Development, Design, and Testing Procedures PMAX DPDX 11 Proposed Rig Base 1 congestion Ethylene Edge Ignition Proposed Rig Base 2 congestion Ethylene Edge Ignition
Updates - Task 5: Concept Development, Design, and Testing Procedures 12 Proposed Rig Base 1 congestion Ethylene Edge Ignition
Updates - Task 5: Concept Development, Design, and Testing Procedures 13 Proposed Rig Base 2 congestion Ethylene Edge Ignition
Updates - Task 6: Large-Scale Experiments 14 SRI CHES Facility Overview
Updates - Task 6: Large-Scale Experiments Subtask 6.1 Test Facility Design Rigs 12 ft. 24ft Wide 180ft Long 2 Modules Wide 15 Modules Long 12 ft. 12 ft. 15
Updates - Task 6: Large-Scale Experiments Subtask 6.1 Test Facility Design Rig Pipe Design Close Up o Evaluating strength of rig and brackets o Evaluating the best pipe layout for congestion levels 16
Updates - Task 6: Large-Scale Experiments Subtask 6.1 Test Facility Design Facility Safety Evaluation Example Worst-Case explosion 17 Ethylene, Edge Ignition
Updates - Task 6: Large-Scale Experiments Subtask 6.1 Test Facility Design Facility Safety Evaluation Example Worst-Case explosion Ethylene, Edge Ignition 18
Updates - Task 6: Large-Scale Experiments Subtask 6.2 Test Facility Modifications Proposed site access road and test facility modification 19
Updates - Task 6: Large-Scale Experiments Subtask 6.2 Test Facility Modifications Access road progress as of October 24 th, 2014 20
Updates Project Financials 21 Total project costs as of December 31 st, 2015 (one December subcontractor invoice yet to be received)
Updates Project Financials Total technology transfer costs as of December 31 st, 2015 22
Updates Project Financials 23 Total cost share contributions received as of December 31 st, 2015
Thank you! Questions? 24
Contacts Principal Investigator: Scott Davis GexCon US sgdavis@gexcon.com 301-915-9940 Project Manager: Rick Baker NETL richard.baker@netl.doe.gov 304-285-4714 25 Technical Coordinator: Bill Head RPSEA bhead@rpsea.org 281-313-9555