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A key element in the development of a comprehensive process hazards management program is the ability to accurately model the extent of hazard zones that would result from releases of toxic or flammable fluids.
Quest's engineers recognized the need for consequence models many years ago and responded by assembling a library of complex vapor dispersion, fire radiation, and explosion overpressure models. In addition, we have developed models for multi-component thermodynamics, multi-phase fluid release behavior, and liquid pool formation and vaporization that provide much of the front-end information required by the consequence models.
Quest can provide the expertise and perform your consequence analysis for you, or this integrated collection of models is available as a software package, CANARY by Quest®.
Consequence Analysis Applications
Offsite Emergency Response
CANARY can predict the maximum extent of potentially injurious hazard zones that would result from releases of toxic or flammable fluids. Such information can be:
- integrated into a facility's emergency response plans,
- used by local and area emergency response groups when they are planning for, or responding to, emergency situations, or
- summarized in a pre-planned emergency response tool prepared by Quest, the "Community Response Guidelines Notebook," which provides emergency responders with the basic information they need in order to respond to emergencies quickly and effectively.
Onsite Emergency Response
CANARY can predict toxic hazards to employees and thermal and overpressure hazards to employees, plant equipment, and buildings. This information can be used to establish onsite emergency response plans, define areas where access should be restricted, or aid in defining safe evacuation routes and employee assembly points.
Location of Plant Buildings
API RP 752 requires the use of consequence models to determine if critical plant buildings are located and constructed such that they provide adequate protection to occupants of the buildings.
Location and Height of Plant Flares
API RP 521 presents a rudimentary fire radiation model for use in determining the extent of potentially hazardous areas around flares. The flare radiation model in CANARY is more advanced than the API's simple point source model, and has been validated by comparing its predictions with published data from flare radiation experiments.
LNG and LPG Facility Siting
NFPA 59A, 49 CFR 193, IP Part 9, and EN-1473 codes either require or recommend the use of consequence models to ensure that new LNG and LPG facilities are adequately separated from the public. The fire radiation and vapor dispersion models in CANARY can easily handle all the required calculations.
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