Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 23 March 1979:
Vol. 203. no. 4386, pp. 1263 - 1265
DOI: 10.1126/science.203.4386.1263
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Possible Mechanism for Pressurized-Liquid Tank Explosions or BLEVE's

ROBERT C. REID 1

1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139

The hypothesis is made that rapid depressurization of hot, saturated liquids may result in an explosion. The temperature of the hot liquid must, however, be above the superheat limit temperature at 1 atmosphere, and the drop in tank pressure must be very rapid. Two examples of large-scale pressure-letdown explosions are cited and possible preventative measures suggested.

Submitted on August 25, 1978
Revised on December 11, 1978


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Quantitative Evaluation of "Bleve" Hazards.
R. W. Prugh (1991)
Journal of Fire Protection Engineering 3, 9-24
   Abstract »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)