Dispersion analysis of a massive CO2 release from a CO2 carrier

Abstract

When a large amount of CO2 is released from a tank due to material or mechanical defects in a CO2 carrier, both humans and the carrier itself may be in serious danger. The released CO2 can damage the carrier because CO2 is released at a low temperature. In addition, the released CO2 can be hazardous to humans because it may cause an oxygen deficiency over a large area. Thus, if a detection system senses a CO2 leak from a storage tank, jettisoning and ventilation systems are both activated. The jettisoning system completes the evacuation of liquid CO2 from the defective tank, and the ventilation system vents the CO2 gas that has accumulated inside the ship to the outside. The impact of the released CO2 on humans depends on the stack location and the features of the jettisoning system and the ventilation system. To reduce the hazards associated with CO2 leaks, the location of the stack should be carefully chosen on the basis of multiple factors, such as the ship speed, the jettisoning rate, and the leakage rate. This study numerically investigates the dispersion of CO2 released by jettisoning and ventilation with respect to stack location, mass flow rate, and ship speed. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.