What studies can be supported by FLACS?

FLACS is an advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool designed to model a wide range of industrial hazards. It is widely used in process safety, risk management, and regulatory compliance. FLACS can support multiple types of safety studies across various industries, including oil and gas, chemicals, energy, hydrogen, and emerging clean technologies. Some examples include:

Risk Assessments

FLACS can be used as part of quantitative risk assessments. By simulating a variety of scenarios and analysing their frequency, FLACS provides insights into:

• Gas dispersion and accumulation in enclosed and open environments.

• Explosion overpressure effects on structures and equipment.

• Jet fires, pool fires, and their impact on personnel and facilities.

• Escalation potential in complex facilities.

These assessments inform risk-based decision-making and compliance with industry safety standards.

Consequence Modelling

FLACS is extensively used to model the consequences of fires, explosions, and toxic releases. It provides:

• High-fidelity simulations of gas dispersion, considering atmospheric conditions, terrain, and ventilation.

• Explosion modelling, including vapour cloud explosions (VCEs) and confined or partially confined explosion scenarios.

• Fire modelling for radiation and flame spread predictions, including water deluge system impact.

These results help in safety design, operational planning, and mitigation strategy development.

Regulatory Compliance (e.g. COMAH, Seveso, ATEX, DSEAR, NFPA, API, IEC 60079-10-1)

FLACS supports regulatory submissions by providing scientifically validated results that demonstrate compliance with:

• Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations.

• Seveso III Directive for major accident hazard control.

• ATEX workplace and equipment directives.

• Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR).

• NFPA and API explosion protection guidelines.

Authorities accept FLACS results as part of safety case submissions, hazard studies, and incident investigations.

Facility Siting and Layout Optimisation

FLACS helps determine optimal facility layouts by evaluating:

• Safe separation distances between hazardous zones and occupied buildings.

• Influence of congestion and confinement on explosion severity.

• Ventilation effectiveness in mitigating flammable gas accumulation.

• Impact of mitigation measures such as barriers, water sprays, and blast walls.

This ensures safer plant design and minimises the risk of hazardous events.

Ventilation Studies

FLACS enables assessment and optimisation of ventilation in:

• Offshore installations and enclosed process areas.

• Tunnels, underground facilities, and confined spaces.

• Laboratories, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and hydrogen refuelling stations.

It ensures adequate airflow to prevent gas accumulation, reducing explosion risks and supporting hazardous area classification.

Fire and Gas Detector Mapping

FLACS can be used for optimising fire and gas detector layouts. It:

• Determines optimal detector placement based on leak and dispersion simulations.

• Evaluates coverage performance against industry standards (ISA TR 84.00.07, UKOOA, etc.).

• Helps reduce false alarms and enhance detection reliability.

This supports the design of robust fire and gas detection systems in process industries.

Structural Response Analysis

FLACS outputs can be used in structural response studies to:

• Assess blast loads on buildings, equipment, and piping.

• Evaluate the performance of protective structures such as blast walls and explosion-resistant buildings.

• Provide input for finite element analysis (FEA) of structural response.

This helps ensure that infrastructure can withstand explosion and fire hazards.

Incident Investigation and Forensic Analysis

FLACS is a powerful tool for reconstructing past incidents to determine root causes. It has been used in investigations such as:

• Buncefield, UK (2005) – Vapour cloud explosion due to overfilling of fuel tanks. FLACS simulations demonstrated how surrounding vegetation contributed to the high explosion pressures.

• Cidade São Mateus FPSO, Brazil (2015) – Pump room explosion on an offshore vessel. FLACS helped evaluate blast effects, gas dispersion, and ignition sources.

• West Fertilizer Company, USA (2013) – Ammonium nitrate explosion. FLACS was used to model the blast overpressures and airblast effects.

• Danvers, USA (2006) – Industrial vapour explosion. FLACS was used to model dispersion, ignition, and explosion dynamics.

• Skikda LNG Plant, Algeria (2004) – Vapour cloud explosion in an LNG facility. FLACS was used to understand the role of hydrocarbon leaks and ignition sources.

• Montcoal, USA (2010) – Underground mine explosion. FLACS helped analyse the methane and coal dust explosion sequence.

• TWA 800, USA (1996) – Explosion in the central fuel tank of a Boeing 747. FLACS simulations contributed to the understanding of ignition sources and explosion effects.

• Bayamón, Puerto Rico (2009) – Oil refinery explosion. FLACS assessed the explosion energy and blast impact.

By simulating accident scenarios, it provides evidence-based insights for improving safety measures and preventing future incidents.

Hydrogen Safety Studies

With the rise of hydrogen applications, FLACS is widely used for assessing hydrogen-related risks, including:

• Hydrogen dispersion in refuelling stations, tunnels, and confined spaces.

• Explosion risks in electrolysers and hydrogen storage facilities.

• Mitigation strategies, including ventilation and passive fire protection.

This supports the safe deployment of hydrogen as an energy carrier.

CFD in Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA)

FLACS can be integrated with QRA software, such as RISKCURVES, to provide more accurate consequence modelling data. This includes:

• Exporting explosion contours for risk contouring.

• Providing input to probabilistic explosion risk assessments.

• Enhancing traditional QRA models with physics-based CFD insights.

Energy Transition and Emerging Applications

As industries move toward decarbonisation, FLACS is increasingly used in:

• Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) risk assessments (e.g., CO2 dispersion and rupture analysis).

• Battery energy storage system (BESS) fire and explosion modelling.

• Offshore wind and floating LNG (FLNG) safety studies.

Conclusion

FLACS is a trusted tool for safety engineers, risk analysts, and regulatory bodies. It provides high-accuracy modelling capabilities that support a wide range of safety studies, enhancing risk management, compliance, and operational safety across multiple industries.