Photos placed in horizontal position with even amount of white space between photos and header Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND NO. 2011-XXXXP Crude Oil Characterization Research Study Presentation to Committee for a Study of Domestic Transportation of Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Ethanol NAS Building May 12, 2016 Presented by Anay Luketa, Ph.D. Fire Science and Technology Department Sandia National Laboratories Unclassified Unlimited Release
Transcript
Photos placed in horizontal position with even amount
of white space between photos
and header
Photos placed in horizontal position
with even amount of white space
between photos and header
Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND NO. 2011-XXXXP
Crude Oil Characterization Research Study
Presentation to
Committee for a Study of Domestic Transportation of Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Ethanol
NAS Building May 12, 2016
Presented by Anay Luketa, Ph.D.
Fire Science and Technology Department Sandia National Laboratories
Unclassified Unlimited Release
Outline
Problem Statement and Objectives
Project Governance and Workflow
Overview of Task 2 – Task 3 Testing
Potential Hazards from a Crude Oil Rail Car Breach
Project Management Contacts and Publications
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PROBLEM STATEMENT Technical Objectives
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Problem Statement Crude transport by rail poses
risks recognized by US and Canadian regulators
Hazards have been realized in a number of high-profile train derailments leading to oil spills, environmental contamination, fire, property damage, and fatalities
Open debate on whether the types of crude (tight oil vs. conventional production) have significant bearing on severity of transportation accidents
Casselton, ND, Dec 30, 2013
TSBC (2014). "Runaway and Main-Track Derailment Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway Freight Train Lac-Megantic, Quebec 06 July 2013." R13D0054.
DOE/DOT Project Objectives Determine what combinations of sample capture and analysis
methods are suitable for characterizing selected physical properties of volatile crudes
Evaluate selected physical properties of crude oils (tight vs. conventional production) that are moved within rail transport environment that may have some bearing on flammability risks
Measure combustion properties (flame dimensions, surface emissive power) of selected crude oils (tight vs. conventional) in controlled burn scenarios that have bearing on hazard determination
Compare combustion properties to existing published data on other flammable liquids, including methanol, ethanol, jet fuel, hexane
Evaluate if selected tight oils exhibit measurably different combustion properties from conventional crudes and the reference fluids tested previously
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PROJECT GOVERNANCE
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US Department of
Energy
US Department of
Transportation
Sandia National
Laboratories
UND Energy & Environmental
Research Center
Allen Energy Services, Inc. GRAM, Inc.
Crude Oil Analytical Service Companies
Transport Canada
Crude Oil Research Coordination Steering Committee
Direct $ Direct $ In-kind sampling, analysis, data transfer.
Technical Lead Lab
Technical Services
Project Governance
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Literature Survey
Sampling and
Analysis Plan
• Task 1: Analyze existing data
• Task 2: Sampling and analytical method evaluation
• Task 3: Combustion experiments and modeling
• Task 4: Crude characterization, tight vs. conventional
• Task 5: Railcar combustion testing and modeling
• Task 6: Comprehensive oil characterization
• Utilize knowledge gained during prior phases to inform decisions on:
Industry best practices Standards Regulations
Problem Definition Phase Completed
Experimental Phase Current/future SNL future work scope
Implementation Phase All stakeholders
Public outreach API: American Petroleum Institute COQA: Crude Oil Quality Association CCQTA: Canadian Crude Quality Technical Association
ASTM: ASTM International Standards GPA: Gas Processors Association SPR: Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Phase I Phase II Phase III
Peer review
Peer review
Overall Project Workflow
Phase III
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Literature Survey
Sampling and
Analysis Plan
• Task 1: Analyze existing data
• Task 2: Sampling and analytical method evaluation
• Task 3: Combustion experiments and modeling
• Task 4: Crude characterization, tight vs. conventional
• Task 5: Railcar combustion testing and modeling
• Task 6: Comprehensive oil characterization
• Utilize knowledge gained during prior phases to inform decisions on:
Industry best practices Standards Regulations
Problem Definition Phase Completed
Experimental Phase Current/future SNL future work scope
Implementation Phase All stakeholders
Public outreach API: American Petroleum Institute COQA: Crude Oil Quality Association CCQTA: Canadian Crude Quality Technical Association
ASTM: ASTM International Standards GPA: Gas Processors Association SPR: Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Phase I Phase II Phase III
Peer review
Peer review
Overall Project Workflow
Phase III
Completed Current Scope
Possible Future Work
Possible Future Implementation
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High-Level Project Schedule, Phase II
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TESTING OVERVIEW Crude Oil Property and Combustion Tests
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Task 2 Overview
Compare sample capture and analysis methods for two selected North American crude oils Prefer upstream production or tank terminals handling tight oils
Sandia National Laboratories and Transport Canada will administer parallel tests using a variety of sample capture and analysis methods
Critical review of open vs. closed capture and applicability for use on minimally stabilized oils for measuring: Crude vapor pressure VPCRx(T) at selected V/L and temperatures Pressurized GC light ends concentration Unpressurized GC DHA and simulated distillation Unpressurized physical property measurements MW, SG, viscosity IBP based on 0.5 wt% determination
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Task 2 Test Matrix
• Test matrix will be performed on two minimally stabilized North American crudes
• Objective is to compare multiple methods on a homogeneous sample
• Note: Oil variability across production regions or supply chain is addressed in Task 4, not Task 2
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Task 3 Overview
Subject four selected North American crudes to basic property and controlled burn testing
Span a range from tight oils (Bakken, Eagle Ford) with high visibility, to baseline light sweet (WTI, LLS), to specially-stabilized crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Compare results against existing hydrocarbon liquid combustion test data
Task 4 Sampling and Analysis of Tight and Conventional Oils
Develop a comprehensive data set that characterizes multiple crude oil types − Illustrate differences in crude oil properties and composition − Support combustion property modeling efforts − Enable prioritization of future crude characterization based on
geography, environmental conditions, well life, and supply chain.
Acquire samples using methods developed in Task 2 Conduct comprehensive crude oil analysis
POTENTIAL HAZARDS FROM A CRUDE OIL RAIL CAR BREACH
Combustion related events
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Overview of Potential Hazards
Tank rupture
non-BLEVE BLEVE
• Fireball • High speed
projectiles • Overpressures
Delayed ignition
Immediate ignition
Pool fire
Flash fire
Vapor cloud explosion
Detonation Deflagration
Flare
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Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion Commonly accepted definition for BLEVE:
‘an explosion resulting from the failure of a vessel containing a liquid at a temperature significantly above its boiling point at normal atmospheric pressure’. (Center for Chemical Process Safety, 1994) Note the word ‘explosion’ refers to a mechanical explosion.
Initiated by pool fire impinging on a tank increasing its temperature and pressure causing tank to rupture. Liquid in superheated state and hence large energy released in the form of a rapid phase change expansion.
Tank will fragment into pieces forming projectiles that travel at high speeds and can be thrown large distances (~1 km). These provide the greatest range of hazard impact.
Shock waves from BLEVE can lead to damaging overpressures but will not be the dominant hazard at far distances.
Simultaneously the liquid/vapors are ignited to form a spherical partially pre-mixed flame termed a fireball.
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Fireballs
Fireball length and time scales are correlated with mass of fuel involved. Correlations are of the form L = aMb
L can represent diameter, height (center to ground), or duration a and b are empirical constants M is mass of fuel
Surface emissive power ranges between about 100 – 400 kW/m2 based on experiment.
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Behavior of Pool Fires
Pool fires are burning liquids classified as as low-momentum, highly buoyant diffusion flames.
Behavior changes with size and shape of pool (e.g. level of turbulence, soot production, burn rate, and flame height).
Wind and surrounding geometry can significantly affect the behavior.
Water can also affect behavior.
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Dispersion of Vapors
If not immediately ignited after a spill, vapors can propagate freely in the open or into confined or semi-confine areas such as nearby infrastructure.
If vapors reach an ignition source, a flash fire or explosion can occur depending on level of confinement of the vapors and number of obstacles.
Flash fire is the burning of a vapor cloud without damaging overpressures.
Explosions do result in damaging overpressures and can be classified as either a deflagration or detonation.
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Chemical Explosions
Deflagration: Reaction front moves at a speed less than the speed of sound and typically produces overpressures on the order of 0.1 bar.
Detonation: Reaction front moves at a speed greater than the speed of sound (~2000 – 3000 m/s) and produces overpressures of up to around 20 bars.
Deflagration-to-Detonation Transition (DDT): Deflagration transitioning to a detonation. Unconfined vapor cloud detonation is difficult to achieve without a high-explosive.
DDT can occur when a combustible fuel-air mixture is confined or semi-confined (presence of buildings, obstacles, etc.)
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How are combustion events related to flammability classification?
Flammability classification is useful for operational handling.
In crash scenarios, however, the most probable outcome will be the production of very high energy sources to cause ignition, far exceeding any hydrocarbon flammability classification threshold.
Ignition potential is influenced by several factors.
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Ignition
Ignition is a function of chemical kinetics, heat and mass transfer.
Too much heat loss will not allow sustained burning.
Insufficient mixing of fuel and oxidant will not allow sustained burning.
Difficulty with prediction lies in knowledge of detailed chemical reactions, as well as solving the fundamental equations that span all of the time and length scales necessary to capture the chemical kinetics, heat and mass transfer.
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Flammability No single parameter defines the degree of flammability, but some relevant parameters include: Flashpoint - Temperature that results in a vapor
concentration corresponding to the lower flammability limit. (principle index of flammability)
Flammability limits – range of vapor concentration in air that will support combustion termed lower flammability limit (LFL) and upper flammability limit (UFL)
Auto-ignition temperature – minimum temperature at which a fuel-air flammable mixture spontaneously ignites.
Minimum ignition energy – minimum energy required to ignite a flammable fuel-air mixture
Burning velocity – Velocity at which a gaseous fuel-air mixture issuing from a burner burns back to the burner
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Flammability
A fuel is considered more flammable with a
− lower flashpoint − wider range of flammability limits − lower auto-ignition temperature − lower minimum ignition energy − higher maximum burning velocity
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PROJECT CONTACTS AND PUBLICATIONS
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Project Sponsor Contacts
U.S. Department of Energy Evan Frye Office of Fossil Energy, Office of Oil & Natural Gas [email protected], 202-586-3827
U.S. Department of Transportation Joseph Nicklous Office of Hazardous Materials Safety Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [email protected], 202-366-4545
Transport Canada Barbara Di Bacco Transport Dangerous Goods Directorate [email protected], 613-990-5883
Lord, D., A. Luketa, C. Wocken, S. Schlasner, R. Allen and D. Rudeen (2015). "Literature Survey of Crude Properties Relevant to Handling and Fire Safety in Transport." Unlimited Release SAND2015-1823. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185.
SNL (2015). "Crude Oil Characteristics Sampling, Analysis and Experiment (SAE) Plan." Office of Fossil Energy. U.S. Department of Energy, http://energy.gov/fe/articles/crude-oil-characteristics-research. 9-Jul-2015.
