Modelling Studies

Companies handling flammable and/or toxic materials are exposed to hazards during storage, transporting, and processing. As such, it is crucial to understand the consequences of a potential loss of containment of a hazardous event when performing a risk assessment.

Supported by various advanced modelling software tools, our team of highly experienced consultants can help you assess the consequences and risks associated with your potential hazards. Furthermore, we can help you define effective safety measures to prevent the loss of control of a hazardous event or to reduce potential risks to an acceptable level.

We develop and use the industry-standard Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool FLACS, to support us in performing various comprehensive studies for you.  FLACS is an advanced modeling tool that predicts consequences more accurately by including all contributing and mitigating effects. A better understanding and higher accuracy of results allow us to choose effective design options and mitigation measures and thereby enhance both safety and cost-effective solutions. Along with FLACS, our team is highly experienced in the use of empirical tools such as Shell’s FRED, Shepherd, PIPA, and Gexcon’s EFFECTS and RISKCURVES (formerly TNO).

 

 

One of the most severe hazards associated with flammable materials is the pressure caused by an explosion. Therefore, it is important to know the consequences of a potential explosion hazard on your facilities when performing a risk assessment.

 

We have extensively studied and evaluated the effects of various factors affecting the dynamics of an explosion: different fuel types (including mixtures), gas concentrations, ignition locations, levels of congestion, and confinement. Furthermore, the effects of mitigation barriers (e.g. water deluge or inert gas).

 

We can help you determine the risks associated with explosions for your facility and help you define sufficient safety measures to reduce consequences to an acceptable level in line with regulations. Also, assist you in evaluating the effects of adaptations or new designs to your installations in such a way that the risks from explosions are minimized or even eliminated.

 

We have extensive capabilities in the use of simplistic models approach like FRED or more detailed CFD analyses like FLACS to assess potentially hazardous consequences from explosions. Accordingly, we can help you with specialized explosion case studies as well as standardized explosion analyses.

 

 

 

 

Field of Studies

  • Probabilistic explosion analysis
  • Blast propagation
  • Worst-case or Realistic worst-case explosion analysis
  • Explosion mitigation and layout optimization
  • Dust explosion modelling

 

 

Accidental releases of toxic and flammable substances are one of the largest contributors to the hazards of most industrial onshore and offshore facilities. Assessing the consequences and risks of such accidental releases is essential in any risk assessment.

 

Our experienced consultants can help you assess those hazards and minimize their probability of occurrence.  Our competencies in assessing the practical implications of toxic and flammable releases, as well as our skills in modelling will ensure an optimal solution that suits your operations. We have extensive capabilities in the use of CFD tools like FLACS and empirical models like PHAST to assess the hazardous consequences of toxic and flammable releases.

 

We can help you with both standardized dispersion assessments and tailored (specialized) dispersion case studies. For a given release hazard there is an optimal way of assessing and mitigating its consequences. Our high-level competence consultants will ensure that you get the most optimal solution for your situation.

 

 

 

 

Field of Studies

  • Cryogenic release dispersion
  • Exhaust fume and flare dispersion
  • Toxic gas dispersion
  • Flammable gas dispersion
  • Gas detector layout optimization

 

 

Detailed ventilation analysis can be performed for any areas of concern at your installation. For instance, a detailed prediction of the internal flow patterns in an energy center can help determine the effectiveness of a ventilation system and allow for any potential dead spots to be identified, which upon an accidental release of flammable gas could lead to the formation of a flammable cloud.

 

Carrying out a ventilation study can assess the proposed ventilation arrangements and evaluate an optimum design to reduce the potential size of a hazardous gas cloud. Ventilation patterns also provide valuable information to predict the potential behavior of (low momentum) gas dispersion scenarios.

 

From operational health assessment to operations analysis or as an input for hazardous area classification for fire and explosion risk assessment (e.g. stagnant or low ventilation areas), our highly skilled consultants will assist and support along with ensuring that you get the most optimal solution for your plant design installation.

 

 

Field of Studies

  • Wind chill analysis
  • Helideck or crane siting
  • Mechanical ventilation optimization
  • HVAC system designing

 

 

Fire and smoke modelling can provide invaluable information on heat radiation and smoke generation used to determine the requirements for fire prevention systems and smoke ventilation in a wide variety of complex scenarios.

 

Advanced computational modelling analysis of such scenarios can benefit to the fire safety evaluation. By means of a wide variety of advanced computer modelling techniques, Gexcon is able to assess the consequences of a fire at your installation and provide an understanding of the associated risk.  Our expert consultants can help you meet fire safety requirements and improve the safety of your installation. Typical fire studies include:

 

 

 

 

Field of Studies

  • Passive Fire Protection optimization
  • Flare studies
  • Smoke modelling and escape route impairment
  • Quantitative fire risk assessment
  • Fire and smoke detection optimization studies

 

 

For most accidental toxic and flammable gases releases onshore and offshore, the industry depends heavily on gas detection systems that alarms or trigger interlocking systems to avoid the formation and development of large amounts of hazardous materials in a process area. An efficient gas detection system is therefore vital in managing risks related to those scenarios in your facilities.

 

But do we know if and how fast these detector systems will react to an accidental hazardous gas release? The British Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published a report stating that only 30 % of all major gas leaks in the British industrial sector were detected by a gas detection system. This brings concerns about the effectiveness of a safety system in place on which a client relies upon to protect against potential significant hazards.

 

Gexcon has vast experience to assess the performance and optimization of your (toxic or flammable) gas detection system. From simplistic approaches to more computationally accurate and detailed methods, we can perform simulations on a model of your facility to help determine the performance of your detection system and help you improve it

 

 

Field of Studies

  • Verification of the installed detector system
  • Comparison of alternate detector layouts
  • Testing of different detector set points or voting schemes
  • Suggestion for new layout/ alarm criteria

 

 

The aim of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is to protect the environment by providing the necessary information to a local authority when deciding whether to grant planning permission for a project (new or extension) which is likely to have significant effects on the environment.

 

Gexcon can conduct dispersion modelling for air quality and odor assessments required in both planning and environmental permit applications for both commercial and industrial facilities. By means of our CFD tool FLACS or ADMS, one of the industry-standard pollution modelling software, we can provide the following services:

 

  • Pre-development or Pre-planning screening services (e.g. appraise location of sites or sources, abatement or increase of capacity of running processes)
  • Stack height assessment
  • EIA for sensitive receptors from single or multiple point source emissions against Air Quality Standards and the Industrial Emissions Directive limits (ELVs)
  • Dispersion modelling taking into consideration terrain features, airborne pollutants data, and odors and emissions from any industrial processors.

 

 

The cost of our consulting service depends on many factors, such as the scope of studies. Please let us know your preference by sending us a request for a quotation by filling out the available enquiry form.

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