Vinyl Acetate Emission Rates and Explosions in Tank Farms in Dilovasi and Yumurtalik, Turkey: A Case Study

Abstract

The emission estimations for vinyl acetate from storage tanks located in Dilovasi and Yumurtalik, Turkey, were completed by using the US EPA standard regulatory storage tanks emission model (TANKS 4.9b). Total annual emission was determined to be 7,603.15 kg/year for Yumurtalik and 6,057.06 kg/year for Dilovasi. In addition, ALOHA software was used in order to define emergency responses required in the case of vinyl acetate leakage based on different scenarios. According to ALOHA program modelling results, the threat regions occurred were 113 and 236 m for the red threat region, 299 and 663 m for the orange threat region, and 790 m and 2.0 km for the yellow threat region for vinyl acetate toxic vapour in Dilovasi and Yumurtalik, respectively. The threat regions determined were 10 and 15 m for the red threat region, 9.14 m for orange threat region, and 20 and 49 m for the yellow threat region for modelling of flammable area for the vapour cloud of vinyl acetate in Dilovasi and Yumurtalik, respectively. The amount of thermal radiation was determined to be 10 kW/m2 at a distance of 9.96 m from the tanks in both Dilovasi and Yumurtalik during a jet fire.