INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT RELATED TO LPG BOTTLING PLANTS

Abstract

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is regarded as a safe and cost-effective alternative to natural pipelined gas. It is a flammable gaseous hydrocarbon compound formed mostly of propane (C3H8), butane (C4H10), and isobutene (C4H8), or even a combination of these, and liquefied at ambient temperature and moderate pressures, produced as a byproduct of crude oil or natural gas processing. It has a high heating value and reduces emissions by 75% (CO), 10% (CO2), 40% (NO2), 85% (ozone-depleting gases), and 85%(unburned hydrocarbons). There are many LPG bottling plants in Bangladesh. LPG leakage occurs while unscrewing screws or filling a cylinder from the carousel or in the pipeline. LPG accidents occurred generally from flash fire, VCE, pool fire, fire ball, BLEVE, Leak, etc. In such circumstances, worker safety is essential, and energy security is required for energy consumption. The main objective of this study was to investigate the hazards of LPG and its effect on bottling plant worker’s safety and the environment due to leakages of LPG.

We have analysed threat zone of the LPG bottling plant by using ALOHA software (point/area modelling). It was found that the threat zone increases with increasing LPG release and decreasing wind velocity (for the same amount of LPG release). On the other hand, propane is more hazardous than butane and isobutene. In cases of toxicity, the explosion tendency of LP gas varies in the order of butane>isobutene>propane.

From the analysis of radionuclides impact on LPG, it is found that due to the release of LP gas during bottling, the 222Rn concentration in the airborne was increased (from 0.024 to 1.243pCi/l) in various parts of the LPG bottling plant. It depends on the volume of the room and the quantity of LP gas released. Workers of the LPG bottling plant and the people of the nearby area take in these radioactive particles through inhalation.

The average (n=5) values of radium equivalent activity(Req), representative level index (Iγ), external hazard (Hex), internal hazard (Hin), Absorbed dose(AD), Annual effective dose (AED) and Excess life time cancer risk are 40.34Bqkg-1, 0.292, 0.108, 0.1316, 19.12 nGy.h-1, 0.023 mSv.y-1 and 8.21×10-5Sv-1 respectively.

The hazard indexes (HI) from the LPG are less than one, indicating no health risk to human health for the heavy metals (As, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn and Zn from the LPG) daily inhaled.