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Fire Consequence Analysis for Two Parallel-running Pipelines

Tianming Ge
Scandpower China Inc.
Rm. 1002, Tower E, Global Trade Centre, 36 North Third Ring Road East Dong Cheng
District, Beijing, 100013, P.R. China
Tianming.Ge@lr.org
Lin Hong
Scandpower AS
Malmskriverveien 4, N-1337 Sandvika, Norway
Lin.Hong@lr.org
Zhe Yao
Petrochina Beijing Natural Gas Pipeline Inc.
Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
yaozhe@petrochina.com.cn

Prepared for Presentation at

American Institute of Chemical Engineers
1st CCPS Asia-Pacific Conference on Process Safety
Qingdao, China
September 4 5, 2013

UNPUBLISHED

AIChE shall not be responsible for statements or opinions contained

in papers or printed in its publications

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Fire Consequence Analysis for Two Parallel-running Pipelines

Tianming Ge
Scandpower China Inc.
Rm. 1002, Tower E, Global Trade Centre, 36 North Third Ring Road East Dong Cheng
District, Beijing, 100013, P.R. China
Tianming.Ge@lr.org
Lin Hong
Scandpower AS
Zhe Yao
Petrochina Beijing Natural Gas Pipeline Inc.

Keywords: Fire, Pipeline, Parallel, CFD

Abstract
One natural gas pipeline and product oil pipeline is designed to be routed through the same pipe
gallery to minimize land use. The horizontal distances of two parallel pipelines are 1.5m, 1.1m
and 0.7m at buried sector, tunnel sector and box culvert when crossing railway, respectively.
How to prevent fire on one pipeline from affecting the other becomes a major concern for
authority and operator.
Scandpower was invited to evaluate risk that failure of one pipeline to affecting the integrity of
another. The most severe scenario, i.e. jet fire, was simulated by Kameleon FireEx KFX, a
commercial CFD tool, to estimate the fire accidental load; while VessFire, a commercial
simulation program for time-dependent non-linear analysis of thermo-mechanical response
exposed to fire, was used to evaluate the integrity of the exposed pipeline. The results show that
exposed natural gas line will lose its integrity but the product oil line will not. Sensitivity cases
were studied as well to verify the recommendations.

1. Introduction
To feed Chinas burgeoning economy, more and more pipelines are under construction to
increase the length of pipeline network, which means pipeline routes will be through some
developed area, such as the more densely populated area. The planning department with the
principle of reducing occupied land, one or more pipelines are designed to be routed through the
same pipe gallery. Especially when transporting different media, how to manage the safety is a
big challenge for both authority and operator.

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For such problems, especially oil pipeline and gas pipeline lying in same gallery, there are not
only industry standards in the blank area, but also the lack of proven engineering experience.
Given this scenario, Scandpower was invited to evaluate risk that failure of one pipeline to
affecting the integrity of another.
Research achievement successfully passed professionals review meeting on June, 2011,
organized by Pre-assessment Center of Petroleum Industry Construction Project. They
recognized that technique, modeling and consequence assessment standard are scientific and
reasonable, and research achievement can be used as technique support for engineering design.
The achievement also won full approval of professionals review organized by Beijing
Supervision and Administration of Production Safety in Dec. 2011, with the conclusion of rich
content, appropriate approach and authentic conclusion.
This paper will focus on risk research achievement on two parallel-running pipelines.

2. Pipelines Specification
Two pipelines design specification is listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Pipelines Specification
Parameter
Welding types
Material
Diameter
Wall Thickness
Pressure
Temperature
Flow Rate
Velocity

Product Oil Pipeline

Seamless steel tube
L360MB
D323.9mm
8.8mm
10MPa
Ambient
180 x 104 t/a
0.95 m/s

Natural Gas Pipeline

SAWH
X70
D1016mm
14.6/17.5/26.2mm
10MPa
12
150 x 108 Nm3/a
8.5 m/s6.1MPa

3. Accidental Fire Load

3.1 Fire Scenario
As per conclusion in Key Technique Research on Two Parallel-running Pipelines of the Second
West-east Gas Line[1]and Pipeline Rupture and Parallel Pipe Spacing Study [2]published by
PRCI, failure effects on adjacent parallel-running pipelines mainly are:

Impact pressure resulting from natural gas pipeline rupture led to unbalanced radial of
and damage to parallel-running pipelines (breach facing parallel-running pipelines);

Jet fire resulting from natural gas pipeline rupture led to decreased intensity of and
damage to parallel-running pipelines.

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This paper will only focus on failure impact of jet fire while impact pressure influence will be
further discussed in another paper. Meanwhile, to guarantee analysis integrity, impact analysis of
production oil pipeline failure will also be demonstrated besides natural gas pipeline failure.
Therefore, the finalized fire scenario is as:

Jet fire resulting from leak will cover adjacent pipeline

3.2 Crater Size Analysis

Empirical formula on size of crater resulting from high pressurized natural gas pipeline leak is
demonstrated in Pipeline Rupture and Parallel Pipe Spacing Study [2]. This empirical formula
will be adopted in this paper. For production oil pipeline leak, the same formula will be used to
calculate bullet size. Refer to Table 2 for calculation result:
Table 2. Crater Size
Ruptured pipeline
Natural gas pipeline
Production oil pipeline

Pipeline center
3.33
2.24

Crater diameter
Bottom of pipeline
3.00
2.13

Based on current design condition, crater diameter resulting from natural gas pipeline or
production oil pipeline leak will exceed current design parallel design distance of 1.5 m;
therefore, there is no more overburden impact on parallel pipelines upon leak.

3.3 Jet Fire Analysis

Internationally recognized and widely used KFX is adopted in thermal load intensity analysis.
KFX can take into consideration of pipe diameter impact on fire.
3.3.1

Natural Gas Pipeline Leak

KFX is adopted in modeling of parallel distance of 1.5m, 1.1m and 0.7m respectively. As per
modeling result, distance has small impact on thermal load. Production oil pipeline does not
locate in the place with the maximum heat radiation intensity. When jet fire reaches production
oil pipeline, it will extend to each end of the pipeline.

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Figure 1. Thermal Radiation Intensity Distribution on Production Oil Pipeline

Impact sphere of thermal load on production oil pipeline is set as 10 m with heat radiation
intensity of 150KW/m2. As the pipeline will be surrounded by the fire, heat convection strength
is set as 100KW/m2 . Therefore, the gross heat load intensity is set as 250KW/m2.
3.3.2

Production Oil Pipeline Leak

KFX is adopted in modeling of parallel distance of 1.5m, 1.1m and 0.7m respectively. As per
modeling result, distance has small impact on thermal load. Natural gas pipeline is close to but
does not locate in the place with the maximum heat radiation intensity.
Impact sphere of thermal load on natural gas pipeline is set as 25 m with heat radiation intensity
of 150KW/m2. As the pipeline will be surrounded by the fire, heat convection strength is set as
100KW/m2 . Therefore, the gross heat load intensity is set as 250KW/m2.

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Figure 2. Thermal Radiation Intensity Distribution on Natural Oil Pipeline

4. Pipeline Thermal Load Response Analysis

4.1 Elementary Case
Vessfire will be adopted in pipeline structure response calculation upon impact of thermal load.
Following factors will be considered:

Internal pipeline pressure

Gas or liquid flow within pipeline

Pipeline material property subject to temperature variation

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Figure 3. The Stress and UTS at Elevated Temperature

Case 1 diesel pipe dia.: 0,3239 m wt: 8,8 mm
500

300

450

Stress [MPa]

350

200

300
250

150

200
100

150
100

Temperature [C]

250

400

50

50
0

0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Time [min.]
Stress limit

Calculated stress

Max. steel temperature

Min. steel temperature

Figure 3 demonstrates calculation result of production oil pipeline, in which:

Light green curve represents material ultimate strength

Dark green curve represents pipeline structural stress

Red curve represents the maximum temperature on the pipeline

Purple curve represents the minimum temperature on the pipeline

Final conclusion is arrived as:

Production oil pipeline will not fail because its material strength is far above structural
stress;

No big changes on pipeline structural stress, which means internal pressure does not
increase due to heated pipeline;

Material strength decreases in the first 2 minutes upon heating due to increased pipeline
temperature, but no more decrease in strength once pipeline temperature is stable without
any increasing;

The highest pipeline temperature, that is , the average temperature during heating phase,
climbs to 250 in the first 2 minutes upon heating. Due to continuous internal fluid flow
that takes away heat, pipeline temperature is gradually stabilized.

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Figure 4. The Stress and UTS at Elevated Temperature (14.6 mm)

Figure 5. The Stress and UTS at Elevated Temperature (17.5 mm)

Case 4 pipe dia.: 1,016 m wt: 17,5 mm
700

800

600

700

Stress [MPa]

500
400
400
300
300
200

200

100

100

0
0

10

15

20

25

30

35

Time [min.]
Stress limit

Calculated stress

Max. steel temperature

Min. steel temperature

Temperature [C]

600

500

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Figure 6. The Stress and UTS at Elevated Temperature (26.2 mm)

Case 6 gas pipe dia.: 1,016 m wt: 26,2 mm
700

800

600

700

Stress [MPa]

500
400
400
300
300
200

Temperature [C]

600

500

200

100

100

0
0

10

15

20

25

30

35

Time [min.]
Stress limit

Calculated stress

Max. steel temperature

Min. steel temperature

Figure 4 demonstrates that natual gas pipeline (with thickness of 14.6mm) fails at the 8th minutes
upon heating, Figure 5 demonstrates that natual gas pipeline (with thickness of 17.6mm) fails at
the 11th minutes upon heating while Figure 6 demonstrates that natual gas pipeline (with
thickness of 26.2mm) fails at the 26th minutes upon heating
4.2 Sensitivity Analysis
Sensitivity analysis on pipelines with possible thickness of 30mm, 32mm and 36mm are
perfromed, with conclusion of natural gas pipeline failing at the 40th, 45th and 60th minutes
respectively.
Following conclusion is drawn:

Drastic decrease in material strength of natural gas pipeline less than structural stress will
result in pipeline failure;

Compared to production oil pipeline, internal gas flow can take away less heat due to
small gas specific heat capacity.

5. Discussion
To guarantee natural gas pipeline does not fail due to production oil jet fire, we recommend to
reduce buried depth of production oil pipeline or increase that of natural gas pipeline to make
sure enough overbarden available for natural gas pipeline as heat insulating material upon jet fire

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generated from leak of production oil pipeline, and to gurantee integrity of natural gas pipeline.
Pipeline buried depth estimation shall follow priciple below:

For jet fire accident scenario, consider that natural gas pipeline locates out of crater
formed by production oil pipeline;

Buried depth of production oil pipeline is determined as 1.2m as the minimum

engineering requirement. Production oil pipeline crater size is estimated as per data
below;

Overbarden thickness is generated based on the condition that buried depth of natural gas
pipeline is 1.2 m, and Vessfire is adopted for verification.

Overbarden thickness is finalized as 509mm, as Figure 7 below:

Figure 7. Sectional View of Two Pipelines

1200
2074

509

1500

Verification analysis is performed through Vessfire, with soil property below:

Heat capacity:

890 J/kg*k

Heat conductivity coefficient:

0.25 W/K*m2

Density:

1600 Kg/m3

Thickness:

50mm

The result demonstrates that natural gas pipeline can maintain quite low temperture beyong 6
hours, as shown in Figure 8.

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Since soil property is set as constant in analysis, that is, it does not change over time, but in
practical condition, soil property will increase over temperature, as a result, Vessfire analysis
result is optimistic to some extent.
Verifiction with soil of heat conductivity coefficient of 1 W/K*m2 is performed, which
demonstrates that temperature remains quite low within 6 hours. Meanwhile, since actual
overbarden thickness is over 50mm, assumption is arrived that natural gas pipeline will not fail
due to jet fire generated due to production oil pipeline leak unde such parallel-running condition
and soil cover can provide good heat insulation effect.

Figure 8. Verification Sensitivity Analysis on Overbarden of 50mm

6. Conclusion
Fire consequence analysis is performed on production oil pipeline and natural gas pipeline with
parallel-running distance of 1.5m, 1.1m and 0.7m respectively, mainly considering effect on one
pipeline if jet fire was generated from failure of the other pipeline.
We find that natual gas pipeline will fail once jet fire is generated due to production oil pipeling
leak.
Sesitivity analysis is performed by maintaining parallel distance of 1.5m, with the conclusion
that buried depth of natural gas and production oil pipeline is determined as 1.2m.

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Under the condition of maintaining parallel distance of 1.1m (with shared tunnel), use composite
soil to cover production oil pipeline. Top of upper overbarden is the same as that of top of
natural gas pipeline. Depth of soil covered on top of production oil pipeline is 734mm while soil
bedding depth is 250mm.
For shared box culverts with parallel distance of 0.7m, lay seperately into two dependent box
culverts.

7. References
[1]

The Second West-east Gas Line Project Team, Key Technique Research on Two
Parallel-running Pipelines of the Second West-east Gas Line [R], Langfang: The Second
West-east Gas Line Project Team, 2009

[2]

Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI), Pipeline Rupture and Parallel Pipe
Spacing Study [R], US: PRCI, 2002