Development of dense gas dispersion model for emergency preparedness

Mathematical models are recognized as important tools for providing quantitative assessment of the consequences of the accidental release of hazardous materials. In several accidental release situations, denser-than-air vapour clouds are formed which exhibit dispersion behaviour markedly different from that observed for passive atmospheric pollutants. The present work undertakes the development and validation of conceptually simple and computationally efficient dense gas dispersion models which could be used for emergency response. Here, IIT Heavy Gas Models I and II have been developed for instantaneous and continuous releases, respectively, of dense toxic materials in the atmosphere. Sensitivity tests have been performed to determine the various empirical coefficients which are found to be quite different than those used in the earlier studies. Particular emphasis has been laid on model validation by comparing their performance against relevant field trial data (Thorney Island, Burro Series and Maplin Sands Trials) as well as with other models. On the basis of statistical evaluation, a good performance of the model has been established. The performance of the IIT Heavy Gas Model is close to the model showing the best performance amongst 11–14 other models developed in various countries. Using the IIT Heavy Gas Model, the Safe distance/vulnerable zones can be easily estimated for different meteorological and release conditions for the storage of various hazardous chemicals.