An inherent safety assessment tool for storage tank farm layout planning based on dynamic propagation modeling simulation of fire domino effects

Layout planning is crucial for the inherent safety of chemical storage systems, as it fundamentally limits escalation of fire domino effects. Existing inherent safety assessment tools (ISATs) however have not fully considered the complex interaction and dynamic evolution characteristics of fire domino effects. To bridge this gap, this work develops a dedicated ISAT for preliminary layout decision-making using an event-driven approach to simulate high-level fire domino propagation. Evolution process curves for primary units are presented to reveal the escalation situation during the accident scenario. Based on the evolution process curve, a Domino Evolution Risk Index (DERI) for units and index for evaluation of overall Layout Domino Risk (LyDR) are constructed with a case study being demonstrated for its application. The proposed indexes can effectively support the decision-making on inherently safer layout plan and identify the key units in a specific layout. Comparative verification exhibits indexes considering temporal-spatial dynamics a better distinction performance. The study additionally discusses fire domino risk variation with environmental factors, providing a basis for dynamic risk management during the operation stage. This work can serve as a point of departure from inherent safety perspective to establish an integrated domino risk management framework with the hierarchy of controls.