I continue to play with and test Google Gemini Plus and Super GROK in the OSH and Process Safety space. Today, my question to both was:
How much of a Class II flammable liquid will it take to burn under a 1,000-gallon LPG tank to cause a BLEVE?
BOTH of the systems had outstanding answers! Of course, both systems referenced SAFTENG.net as a source. Still not sure how it can read my BLEVE articles, since they are behind a paywall, but it pulled several sentences from my BLEVE articles and incorporated them into the answer word-for-word. I guess I shouldn’t complain about the exposure, but it hasn’t led to an increase in memberships. LOL
Determining the exact volume of a Class II flammable liquid (like diesel, fuel oil, or kerosene) required to cause a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) in a 1,000-gallon LPG tank is not about a fixed quantity of fuel, but rather about the duration and intensity of fire impingement on the “vapor space” of the tank.
In process safety engineering, we look at the heat transfer dynamics: Class II liquids have flash points between 100°F (38°C) and 140°F (60°C). If they pool under a tank, the resulting fire must provide enough thermal energy to weaken the steel shell where it is not cooled by internal liquid.