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BLEVE , is an acronym for "boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion". This is a type of explosion
Explosion

An explosion is a sudden increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases....
 that can occur when a vessel containing a pressurized
Pressure

Pressure is the force per unit area applied to an object in a direction surface normal to the surface. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure....
 liquid
Liquid

Liquid is one of the principal states of matter. A liquid is a fluid that has the particles loose and can freely form a distinct surface at the boundaries of its bulk material....
 is ruptured. Such explosions can be extremely hazardous.

A BLEVE results from the rupture of a vessel containing a liquid substantially above its atmospheric boiling point.






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Bleve
BLEVE , is an acronym for "boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion". This is a type of explosion
Explosion

An explosion is a sudden increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases....
 that can occur when a vessel containing a pressurized
Pressure

Pressure is the force per unit area applied to an object in a direction surface normal to the surface. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure....
 liquid
Liquid

Liquid is one of the principal states of matter. A liquid is a fluid that has the particles loose and can freely form a distinct surface at the boundaries of its bulk material....
 is ruptured. Such explosions can be extremely hazardous.

A BLEVE results from the rupture of a vessel containing a liquid substantially above its atmospheric boiling point. The substance is stored partly in liquid form, with a gaseous vapour above the liquid filling the remainder of the container.

If the vessel is ruptured — for example, due to corrosion
Corrosion

Corrosion means the breaking down of essential properties in a material due to chemical reactions with its surroundings. In the most common use of the word, this means a loss of electrons of metals reacting with water and oxygen....
, or failure under pressure — the vapour portion may rapidly leak, lowering the pressure inside the container. This sudden drop in pressure inside the container causes violent boiling
Boiling

Boiling, a type of phase transition, is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which typically occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the surrounding environmental pressure....
 of the liquid, which rapidly liberates large amounts of vapour in the process. The pressure of this vapour can be extremely high, causing a significant wave of overpressure (an explosion) which may completely destroy the storage vessel and project fragments over the surrounding area. BLEVEs can also be caused by an external fire near the storage vessel causing heating of the contents and pressure build-up.

A BLEVE can occur even with a non-flammable substance, sometimes one that's known for being extremely cold, like liquid nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen

Liquid nitrogen is a liquefied atmospheric gas produced industrially in large quantities by fractional distillation of liquid air. It is pure nitrogen in a liquid state at very low temperature....
 or liquid helium
Liquid helium

Helium exists in liquid form only at very low temperatures. The boiling point and critical point depend on the isotope of the helium; see the table below for values....
 or other refrigerants or cryogens, and therefore is not usually considered a type of chemical explosion. However, if the substance involved is flammable, it is likely that the resulting cloud of the substance will ignite after the BLEVE has occurred, forming a fireball and possibly a fuel-air explosion, also termed a vapour cloud explosion (VCE). If the materials are toxic, a large area will be contaminated.

Significant industrial BLEVEs include accidents at Feyzin
Feyzin

Feyzin is a town and Communes of the Rh?ne department of the Rh?ne Departments of France of central-eastern France....
 in France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 in 1966, Kingman, Arizona
Kingman, Arizona

Kingman is a city in and the county seat of Mohave County, Arizona, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 27,271....
 in 1973, Texas City, Texas
Texas City, Texas

Texas City is a city located in Galveston County, Texas, a county in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. As of the United States Census 2000, the city population was 41,521 ....
 in 1978, and San Juan Ixhuatepec in Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
 in 1984. In 1978, a BLEVE occurred after a road accident with an LPG truck in the Los Alfaques Disaster
Los Alfaques Disaster

The Los Alfaques Disaster was a road accident and tanker explosion which occurred on July 11, 1978 in Alcanar, near Tarragona, in Spain. A tanker truck loaded with 23 tons of highly flammable propylene experienced a fire and subsequent BLEVE while on the N-340 directly in front of the Los Alfaques campsite, located between the road and t...
 in Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
.

Some fire mitigation measures are listed under liquefied petroleum gas.

See also

  • Expansion ratio
    Expansion ratio

    The expansion ratio of a Liquification and cryogenic substance is the volume of a given amount of that substance in liquid form compared to the volume of the same amount of substance in gaseous form, at a given temperature....
  • Passive fire protection
    Passive fire protection

    Passive fire protection is an integral component of the three components of structural fire protection and fire safety in a building. PFP attempts to contain fires or slow the spread, through use of fire resistant walls, floors, and doors ....
  • Fireproofing
    Fireproofing

    Fireproofing, a passive fire protection measure, refers to the act of making materials or building more resistant to fire, or to those materials themselves, or the act of applying such materials....
  • Phreatic eruption
    Phreatic eruption

    A Phreatic eruption, also called an ultravulcanian eruption, occurs when rising magma makes contact with ground water or surface water. The extreme temperature of the magma causes near-instantaneous evaporation to steam resulting in an explosion of steam, water, ash, rock, and volcanic bombs....


External links

  • — An account of the July 5, 1973 explosion in Kingman, with photographs.
  • - Video of propane and isobutane BLEVEs from a train derailment at Murdock, Illinois (September 3, 1983).
  • - Video of BLEVE from the Toronto propane depot fire (see also 2008 Toronto explosions
    2008 Toronto explosions

    The 2008 Toronto explosions were a series of explosions and ensuing fires, together an industrial disasters, on the morning of August 10, 2008 in the Downsview community of Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
    )
  • - Description of circumstances required to cause a propane tank BLEVE.