液化石油氣槽車輸儲作業之安全理論評估

Safety Assessment of Transport and Storage Operations of LPG Tank Lorries

液化石油氣利用槽車運輸，供應國內車輛、工廠及家庭、餐飲業等之燃料，無疑地氣槽車對貨暢其流佔有相當重要的地位。然而，液化石油氣係屬易燃高壓氣體，因此一直是許多化學災害的來源，包括火災、蒸氣雲爆炸與液體沸騰氣體膨脹爆炸。LPG 儲槽灌裝區可說是液化石油氣輸、儲作業中深具潛在危害的區域，若因天然災害、人為疏失或機械故障等因素而引起火災爆炸時，往往會因為氣化體積量大搶救不易而導至重大的財產損失及人員傷亡。液化石油氣槽車引起的事故，以民國 87 年 2 月 27 日高雄縣林園鄉某液化石油氣灌裝場發生氣槽車爆炸案為例，造成 4 死 44 輕重傷，其中還包括數名消防人員。此研究主要之目的首先在闡釋氣槽車在設計上之安全理念，其次提出氣槽車輸儲作業之安全理論。

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is carried by tank lorries to supply as hydrocarbon fuels to vehicles, plants, households, restaurants, and so forth. Undoubtedly, LPG tank lorry plays a crucial role in distributing this important fuel. However, LPG is a flammable, compressed gas, and is often the source of chemical accidents. Frequently such accidents result in fire, vapor cloud explosion (VCE) and boiling-liquid, expanding-vapor explosion (BLEVE). Loading and unloading area at LPG station is usually considered as a potentially risky zone. LPG accidents, caused by natural disasters, human errors, or mechanical failures, often result in heavy losses of properties and human lives. For instance, a disastrous incident occurred on Feb. 27, 1998, when an LPG tank lorry station in Kaohsiung County, Taiwan, exploded as a result of human error. The accident killed four people and injured forty-four people including fire fighters. Issues on design safety of LPG tank lorry and the fundamentals on transport and storage operations of the lorries are addressed in this paper.