Flacs

FLame ACceleration Simulator
FLACS is an advanced tool for the modelling of ventilation, gas dispersion, vapour cloud explosions and blast in complex process areas. FLACS is used for the quantification and management of explosion risks in the offshore petroleum industry and onshore chemical industries. FLACS is commercially available through GexCon.

Focus on industrial applications
The development of FLACS has been carried out with the full co-operation, support, direction and funding of 10 international oil and gas companies; BP, Conoco, Elf, Exxon, Gasunie, Gaz de France, Mobil, Norsk Hydro, Phillips, Statoil and three legislative bodies, Health & Safety Executive, Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and BMFT (Germany). They recognised the need to have a tool that would enable them to design process areas and offshore platforms in order to minimise the risk from gas explosions. The steering committee for the Gas Safety Programmes has through 16 years of development ensured the compatibility of the code with their practical requirements.

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The code has been used in the design and explosion risk control in over 300 platforms and process areas world wide. In the North Sea, BP, Mobil, Norsk Hydro and Statoil have used the code in-house in the design of new platforms and in the assessment of existing installations. FLACS has also been used in the Public Inquiries of the Piper Alpha and West Vanguard accidents offshore and for the assessment of the Vapour Cloud Explosion accident at the onshore process plant at Beek, Holland.

The route through a FLACS simulation.