Identification of Safety Concerns and Consequences of Ammonia Release during Marine Operations
Researchers at Texas A&M are working with ABS to improve the understanding of ammonia risks and proper safety measures. This includes storage, bunkering (leakage during loading/unloading), and handling ammonia with an emphasis on marine operations. It also examines the analysis of an ammonia leak in a confined or enclosed space, such as in the vicinity of an ammonia engine. The work includes analysis of the rate of gas release, dispersion over impact, impact on structural members, mechanisms to control/ maintain safe pressure.
At the center of the effort is an experimental component and V&V (Verification and Validation) study to determine best practices for models and simulations of ammonia leaks. The experimental work is examining ammonia plume evolution over a water body in a variety of conditions.
The effort at Texas A&M is led by Dr. Adonios Karpetis, Dr. Harini Gunda & Dr. Faisal Khan. Quaim Choudhury and Onur Semiz are the leads at ABS working on developing guidelines and industry best practices. The work is conducted within the Laboratory of Ocean Innovation within the Ocean Engineering Dept at Texas A&M.