Prediction of evaporative diffusion behavior and explosion damage in gasoline leakage accidents

•A prediction model of the evaporative diffusion behavior of gasoline was proposed for risk assessment in a gasoline handling areas.•The evaporative diffusion behaviors of leaked gasoline were measured and predicted.•Combustion experiments on the gasoline vapor generated from leaked gasoline were conducted.•A methodology for predicting the explosion risk caused by leaked gasoline was suggested. To meet the requirements for use as an automotive fuel, motor gasoline must be highly flammable and combustible. In addition, because gasoline is highly volatile, in the event of its leakage from a storage tank, a large amount of vapor is rapidly generated from the surface of the gasoline and mixes with the air, forming a flammable gas mixture in the immediate surroundings. If the flammable gas mixture in an enclosure is ignited, the gasoline vapor burns explosively, causing extensive damage. Therefore, for risk management in a gasoline storage area, assuming a gasoline leakage accident, it is necessary to predict the fire hazard for the inflammable vapor and the explosion damage. The aim of this study is to obtain the knowledge necessary for the risk assessment of a gasoline storage area. A prediction model for the spread, evaporation, and diffusion behavior of leaked gasoline was proposed. The proposed model was verified by conducting evaporative diffusion and ignition tests on leaked gasoline. Furthermore, a methodology was suggested for evaluating the explosion risk caused by vapor generated from leaked gasoline spread on the floor. The proposed method enables the prediction of the explosion damage in the event of gasoline leakage.