Case Study: Lamar University reveals LNG shutdown pipe stress risks with Datacor Impulse

Lamar University uncovers 332 psia surge risk with Datacor Impulse

Lamar University utilized Datacor Impulse to research the risks associated with emergency shutdowns at an LNG loading terminal. The challenge was that rapidly closing valves during a shutdown creates dangerous pressure surges and pipe stress, which could exceed design limits and potentially cause a secondary emergency.

Datacor's solution involved using Impulse to model the shutdown system across multiple scenarios, including component failure modes. The analysis revealed that worst-case conditions could produce surge pressures exceeding the 220 psia design limit. Crucially, Datacor Impulse calculated significant unbalanced pipe forces, which were exported to ANSYS for structural analysis. This revealed critical pipe stress and vibration risks that pressure analysis alone would have missed, providing a more complete picture of the safety risks.

Lamar University