Dispersion of the vapour cloud in the Buncefield Incident

Dispersion of the flammable vapour cloud in the 2005 Buncefield Incident is examined. Footage from security cameras around the site is analysed and the results from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of the vapour dispersion are presented. It is shown that the shape of the terrain and the presence of obstacles significantly affected the dispersion of vapour from the overflowing tank. The CFD model is shown to produce similar qualitative behaviour to that observed in the incident, both in terms of the arrival time of the vapour cloud and its final depth.

► The dispersion of the vapour cloud produced in the Buncefield Incident is examined. ► Images of the visible mist from security camera records are analysed. ► CFD simulations of dense gas dispersion are presented and compared to observations. ► Cloud behaviour is shown to be affected significantly by terrain and obstacles.