Boilover in Storage Tanks: Occurrence, Consequences and Predictions

Huge storage tanks containing crude oil and petrochemicals have always been a great threat to refineries and petrochemical companies. Due to their big capacities and possibility of fire occurrence, they were widely studied by scientists in the world. Boilover phenomenon that indicates fire initiation in water bed and its spread in a big area is one of the most important examples of fire incidents. Undoubtedly, it is significant for scientists to find the most effective and economical way to predict the occurrence of boilover, prevent the quick spread of boilover fire, and decrease the fire loss to a possible extent. This article reviews most of the works that have been done on boilover. It’s aimed to demonstrate the serious hazards of boilover, the theory of its occurrence, and introduce the most optimized available methods to predict it and the best ways to mitigate the results if the accident happens.