OpenSRANE, a Flexible and Extensible Platform for Quantitative Risk Assessment of NaTech Events

Abstract

The effects of natural hazards triggering technological disaster (NaTech) on a society, economy and the environment is a multi-disciplinary research topic. The novelty of the issue and the lack of a standard procedure for risk assessment of this category of incidents show the need for more research in this area. This article introduces OpenSRANE as an open-source, extensible, flexible and object-oriented software for calculating the quantitative risk of NaTech events in process plants. Implementing the software in the Python programming environment provides high flexibility for the modeling and evaluations desired by users. The possibility of implementing the modifications and developments to the existing software as needed by users allows them to add their desired algorithms, elements and models to it, if needed. The software is based on the Monte Carlo method, but it is possible to implement other algorithms and approaches to it. Object-oriented programming and separation of the different parts of the software can increase the readability of the program, allowing researchers in different disciplines to focus easily on studying or developing the desired part with minimal interference from other parts. The applicability of the software has been demonstrated in a case study as well as the ability of the software to calculate results such as the individual risk, scenarios that consider domino effects and physical effects.

Keywords

• opensrane
• natech
• quantitative risk analysis
• domino effect
• oil and gas plants