Dispersion of Ammonia

Ammonia is a leading candidate for low-carbon energy and shipping, but its toxicity and dispersion behaviour under accidental release require careful engineering. Our research develops physics-based and data-informed dispersion modelling frameworks to predict ammonia cloud evolution under realistic meteorological and operational conditions, and to translate these predictions into actionable safety and design recommendations.

Why it matters

Accidental releases may occur during storage, bunkering/transfer, or system failure events. Reliable dispersion prediction is essential to:

• Define hazard zones and exclusion boundaries

• Support facility and ship layout decisions (ventilation, equipment placement)

• Improve emergency response planning (detection, isolation, evacuation)

• Inform quantitative risk assessment (QRA) and safety cases for ammonia use

Methodology

We develop CFD workflows for accident scenarios to resolve jet and plume development, turbulent mixing, and their interactions with obstacles and recirculation zones. Where possible, realistic atmospheric boundary conditions and phase-change effects during release are incorporated.