Frequently Asked Questions

· Is ADORA listed by the EPA?
Yes.

· Is ADORA available to my Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) free of charge?
Yes, if you purchase ADORA.

· What are the system requirements for ADORA?
Standard Windows 95 or NT configuration with 16 MB RAM and 30 MB disk space.

· What are the regulatory driving forces for ADORA?
1. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: Parts B and X
2. The Occupational Safety and Health Act: Process Safety Management
3. The Clean Air Act 112(r): Risk Management Plan

· How has ADORA been validated?
BlazeTech has validated the major modules of ADORA (see validation sheets and list of ADORA publications) :
1. For dense gas dispersion, comparison with the Thorney Island test data shows very good agreement.
2. For two phase releases with hydration (e.g. NH3), comparison with the Desert Tortoise tests show excellent agreement.
3. For fireballs, comparison with Sandia tests and several accidental releases from rocket propellants show very good agreement.
4. Chemical species prediction agrees well with tests at Dugway Proving Ground Report and or Eglin Air Force Base.

· How does ADORA compare with other available codes?
When ADORA's reacting capabilities are removed, excellent agreement with other available codes is obtained (i.e. SLAB), whose validations have all been widely accepted. When the reacting capabilities are included, ADORA is more accurate than other codes.

· Is BlazeTech open to comparing ADORA's predictions with empirical data?
Of course.

· How does ADORA compare to other dispersion software?

Feature EPA TABLES SLAB HG SYSTEM ALOHA HOT SPILLS SAFER ADORA Coupled Reaction and heat release with atmospheric dispersion no no no no no no yes Chemical Reaction with Moisture no no no* no no no yes Prediction of lift-off no no no* no no no yes Prediction of Reaction Products no no no* no yes no yes On the EPA list yes yes yes yes no yes yes

* except for HF and CTF

· What makes ADORA unique?
ADORA is the only software that couples air dispersion with chemical reactions and heat release. This coupling is critical to enable a proper description of the potential hazards during a chemical release.

· What are the unique features of ADORA?
The Physical Model:
1. Clouds can be modeled as fireballs and tails to represent more faithfully the well-known field observations of a mushroom shaped fireball with a stem underneath.
2. The chemical reaction rate is related to entrainment or mixing.
3. ADORA has a module for the rise of an instantaneously released buoyant cloud.
4.A lift-off model for buoyant clouds has been implemented.
5. Transition from dense cloud dispersion to buoyant cloud rise and to passive dispersion.

The Chemical Aspect:
1. The identities and amounts of toxic species in the cloud are determined as a function of time as the released chemicals are converted to new ones
2. The rate of heat release as a function of time is accurately modeled, thereby providing a reliable determination of puff rise and the effective release height for passive dispersion

· What chemical releases have already been modeled by ADORA?
ADORA has already been used for the accurate assessment of environmental release for a wide variety of chemicals. Halogenated compounds, transition metals, and high-energy materials are the code's specialty, along with the accurate prediction of oxide and acid product species. The chemicals ADORA has assessed thus far are as follows:

· Halogenated materials, including BCl3, ClF3, UF6, BF3, TiCl4, ClO2, CCl2F2, and Cl2
· Explosive compounds, including RDX, TNT, Composition B, Explosive D, C-4, Tritonal
· Propellant compounds including M-1, M-6, M-30 and others used for liquid and solid rocket motors
· Flare waste materials, including Mg/Teflon, Phosphorus/Water, Phosphorus/Mg/MnO2, and PbO2 and CuO doped silicone


· Can ADORA perform its calculation using my chemical?
Please see the ADORAChemicals sheet.

· What if I have a chemical not on your list?
Please contact us