AXIM is a dynamic accident simulator.
AXIM can dynamically simulate industrial and transportation accidents with a peculiar capability respect to conventional commercial simulators: the possibility to vary in real time the inputs without any preassigned sequence/trajectory/profile. The inputs to AXIM are the weather conditions, the outflows and emissions from process units, tanks, vessels, any equipment to be modeled dynamically in case of accident. AXIM has a routine to determine the outflows, releases, emissions from damaged vessels, pipes, flanges, and the like. From the source term, which varies according to the internal operating conditions of the equipment/device/unit, it is then possible to describe dynamically the outcomes and consequences in terms of liquid jets, pools, fires, and gas dispersion. AXIM comprises also a module to evaluate the effects and consequences of the accident event on the surrounding equipment and operators/people as a function of their position and individual protective devices.
AXIM is a DLL (i.e. Dynamic Link Library) that can be linked to either commercial process simulators (e.g., UNISIM, HYSIS, DYNSIM) or other proprietary programs according to a client (AXIM) server (main program) structure. The calling program provides the input parameters to AXIM that returns the output values (i.e. accident variables, outcomes, consequences) at every user-defined integration step.
Specific and customized applications of AXIM allowed to simulate and reconstruct the BP Refinery accident in Texas City, USA, occurred on March 23rd, 2005 and the LPGÂ railway accident in Viareggio, Italy, occurred on June 29th, 2009.
