Emergency Relief System Design for Reactive System Using Direct Scale-up Method

Emergency relief system design for reactive system using direct scale-up method

Surendra K. Singh, Michelle R. Murphy and Joshua Gordon

ioKinetic, LLC

95 Stiles Road, Salem, New Hampshire 03079, USA

singh@ioKinetic.com

Abstract

Emergency relief system design for reactive systems requires knowledge of chemical reaction rates, vent material characteristics and heat release. Reactive systems, however, are more complex and susceptible to process induced and fire induced runaway reactions.  Getting the reactive material characteristic through experiments and developing reaction kinetic model is expensive and time consuming. A simple, cost-effective approach to relief system sizing is outlined using Design Institute of Emergency Relief System (DIERS) direct scale-up method, based on calorimetry data collected by a low thermal inertia instrument, eliminating the need for knowing thermo physical properties and chemical reaction kinetics. An automatic pressure tracking adiabatic calorimeter (APTAC^TM) was used to collect chemical reactivity data for the dicumyl peroxide and toluene system. DIERS direct scale-up method was used to determine the emergency relief vent requirements for storage tank including under upset conditions.

Keywords: Reactive system, adiabatic calorimetry,  runaway reaction, emergency relief system design, direct scale-up method, APTAC, dicumyl peroxide