Overpressure Protection in the Process Industry: A Critical View

Description

Overpressure Protection in the Process Industry: A Critical View provides a practical and pragmatic guidance for anyone dealing with overpressure protection in the process industry. The book explains the background of complicated international codes and regulations, offering a pragmatic and practical approach on how these codes can be interpreted for specific cases. The book also gives a critical view on these codes and regulations and where they do or don't make sense, along with the challenges in some instances, including technical and practical argumentations. Finally, the book covers specific problem areas and sizing methods when using safety relief devices as overpressure protection, such as how to handle installation, backpressures, blowdowns, the 3% rule, types of chatter and other destructive forces in relief devices. Front cover Half title Full title Copyright Contents About the Author Acknowledgments Introduction CHAPTER 1 - Studies on overpressure relief systems 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Factors of noncompliance 1.3 Leaking safety relief valves 1.4 Comments on a case study 1.4.1 Operational inspection 1.4.2 Inspection of valves CHAPTER 2 - Background to pressure relief design 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Principles of pressure relief 2.2.1 General design philosophy 2.2.2 Key principles and design sequence 2.2.3 Safety and pressure relief alternatives 2.2.4 Recommended pressure relief stream design and documentation CHAPTER 3 - Critical view on designing pressure safety devices according to PED, ASME, and ISO/EN or API 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Structure comparison of the codes 3.2.1 Harmonized European standards 3.2.1.1 Product standards 3.2.1.2 Application standards 3.2.2 The ASME code 3.3 Comparison of performance characteristics for pressure relief valves 3.3.1 Functional characteristics 3.3.2 Flow capacity comparisons 3.3.2.1 Determining discharge coefficient according to ASME 3.3.2.2 Discharge coefficient according to VdTüV 100 and TRD 3.3.2.3 Determining discharge coefficient according to EN/ISO 4126-1 3.4 Testing 3.4.1 According to European normalization 3.4.2 Tests to determine operating characteristics according to ASME 3.4.3 Valves used in the test programs 3.4.4 Sizing and spring setting according to EN/ISO 764-7 3.5 International harmonization CHAPTER 4 - Keeping overpressure protection up to date 4.1 Influencing factors for overpressure protection change 4.2 Lifecycle management 4.2.1 Protecting safety relief valves with rupture discs 4.2.2 Cost of ownership and asset management CHAPTER 5 - Management of change and pressure relief analysis CHAPTER 6 - Codes, recommendations, and sizing methods 6.1 Introduction 6.2 US directives 6.3 European directives 6.4 Other worldwide directives 6.5 Other specific directives 6.6 Former directives and codes CHAPTER 7 - Emergency depressurization valves versus pressure relief devices 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Pressure system safety regulations 7.3 Types of safety systems 7.3.1 The pressure control valves 7.3.2 The emergency shutdown and emergency depressurizing systems 7.3.3 The pressure relief devices 7.4 Safety instrumented systems and safety integrity levels 7.5 Design perspectives 7.6 Operational perspective 7.7 The bowtie analysis 7.8 Overall decision making 7.9 Taking overpressure scenarios to a layer of protection analysis CHAPTER 8 - Process pressures 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Definitions, design, and sizing terms 8.3 The relief design procedure CHAPTER 9 - Effects of backpressures on relief ­devices 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Types of backpressure 9.3 Safety relief valve selection 9.4 Sizing with backpressures 9.5 The issues with backpressure CHAPTER 10 - Chatter in relief valves and the 3% rule 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Design effects on chatter 10.3 Types of chatter 10.4 The 3% rule: fiction or reality CHAPTER 11 - Installation of pressure relief devices 11.1 Introduction 11.2 General installation recommendations 11.3 Types of discharge 11.3.1 Open discharge 11.3.2 Closed discharge 11.3.3 Exit conditions affecting hazard zones 11.4 Special code requirements Chapter 12 - Overpressure scenarios 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Understanding overpressure scenarios 12.2.1 Role of the systems or process engineer in the PHA/LOPA 12.2.2 Using PRDs or independent protection levels in PHA/LOPA 12.2.3 Taking overpressure scenarios to a layer of protection analysis 12.2.4 PRDs used as an independent protection level 12.2.5 Risk reduction credits for overpressure scenarios 12.2.6 Overpressure IPL solutions other than PRDs 12.2.7 Double jeopardy in relief scenarios 12.3 Scenario calculations 12.3.1 Blocked discharge 12.3.1.1 Centrifugal pumps 12.3.1.2 Positive displacement pumps 12.3.1.3 Compressors and positive displacement blowers 12.3.2 Gas blowby 12.3.3 Fire case 12.3.3.1 Vaporizing liquids (wetted vessels) 12.3.3.2 Alternative method to determine pool fires 12.3.3.3 Vessels containing only vapor or gasses (unwetted vessels) 12.3.3.4 Differences in codes 12.3.4 Thermal effects—cooling or reflux failure 12.3.5 Thermal expansion 12.3.6 Chemical runaway reactions 12.3.7 Heat exchangers 12.3.7.1 Thermal expansion in heat exchangers 12.3.7.2 Tube rupture in heat exchangers 12.3.8 Equipment, instrument, or automatic control failure 12.3.9 Blocked filters and strainers 12.3.10 Utility or power failure 12.3.11 Entrance of volatile media or abnormal fluid input 12.4 Scenario examples CHAPTER 13 - Recommended and generally accepted good engineering practices CHAPTER 14 - Relief system sizing and design 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Use of shutdown devices 14.3 What do codes say? 14.4 Pros and cons of taking credit for emergency shutdown devices 14.5 Types of emergency shutdown devices 14.5.1 Safety instrumented systems 14.5.2 Auto lockout devices 14.5.3 Auto start devices 14.5.4 Shutdown systems for fired heaters 14.6 Various methods of credit taking 14.7 High integrity emergency shutdown devices versus reliability of pressure relief valves CHAPTER 15 - Overpressure protection on low-pressure storage tanks 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Recommended guidelines and practices 15.3 Selecting conservation vents 15.4 Technology and principle of operation of conservation vents 15.5 Sizing for normal operation 15.6 Sizing for emergency relief 15.7 Setting conservation vents 15.7.1 Set pressure tolerances 15.7.2 Leakage tolerances CHAPTER 16 - Tank blanketing 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Why and where to use tank blanketing 16.3 General description of the blanketing process 16.4 Types of blanketing systems 16.5 Sizing blanketing systems 16.5.1 Inbreathing requirements 16.5.2 Outbreathing requirements 16.6 Blanketing methods and requirements 16.7 Setting and use of blanketing systems 16.8 International guidelines and recommendations CHAPTER 17 - Learning from accidents/incidents and study cases 17.1 Introduction 17.2 Accident 1: Texas city refinery explosion 17.3 Accident 2: hydrocracking unit UK 17.4 Accident 3: storage tank explosion 17.5 Accident 4: tank explosion 17.6 Accident 5: the Seveso disaster 17.7 Accident 6: LNG plant Russia 17.8 Accident 7: chemical runaway accident the United States 17.9 Accident 8: The Piper Bravo offshore rig 17.10 Miscellaneous accidents 17.11 Pressure relief case studies 17.11.1 New installations 17.11.2 Existing installations 17.12 Incidents due to small modifications Abbreviations and acronyms Further reading Index Back cover