Simulation of Emergency Relief from Vessels with Runaway Reactions

Runaway reactions in chemical plants are a serious risk. These are exothermic reactions whose rates increase as a consequence of the temperature increase caused by the heat they release. To avoid extreme temperatures and pressures, vessels where runaway reactions may occur need to have emergency relief systems. If these relief systems are undersized, they do not vent the vessel properly: after an initial decrease in temperature and pressure right after the relief valve opens, their values may increase again because of the presence of reactants within the vessel. Proper venting occurs if the relief system is oversized, but such setups have large costs. A classical example of class of reaction that may lead to runaway situations is the decomposition of peroxides. However, other â highly energetic materialsâ , such as propellants, pose similar risk. Within this framework, the specific objective of this project is to extend the experience with the simulation program developed by the proponents, VENTOP, by applying it to several test cases and comparing its results to literature results.

Simulation of Emergency Relief from Vessels with Runaway Reactions Grant