Damaging accidental explosions are a continuous threat to industry. Categories for such explosions include combustible dust explosions; reactive gas explosions, both confined and unconfined; hybrid explosions involving both gases and dusts; bursts of pressure vessels and piping; and liquid propellant explosions. This book evaluates the physical processes and resulting blast effects for these types of explosions. Special attention is given to reactive gas explosions, both confined and unconfined. This latter class of explosion has occurred all too frequently in refineries and petrochemical complexes, and is also one of the most difficult to predict and evaluate. Much recent work on this topic is reviewed and summarized. This is the only publication of its kind, to date, that offers such a thorough coverage of these types of industrial explosions. [p]Each class of explosion source is reviewed separately, first discussing fundamentals, then presenting methods of analysis and testing, and finally giving curves or equations to predict effects of the particular class of explosion. An extensive bibliography is included together with tables of pertinent properties of explosive materials. The text also includes many figures, equations, tables and a keyword index. The book is intended for researchers in the field of characterizing and mitigating industrial explosions. It will also be of interest to engineers, scientists, and insurers involved in processes.
Methods in Chemical Process Safety, Volume Three, addresses the most important challenges, recent advancements and contributions in chemical process safety. The work helps researchers and professionals obtain guidance on the selection and practice of chemical process safety methods. Chapters in the book cover Experimental Methods, Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, Safety Measures, Regulations, Guidelines and Standards, Emerging/Unique Scenarios, and more. Users will find a complete guide that presents tactics in process safety management that are now globally recognized as the primary approach for establishing a high level of safety in operations. As process safety is now a disciplined framework for managing the integrity of operating systems and processes handling hazardous substances, and because continued occurrence of major losses have had a significant impact on the industry's approaches to modern process safety, this book is a must have for those in the industry.
Preventable dust explosions continue to occur in industry in spite of significant research and practice efforts worldwide over many years. There is a need for effective understanding of the unique hazards posed by combustible dust. This book describes a number of dust explosion myths – which together cover the main source of dust explosion hazards – the reasons they exist and the corresponding scientific and engineering facts that mitigate these circumstances. An Introduction to Dust Explosions describes the main erroneous beliefs about the origin and propagation of dust explosions. It offers fact-based explanations for their occurrence and the impact of such events and provides a critical guide to managing and mitigating dust explosion risks. - Designed to prevent accidents, injury, loss of life and capital damage - An easy-to-read, scientifically rigorous treatment of the facts and fictions of dust explosions for those who need to – or ought to – understand dust explosions, their occurrence and consequences - Enables the management and mitigation of these critical industrial hazards
Unfortunately, dust explosions are common and costly in a wide array of industries such as petrochemical, food, paper and pharmaceutical. It is imperative that practical and theoretical knowledge of the origin, development, prevention and mitigation of dust explosions is imparted to the responsible safety manager. The material in this book offers an up to date evaluation of prevalent activities, testing methods, design measures and safe operating techniques. Also provided is a detailed and comprehensive critique of all the significant phases relating to the hazard and control of a dust explosion. An invaluable reference work for industry, safety consultants and students. - A completely new chapter on design of electrical equipment to be used in areas containing combustible/explosible dust - A substantially extended and re-organized final review chapter, containing nearly 400 new literature references from the years 1997-2002 - Extensive cross-referencing from the original chapters 1-7 to the corresponding sections of the expanded review chapter
Over the last three decades the process industries have grown very rapidly, with corresponding increases in the quantities of hazardous materials in process, storage or transport. Plants have become larger and are often situated in or close to densely populated areas. Increased hazard of loss of life or property is continually highlighted with incidents such as Flixborough, Bhopal, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, the Phillips 66 incident, and Piper Alpha to name but a few. The field of Loss Prevention is, and continues to, be of supreme importance to countless companies, municipalities and governments around the world, because of the trend for processing plants to become larger and often be situated in or close to densely populated areas, thus increasing the hazard of loss of life or property. This book is a detailed guidebook to defending against these, and many other, hazards. It could without exaggeration be referred to as the "bible" for the process industries. This is THE standard reference work for chemical and process engineering safety professionals. For years, it has been the most complete collection of information on the theory, practice, design elements, equipment, regulations and laws covering the field of process safety. An entire library of alternative books (and cross-referencing systems) would be needed to replace or improve upon it, but everything of importance to safety professionals, engineers and managers can be found in this all-encompassing reference instead. Frank Lees' world renowned work has been fully revised and expanded by a team of leading chemical and process engineers working under the guidance of one of the world’s chief experts in this field. Sam Mannan is professor of chemical engineering at Texas A&M University, and heads the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center at Texas A&M. He received his MS and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Oklahoma, and joined the chemical engineering department at Texas A&M University as a professor in 1997. He has over 20 years of experience as an engineer, working both in industry and academia. New detail is added to chapters on fire safety, engineering, explosion hazards, analysis and suppression, and new appendices feature more recent disasters. The many thousands of references have been updated along with standards and codes of practice issued by authorities in the US, UK/Europe and internationally. In addition to all this, more regulatory relevance and case studies have been included in this edition. Written in a clear and concise style, Loss Prevention in the Process Industries covers traditional areas of personal safety as well as the more technological aspects and thus provides balanced and in-depth coverage of the whole field of safety and loss prevention. * A must-have standard reference for chemical and process engineering safety professionals * The most complete collection of information on the theory, practice, design elements, equipment and laws that pertain to process safety * Only single work to provide everything; principles, practice, codes, standards, data and references needed by those practicing in the field
Explosion hazards involving mixtures of different states of aggregation continue to occur in facilities where dusts, gases or solvents are handled or processed. In order to prevent or mitigate the risk associated with these mixtures, more knowledge of the explosion behavior of hybrid mixtures is required. The aim of this study is to undertake an extensive investigation on the explosion phenomenon of hybrid mixtures to obtain insight into the driving mechanisms and the explosion features affecting the course of hybrid mixture explosions. This was accomplished by performing an extensive experimental and theoretical investigation on the various explosion parameters such as: minimum ignition temperature, minimum ignition energy, limiting oxygen concentration, lower explosion limits and explosion severity. Mixtures of twenty combustible dusts ranging from food substances, metals, plastics, natural products, fuels and artificial materials; three gases; and six solvents were used to carry out this study. Three different standard equipments: the 20-liter sphere (for testing lower explosion limits, limiting oxygen concentration and explosion severity), the modified Hartmann apparatus (for testing minimum ignition energy) and the modified Godbert–Greenwald (GG) furnace (for testing minimum ignition temperature) were used. The test protocols were in accordance with the European standard procedures for dust testing for each parameter. However, modifications were made on each equipment in order to test the explosion properties of gases, solvents, and hybrid mixtures. The experimental results demonstrated a significant decrease of the minimum ignition temperature, minimum ignition energy and limiting oxygen concentration of gas or solvent and increase in the likelihood of explosion when a small amount of dust, which was either below the minimum explosion concentration or not ignitable by itself, was mixed with gas or solvent and vice versa. For example, methane with minimum ignition temperature of 600 °C decreased to 530 °C when 30 g/m3 of toner dust, which is 50 % below its minimum explosible concentration was, added. A similar explosion behavior was observed for minimum ignition energy and limiting oxygen concentration. Furthermore, it was generally observed that the addition of a non-explosible concentration of flammable gas or spray to a dust-air mixture increases the maximum explosion pressure to some extent and significantly increases the maximum rate of pressure rise of the dust mixture, even though the added concentrations of gases or vapor are below its lower explosion limit. Finally, it could be said that, one cannot rely on the explosion properties of a single substance to ensure full protection of an equipment or a process if substances with different states of aggregate are present.
Methods in Chemical Process Safety, Volume Three, addresses the most important challenges, recent advancements and contributions in chemical process safety. The work helps researchers and professionals obtain guidance on the selection and practice of chemical process safety methods. Chapters in the book cover Experimental Methods, Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, Safety Measures, Regulations, Guidelines and Standards, Emerging/Unique Scenarios, and more. Users will find a complete guide that presents tactics in process safety management that are now globally recognized as the primary approach for establishing a high level of safety in operations. As process safety is now a disciplined framework for managing the integrity of operating systems and processes handling hazardous substances, and because continued occurrence of major losses have had a significant impact on the industry's approaches to modern process safety, this book is a must have for those in the industry. - Acquaints the reader/researcher with the fundamentals of process safety - Provides the most recent advancements and contributions in each topic from a practical point-of-view - Gives readers the views/opinions of experts on each topic
Evaluation of the Effects and Consequences of Major Accidents in Industrial Plants analyzes the different major accidents which can occur in process plants and during the transportation of hazardous materials. The main features of fires, explosions and toxic releases are discussed, and a set of mathematical models allowing the prediction of their effects and consequences are explained. With a practical approach, the models are applied to simple illustrative examples, as well as to more complex real cases. The use of these calculations in the frame of Quantitative Risk Analysis is also treated. Evaluation of the effects of major accidents in industrial installations covers the following topics: general introduction, source term, fire accidents, vapour cloud explosions, BLEVEs and vessel explosions, atmospheric dispersion of toxic or flammable clouds, vulnerability, and quantitative risk analysis. This book is a useful tool for engineering professionals, as well as an interesting reference for teaching at graduate and post-graduate levels. - Both the essential aspects and the calculations related to the diverse accidents are discussed - The prediction of effects and consequences is performed with a practical approach - Recent contributions from literature have been included - Subjects of increasing importance have been included: an extense analysis of BLEVEs, for example, or the atmospheric dispersion of pathogenic agents
This complete revision of Applied Process Design for Chemical and Petrochemical Plants, Volume 1 builds upon Ernest E. Ludwig's classic text to further enhance its use as a chemical engineering process design manual of methods and proven fundamentals. This new edition includes important supplemental mechanical and related data, nomographs and charts. Also included within are improved techniques and fundamental methodologies, to guide the engineer in designing process equipment and applying chemical processes to properly detailed equipment.All three volumes of Applied Process Design for Chemical and Petrochemical Plants serve the practicing engineer by providing organized design procedures, details on the equipment suitable for application selection, and charts in readily usable form. Process engineers, designers, and operators will find more chemical petrochemical plant design data in:Volume 2, Third Edition, which covers distillation and packed towers as well as material on azeotropes and ideal/non-ideal systems.Volume 3, Third Edition, which covers heat transfer, refrigeration systems, compression surge drums, and mechanical drivers.A. Kayode Coker, is Chairman of Chemical & Process Engineering Technology department at Jubail Industrial College in Saudi Arabia. He's both a chartered scientist and a chartered chemical engineer for more than 15 years. and an author of Fortran Programs for Chemical Process Design, Analysis and Simulation, Gulf Publishing Co., and Modeling of Chemical Kinetics and Reactor Design, Butterworth-Heinemann. - Provides improved design manuals for methods and proven fundamentals of process design with related data and charts - Covers a complete range of basic day-to-day petrochemical operation topics with new material on significant industry changes since 1995.
