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Chemical Hazards Engineering Fundamentals Workshop

Center for Chemical Process Safety

Chemical Hazards Engineering Fundamentals Workshop

Development of Incident Scenarios

Group Scenario Development Exercise

10-Jun-2020
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CPS
Chemical Hazards Engineering Fundamentals Workshop

Group Scenario Development Exercise

Center for Chemical Process Safety

Process Description

You have been assigned to a HAZOP study team to evaluate hazards associated with a
continuous solution polymerization reactor your manufacturing facility. This reactor is located
within a 2000 m3 (71000 ft3) enclosed process structure and roughly 250 m (820 ft) from a 50-
person housing complex.
Styrene monomer and ethylbenzene solvent are added to the 2000-gallon reactor by flow control
from their respective storage tanks via pump (not shown). The monomer-solvent mixture is
heated in a shell and tube heat exchanger with 10 barg steam to the normal reactor operating
temperature of 90 C. The exothermic reaction is maintained at 90 C within the reactor by
temperature control of the vessel jacket with cooling water. The reactor is well mixed with a 15-
horsepower agitator. The reactor is also maintained under an inert atmosphere using nitrogen.
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Chemical Hazards Engineering Fundamentals Workshop

Center for Chemical Process Safety

Group Scenario Development Exercise

Process Description

A catalyst solution is added to the reactor from drums by a small metering pump. Drum weight
is monitored by the Catalyst Scale and a low weight alarm. Once a drum is empty, the operator
manually stops the reactor feeds, replaces the empty catalyst drum with a full one, and restarts
the system.
The flow from the reactor to the evaporator is controlled to maintain a constant level in the
reactor. The Reactor Pump is also used during start-up to circulate the reactor contents through
the Feed Heater (with monomer feed, solvent feed and catalyst feed manually shut off) until the
reactor reaches the normal operating temperature. Once the reactor reaches the desired 90 C
operating temperature, all feeds are resumed and the recirculation valve is closed.
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CPS
Chemical Hazards Engineering Fundamentals Workshop

Center for Chemical Process Safety

Group Scenario Development Exercise
Piping and Instrument Diagram

Cooling Water Return

Vent to Flare
Cooling Water

Relief Device
Nitrogen

Discharge
Condensate

Steam
Return
Catalyst
Scale

WI
TC Reactor
Agitator Catalyst
Metering
Feed FC
Pump
Heater
LC
To Evaporator
TC

FC
From Monomer Feed
Reactor
Jacketed
FC Pump
From Solvent Feed Reactor
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Chemical Hazards Engineering Fundamentals Workshop

Center for Chemical Process Safety

Group Scenario Development Exercise

Parameters and Feasible Deviations
Using the Jacketed Reactor as a “Node”, list the library scenarios that could
be included in the study.
Is there any advantage or disadvantage to including the associated piping,
Feed Heater, and Reactor Pump as part of the Reactor “Node”?

Note that a “Node” may also consider a process step (such as start-up,
normal operation, shutdown), particularly for a batch process where
composition and operating conditions may change. For this exercise,
consider the “normal operation” step.
 An AIChE Technology Alliance

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CPS
Chemical Hazards Engineering Fundamentals Workshop

Center for Chemical Process Safety

Group Scenario Development Exercise
Library Scenarios to Include
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Chemical Hazards Engineering Fundamentals Workshop

Center for Chemical Process Safety Library Scenarios

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CPS Library Scenarios
Chemical Hazards Engineering Fundamentals Workshop

Center for Chemical Process Safety

 An AIChE Technology Alliance

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CPS Library Scenarios
Chemical Hazards Engineering Fundamentals Workshop

Center for Chemical Process Safety

 An AIChE Technology Alliance

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CPS
Chemical Hazards Engineering Fundamentals Workshop

Center for Chemical Process Safety

Group Scenario Development Exercise
Brainstorm Additional Scenarios to Include