A general criterion to define runaway limits in chemical reactors

A general runaway criterion valid for single as well as for multiple reaction types, i.e. consecutive, parallel, equilibrium, and mixed kinetics reactions, and for several types of reactors, i.e. batch reactor (BR), semibatch reactor (SBR) and continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) has been developed. Furthermore, different types of operating conditions, i.e. isoperibolic and isothermal (control system), have been analysed. The criterion says that we are in a runaway situation when the divergence of the system becomes positive (div>0) on a segment of the reaction path. The results show that this is a general runaway criterion than can be used to calculate the runaway limits for chemical reactors. The runaway limits have been compared with previous criteria. A considerable advantage, over existing criteria, is that it can be calculated on-line using only temperature measurements and, hence, it constitutes the core of an early warning runaway detection system we are developing.     

A comparative analysis between temperature and pressure measurements for early detection of runaway initiation

In this work, we have analysed the use of pressure instead of temperature measurements for the early warning detection of runaway initiation. This is possible due to the fact that our runaway criterion, i.e. div>0, does not depend specifically on which state space variable we are using for divergence calculation. A series of runaway experiments, carried out in a 250 l pilot-scale reactor, has been used to compare the results. In accordance with previous analysis, we show that by using temperature, early detection of runaway initiation is achieved. Analogously to temperature, pressure may be also used for runaway detection. By comparing the different types of reactive systems analysed (vapour and gassy), it can be observed that temperature works better, in terms of earlier detection, than pressure but the differences are more pronounced for vapour than for gassy systems.     

Thermal runaway criterion for chemical reaction systems: A modified divergence method

The chemical reaction in certain range of operating conditions may exhibit parametric sensitivity where small changes in one or more of the input parameters lead to changes in the output variables (eg. reaction temperature). The sharp rise of the reaction temperature is a critical behavior that may lead to runaway conditions. Thus, it is of vital importance to determine the critical operating parameters consisting of the parametric sensitivity region under the consideration of intrinsic safety. In this paper, a modified divergence criterion is proposed based on the trace of Jacobian matrix at the maximum temperature. The nonlinear differential equations describing the dynamic behavior of the chemical reaction is linearized locally in the vicinity of the equilibrium point by the small perturbation analysis. The relationship between the perturbation equation and parametric sensitivity of the reaction system is investigated. The critical values computed by the modified divergence criterion are compared with Morbidelli and Varma criterion (MV criterion), Adler and Enig criterion (AE criterion) and divergence criterion (Div criterion). The comparison demonstrates the validity of the new criterion. In addition, the critical explosion pressures of two kinds of hazardous chemicals are computed by the various critical criteria and compared with published experimental data. The results show that the modified divergence criterion could give smaller computational error compared with the previous criteria.     

Comparison of criteria for prediction of runaway reactions in the sulphuric acid catalyzed esterification of acetic anhydride and methanol

Loss of temperature control is one of the major reasons that can lead to runaway reaction. This occurrence is commonly named thermal runway. The aim of this paper is the application of thermal runaway criteria in order to predict the onset of runaway phenomena and define the range of stability related to operating conditions in the reactor, with specific reference to the esterification of acetic anhydride and methanol catalysed by sulphuric acid tested in isoperibolic conditions. The isoperibolic calorimeter has also been used to obtain thermodynamic, kinetic and physical chemistry data necessary to develop a model for the reaction. Some runaway criteria applied in this work require a model for the process, so a model for the analyzed system been developed.Because of the modest reaction enthalpy and low activation energy this reacting system provide a severe test to the runaway criteria.In this work, various runaway criteria have been applied to the experimental and simulated data and the results obtained have been compared.     

反应失控型火灾爆炸事故预测

介绍了一种预测反庆失控灾害的方法,通过实验测定容器的时间常数,预测能够引起反应失控的最低环境温度,发生反应失控时的危险温度,以及达到最大反应速度反需的时间,预测结果与实际情况具有良好的一致性。     

Setting optimal operating conditions for a catalytic reactor for butane oxidation using parametric sensitivity analysis and failure probability indices

Safe operation of a catalytic reactor remains a sensitive issue when highly exothermic reactions are conducted and hazardous side reactions may occur. Derivation of the optimal operating conditions must include economic but also safety criteria, technological constraints, beside controllability and stability aspects. The present work introduces a criterion based on a joint failure probability index related to uncertainty in the runaway boundaries and the random disturbances of the operating parameters. The use of such a safety criterion is even more important when setting the optimal operating policy of the reactor in the vicinity of the runaway boundaries that often correspond to a high productivity. The paper indicates how an economically efficient but more prudent operating policy can be selected, by simultaneously considering the economic and safety objectives. An example is provided for the case of an industrial fixed-bed tubular reactor, of high thermal sensitivity, used for the catalytic oxidation of butane to maleic anhydride in vapour phase. The multi-objective optimization can lead to a prudent trade-off operating solution (corresponding to a failure probability of maximum 3–4%) that limits the reactor productivity. Being based on a local and global sensitivity analysis of the reactor, the proposed rule is generally applicable by minimizing the probability with which control variables violate their safety limits.     

Alternative method to prevent thermal runaway in case of error on operating conditions continuous reactor

Thermal runaway was studied in a continuous tubular pilot reactor under steady-state regime. Different accident scenarii were conducted by making some errors on reactant concentrations and/or temperature feed. To prevent thermal runaway, control by direct contact by solvent injection was used at different reactor locations. This injection allowed controlling the maximum reaction temperature. A simplified analytical method to estimate the maximum reaction temperature along the reactor was used.Benefit of this control method was the diminution of computational time. Furthermore, by injecting solvent to control maximum reaction temperature, there is no need to shut down the unit. The control method was validated experimentally.     

基于VSP2的引发剂质量分数对醋酸乙烯聚合反应失控特性及安全泄放设计影响研究

为了解决醋酸乙烯聚合反应失控所引起的超压问题,通过VSP2绝热量热仪研究了醋酸乙烯聚合反应的失控特性,并通过Leung's法对某醋酸乙烯聚合反应器的安全泄放面积进行了计算;然后,在其他条件不变的情况下,研究引发剂质量分数对失控特性和泄放面积的影响,结果表明,引发剂质量分数对反应总放热量的影响不大,体系绝热温升为105~115℃;但引发剂质量分数越大,失控反应的最大温升速率和最大压升速率越大。这是因为引发剂质量分数越大,在相同泄放压力和最大累积压力下,单位质量反应物的放热速率就越大,也就需要更大的泄放面积;最后,引入无量纲数W~*、G~*和A~*,拟合出它们与引发剂质量分数X*的关系式,结果表明,在研究范围内所需安全泄放面积随引发剂质量分数线性增大。     

Modeling of the venting of an untempered system under runaway conditions

The prediction of the consequences of a runaway reaction in terms of temperature and pressure evolution in a reactor requires the knowledge of the reaction kinetics, thermodynamics and fluid dynamics inside the vessel during venting. Such phenomena and their interaction are complex and yet to be fully understood, especially reactions where the pressure generation is totally or partially due to the production of permanent gases (gassy or hybrid systems). Moreover, these phenomena cannot be easily determined by laboratory scale experiments. In this paper, a dynamic model developed to simulate the behavior of an untempered reacting mixture during venting is presented. The model provides the temperature, pressure and mass inventory profiles before and during venting. A sensitivity study of the model was performed. This modeling work provides some insight regarding the interpretation of the data obtained from untempered system venting experiments. The outcome of this work contribute to improving the design of emergency relief systems for hybrid and gassy systems, where significant progress is still to be made in the experimental and modeling areas.     

Variability of operating safety limits with catalyst within a fixed-bed catalytic reactor for vapour-phase nitrobenzene hydrogenation

The safety in operation of a fixed-bed catalytic reactor remains a sensitive issue when a highly exothermic reaction is conducted and various process development elements such as controllability, stability, risk, and economic aspects are considered. Several model-based methods are used to estimate the safe operating region limits. Nominal conditions are set to limit the hot spot in the tubular reactor and avoid excessive thermal sensitivity to variations in the process parameters. When the catalyst or its characteristics are changed, the operating conditions have to be adjusted accordingly. The safety problem becomes more important when the production optimization requires setting the nominal operating point in the vicinity of the safety limits. This paper investigates the advantages as well as the precautions that need to be taken when using a more sophisticated model-based global sensitivity criterion (MV of Morbidelli & Varma) to routinely update the runaway critical conditions when changes in the investigated system frequently occur. A concrete example is provided for the case of an industrial fixed-bed catalytic reactor for nitrobenzene hydrogenation in vapour-phase. The analysis points out the discrepancies in predicting the runaway boundaries for complex processes between precise sensitivity-based MV-method and shortcut methods, and the importance of accounting for parameter uncertainty for both evaluation of the confidence region around the runaway boundaries and for the optimal set-point location. The close connection between the operating risk limits and the process kinetics is also highlighted even if the reactor geometry and the main flow conditions are kept unchanged.     

Calorimetric study of the inhibition of runaway reactions during methylmethacrylate polymerization processes

Reaction inhibition was adopted as a method to halt runaway phenomena during polymerization experiments. Use of reaction calorimetry coupled with a particular system for early detection of the onset of runaway (early warning detection system) has allowed to investigate the behaviour of two substances that can influence the reaction rate: hydroquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone. The process studied was the free-radical polymerization of methylmethacrylate carried out under batch conditions in bulk or in emulsion. The results show that hydroquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone behave differently: the first is an inhibitor because it completely stops the process; the second behaves as a retarder and could be used industrially to control the process and keep the reactor temperature within safe limits.     

过氧丙酸分解反应的失控泄放特性研究

为研究过氧丙酸分解反应的失控泄放特性,利用泄放模式实验装置对过氧丙酸在不同泄放口径和泄放压力下的顶部和底部的泄放过程进行了试验模拟,得到了过氧丙酸的失控特性参数和不同条件下的泄放特征。结果表明:过氧丙酸失控反应泄放易出现二次峰值现象,初次峰值为气相泄放,二次峰值为气液两相泄放;二次峰值的出现取决于泄放口径及泄放时的物料温度,与泄放压力无关;恒压泄放容易出现非平衡泄放,导致较高最大累积压力和较高的釜内物料温度;底部泄放能够使釜内物料快速排空。     

不同外热部位下18650型锂离子电池热失控研究

为探究不同外热部位对18650型锂离子电池热失控特性的影响,通过自主设计的试验平台对电荷量为100%的18650型锂离子电池开展不同外热部位下热失控试验,探讨不同部位外热源对电池热失控行为过程、热失控响应时间、温度特性、电池破裂部位的影响。结果表明:在相同热源功率条件下,外热源位置对电池热失控过程中初爆与二次燃爆间的时间间隔存在影响,顶部加热时安全阀打开瞬间便发生二次燃爆,底部和中部加热工况下,时间间隔分别延迟至18 s和40 s;中部加热时池体温升速率最慢,为0.873℃/s,分别为顶部和底部加热时的77.5%和77.8%;中部加热时热失控响应时间最长达290 s,顶部和底部加热时分别缩短12.4%和30.0%;顶部和底部加热时,热失控破裂部位集中于顶部"褶皱处"和底部防爆阀,但在中部加热工况下,电池发生破裂部位的随机性增加,其外壳破坏程度也有增加。     

Using thermal analysis with kinetic calculation method to assess the thermal stability of azo compound on construction materials

The application of construction polymers in engineering and alternative materials has always occupied a place in the market. In the production process of polymer resins, initiators can be used to lower the polymerization reaction energy threshold, which can improve reaction efficiency and reduce energy loss. However, as a commonly used energetic substance in the polymerization process, azos have caused related process hazards due to their exothermic characteristics. Because of this, it is essential to examine and analyze the thermal hazard characteristics of emerging azo substances, such as 2-cyanopropan-2-imemicarbazide (CABN). Although previous literature performs the calculation on related thermal hazard parameters of CABN, there is still exists a void for discussion in estimating the reaction model to avoid analogous hazards and enhance the existing thermal analysis. Based on the past literature, the reaction model is improved with thermogravimetric analysis as evidence. The revised thermal hazard parameters are calculated as the basis of control and mitigation measures, the kinetic model is used to estimate the modified safety parameters, and in the judgment of the runaway reaction, the critical temperature of the runaway is found by analyzing the influence of slight changes in ambient temperature on the reaction temperature. The results show that the critical temperature that causes CABN to enter the runaway reaction is delayed, and the hazard is lower than in the storage situation. Therefore, the thermal hazard to CABN mainly focuses on the safety environment and measures during storage.     

化学放热系统热爆炸潜在危险性评价

讨论化学放热系统的热稳定性和临界条件,用化学反应物无消耗的假设推导化学放热系统热失控(热爆炸)时的动力学参数临界值,得到热失控的判据、临界点火温度和熄火温度。提出用系统安全指数概念来评价放热反应系统发生热爆炸的潜在危险性,分析化学放热系统的平衡域。用硝酸甲酯分解爆炸实例,说明如何利用安全指数对具有热爆炸可能性的系统的潜在危险性进行定量评价,其预测结果与实验结果一致。     

低压环境对锂电池热失控释放温度影响

为研究锂电池在民航飞行低压特殊环境的安全性及发生热失控灾害后的高温危险性,通过可模拟飞行变动条件的动压变温实验舱开展系列实验,研究锂电池在不同低压环境下的（101,60,30 kPa）多节18650型锂离子电池热失控温度特性,采集电池池体温度及热失控喷射释放温度等参数。研究结果表明:随环境压力降低,圆柱锂电池间的热失控传播并不能被阻断,但锂电池热失控灾害所释放产生的高温区域减少,且高温持续时间变短,释放所产生温度的高温危险性随环境压力的降低而有所降低。     

Catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of alkylpyridines: Runaway scenarios studies

A number of runaway scenarios of the excess of hydrogen peroxide used during the N-oxidation of alkylpyridines, under closed and open conditions, were examined. It was found that, in most cases, if the volume of the liquid hydrogen peroxide solution occupies more than 10% of the total volume of a closed system (e.g. reactor and vent line between reactor and blockage), the production of gases raises the pressure so quickly that evaporation is completely suppressed. Higher than 70% filling levels result in complete expansion of the liquid. The MTSR(t) of the system falls rapidly if the normal process temperature is high, but if a runaway occurs exactly at the end of dosing, MTST will be very high and secondary decompositions will rapidly develop. The results of this study are currently being used to critically assess the current approaches and further the study of inherently safer designs.     

Investigation of the decomposition reaction and dust explosion characteristics of crystalline dicumyl peroxide

The dicumyl peroxide (DCP) is widely used as a polymerization initiator, catalyst and vulcanizing agent in the chemical industry. A number of accidents have been caused by its thermal instability in storage or manufacturing process. Thus, its hazard characteristics have to be clearly identified. First of all, the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) is used to measure the heat of decomposition reaction, which can contribute to understanding the reaction characteristics of DCP. The accelerating rate calorimeter (ARC) is used to measure the rates of temperature and pressure rises of decomposition reaction, and then the kinetics parameters are estimated. Furthermore, the MIKE 3 apparatus and the 20-l-Apparatus are used to measure and analyze the dust explosion characteristics of DCP at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Finally, Semenov's thermal explosion theory is applied to investigate the critical runaway condition and the stability criterion of decomposition reaction, and to build the relationship of critical temperature, convective heat transfer coefficient, heat transfer surface area and ambient temperature. These results contribute to improving the safety in the reaction, transportation and storage processes of DCP.     

Thermal risk in batch reactors: Case of peracetic acid synthesis

The present paper deals with accidents risk in batch reactors. It identifies the conditions for the occurrence of a thermal runaway and develops a probabilistic approach to assess the relevant risk. It investigates also the conditions for optimal synthesis of peracetic acid (PAA) with hydrogen peroxide (HP) and acetic acid (AA). The kinetic model of reversible reaction and side reaction of PAA synthesis is used to predict reactor temperature and molar ratio of PAA by ASPEN PLUS software. A sensitivity analysis is performed under different conditions such as constant temperature or adiabatic process with different concentrations of sulfuric acid. Assuming a prior cooling system failure, the conditions for reaction runaway triggering a thermal accident are identified in the case of PAA synthesis. Monte Carlo simulations are used in order to calculate the conditional probability of accident and optimize the synthesis of PAA.