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Journal ArticleDOI

Calculation of Fire and Explosion Index (F&EI) value for the Dow Guide taking credit for the loss control measures

TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of the loss control measures (LCMs) on the F&EI value are not taken into account, which makes the plant look more hazardous, makes it more spread out, requires more elaborate emergency measures and alarms the public and the civil administration more than is necessary.
Abstract: The Dow Fire and Explosion Index (F&EI) is universally used in evaluating the hazard category of a process plant, area of exposure, expected losses in case of fire and explosion, etc. In the current procedure, the effects of the loss control measures (LCMs) on the F&EI value are not taken into account. This makes the plant look more hazardous, makes it more spread out, requires more elaborate emergency measures and alarms the public and the civil administration more than is necessary. It also affects the insurance premium. We suggest taking the effects of the LCMs into account in the F&EI value. We call this the ‘Offset F&EI’ value. It favorably affects all the above items, and other related ones. To do this, we have developed the relevant equations and have proved the efficacy of the Offset F&EI by means of an example.
Citations
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01 Jan 2012
TL;DR: In the last decade, a wealth of new literature has appeared that greatly challenges much of the conventional wisdom regarding the development of International Relations (IR) as discussed by the authors, and it is even possible to suggest that progress is being made in understanding the complex and multifaceted story of the emergence and maturation of IR as an academic field of study.
Abstract: (IR), that is, both the scholarship on the history of the field and the methodological principles involved in that research and writing, is more advanced today than at any time in the past. During the last ten years, a wealth of new literature has appeared that greatly challenges much of the conventional wisdom regarding the development of IR. In light of the new and sophisticated research on the historiography of IR, it is even possible to suggest that progress is being made in understanding the complex and multifaceted story of the emergence and maturation of IR as an academic field of study. Scholars have also discovered that researching the history of the field can lead to new insights that have critical purchase in the present. Today, disciplinary history has achieved a level of recognition and legitimacy that it formerly lacked. This is a dramatic improvement on the previously existing attitudes that many expressed about disciplinary history. Despite the growing pluralization of the field and the ever-expanding range of topics being investigated, an element of suspicion was cast on the task of examining its history. One possible explanation for the reluctance to grant legitimacy to this research task is the common notion that we already know the history. Another possibility is that those in the mainstream are satisfied with the dominant story that is told about the development of the field. In any event, there is no shortage of brief synoptic accounts of this history in introductory textbooks, state-of-the-field articles, and International Studies Association presidential addresses. These renditions frequently retell a conventional story of how the field has progressed through a series of phases: idealist, realist, behavioralist, post-behavioralist, pluralist, neorealist, rationalist, post-positivist, and constructivist. The image of the first three phases has been so deeply ingrained in the minds of students and scholars that there almost seems to be no alternative way of understanding the early history of the field. On the History and Historiography of International Relations

154 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A systematic procedure for the incorporation of safety into the conceptual design and optimization stage is developed and the final result is the optimum economic and inherently safer design for the reactor and distillation column system.
Abstract: For the processing industries, it is critically to have an economically optimum and inherently safer design and operation. The basic concept is to achieve the best design based on technical and business performance criteria while performing within acceptable safety levels. Commonly, safety is examined and incorporated typically as an after-thought to design. Therefore, systematic and structured procedure for integrating safety into process design and optimization that is compatible with currently available optimization and safety analysis methodology must be available. The objective of this paper is to develop a systematic procedure for the incorporation of safety into the conceptual design and optimization stage. We propose the inclusion of the Dow fire and explosion index (F&EI) as the safety metric in the design and optimization framework by incorporating F&EI within the design and optimization framework. We first develop the F&EI computer program to calculate the F&EI value and to generate the mathematical expression of F&EI as a function of material inventory and operating pressure. The proposed procedure is applied to a case study involving reaction and separation. Then, the design and optimization of the system are compared for the cases with and without safety as the optimization constraint. The final result is the optimum economic and inherently safer design for the reactor and distillation column system.

80 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a new method called SREST-layer-assessment method with automated software tool is presented that in a hierarchical approach reveals the degree of nonideality of chemical processes with regard to SHE (safety, health and environment) aspects at different layers: the properties of the chemical substances involved (substance assessment layer (SAL)), possible interactions between the substances (reactivity assessment layer), possible hazard scenarios resulting from the combination of substances and operating conditions in the various equipments involved (EAL)), and the safety technologies that are required to run a process safely and
Abstract: A new method called SREST-layer-assessment method with automated software tool is presented that in a hierarchical approach reveals the degree of non-ideality of chemical processes with regard to SHE (safety, health and environment) aspects at different layers: the properties of the chemical substances involved (substance assessment layer (SAL)), possible interactions between the substances (reactivity assessment layer (RAL)), possible hazard scenarios resulting from the combination of substances and operating conditions in the various equipments involved (equipment assessment layer (EAL)), and the safety technologies that are required to run a process safely and in accordance with legal regulations (safety-technology assessment layer (STAL)). In RAL, EAL and STAL the main focus is put on process safety. A case study is used to show the principles of the method. It is demonstrated how the method can be used as a systematic tool to support chemical engineers and chemists in evaluating chemical process safety in early process development stages.

34 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
30 Jul 2020
TL;DR: This work addresses the modeling and evaluation of a biomass gasification topology employing process simulation along with an environmental and inherent safety analysis, suggesting that compared to other processes, the analyzed topology shows relatively adequate performance considering the nature of this type of process.
Abstract: The growing awareness to advance new ways to transform renewable materials for producing clean fuels, under technical and sustainable viability, is evident. In this regard, hydrogen arises as one of the cleanest and energetic biofuels in the market. This work addresses the modeling and evaluation of a biomass gasification topology employing process simulation along with an environmental and inherent safety analysis. The presented pathway considered two renewable raw materials (cassava and rice waste) based on their vast availability in north Colombia regions. We employed Aspen Plus process simulation software to model the process, setting biomasses (and ash content) as nonconventional solids in the software and inclusion of FORTRAN subroutines for handling solid properties. Otherwise, the environmental evaluation was performed applying the waste reduction algorithm (WAR). At the same time, safety assessment involves a comprehensive approach based on the inherent safety index (ISI) and the process route index (PRI) methods. Data generated from the implementation of rigorous process simulation of biomass gasification allowed us to determine the needed aspect for performing process analysis methodologies. Results revealed that this topology generates a total flow of 3944.51 kg/h with more than 97% vol of H2, from the sustainable use of 19,243 kg/h of cassava waste and 15,000 kg/h of rice straw. From the environmental viewpoint, the process showed moderately to a high overall rate of potential environmental impacts (PEIs), with a higher contribution from process sources than energy sources. It indicates that most of the generated impacts would come from self-operation than from the energy supply generation. In the case of process safety, the topology obtained an ISI score of 35, which represents that modeled gasification would operate below 50% of the expected neutral standard for a physical-chemical process. Complementing the safety evaluation, the obtained PRI suggests that compared to other processes, the analyzed topology shows relatively adequate performance considering the nature of this type of process.

19 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A comparison of different safety metrics in their role to evaluate the risk associated with a given process design is presented, and how some indexes are better suited to capture the hazard characteristics associated with the process when changes in the operating conditions of most hazardous section were implemented.

17 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The DOW Chemical Occupancy Classification Guide (DOW Index) as discussed by the authors has become a standard document in many countries, including several developing countries, and has been used extensively in the DOW's Fire and Explosion Index Hazard Classification Guide.
Abstract: DOW's Fire and Explosion Index Hazard Classification Guide (DOW Index) has become a standard document in many countries, including several developing countries. The DOW Index, first issued by the DOW Chemical Co. in 1964, was based upon the Factory Mutual's Chemical Occupancy Classification Guide. The latter as well as subsequent revisions of the DOW Index are based primarily on the experiences in the U.S. which, while applicable to other developed countries, will not be applicable to developing countries in toto, due to differences in costs, training, attitudes and regulations. (This is not intended as a criticism of the situation in the developing countries, since many of the developed countries had themselves passed through similar situations in previous years.) Application of the DOW Index as is, therefore, results in lower than realistic values, thus giving a false sense of security than is actually warranted by the situation in hand. Suggested below are changes that should be and can easily be made to take into account the ground realities. Mentioned in separate sections are also a few comments on the recently issued DOW Index, 7th edition, to make it more internationally user-friendly, as well as suggestions to include some more items to make the DOW Index more dynamic.

28 citations


"Calculation of Fire and Explosion I..." refers background in this paper

  • ...In an earlier paper (Gupta, 1997), we had suggested enhancements in several penalty values for use in developing countries because the ground realities there are very different than in the developed countries where the Dow Guide originated and where it is periodically updated....

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