Showing papers on "Inherent safety published in 1997"

Inherently safer chemical process design

Abstract: Inherently safer product, process and plant design represents a fundamentally different approach to safety in chemical manufacturing. The process designer is challenged to identify ways to eliminate the hazards associated with the process, rather than to develop add-on barriers to protect people from the hazards of the manufacturing process and its materials. This is best accomplished early in the product and process design cycle, but it is never too late to apply inherently safer design concepts. However, the process designer must also recognize that most processes have many hazards, and must always retain a broad perspective when evaluating options. Design alternatives which reduce or eliminate one hazard may create or increase the magnitude of others. The designer must apply good judgment and appropriate analytical and decision making tools to allow him to select the best overall process alternative, considering all of the hazards.

Measuring inherent safety, health and environmental characteristics early in process development

Abstract: It is generally agreed that inherent safety is most effectively addressed early in chemical process development. Measurement of inherent safety, health, and environmental (SHE) characterisics of various process alternatives is important to effectively consider these charactersitics when selecting the best overall process. Several tools which can be used to measure inherent SHE characteristics of a chemical process early in development are briefly discussed.

Advancing inherent safety into methodology

Abstract: Competition in commodity centered chemicals, in the Chemical Process Industry (CPI), has led many chemical companies to consider cost reduction in every facet of their businesses. Once the obvious fixed cost control measures are achieved, the invention, development, and commercialization of new and existing products is questioned for cost reduction opportunities. The challenge is to bring the product line to market with sufficient volume and quality at a lower cost than any competitors. Short term and long term profitability, per capita of the corporation, must continue upward or at least break-even in the low end of the chemical business cycle. Consideration of the principles of chemistry and physics early in the development and throughout the life of a chemical product can eliminate the need for instrumentation or administrative controls that add significant cost to the product over its lifetime. This paper examines opportunities to use inherent safety principles to improve lifetime cost, while reducing or eliminating hazards.

System Safety Evaluation Method for Superconducting Maglev System

Abstract: This paper treats of the system safety evaluation method applied to the superconducting maglev system at its design stage. The maglev system is a large-scale system under development and required to achieve high safety as a public transportation system. Taking account of these features, the maglev system should be evaluated at its design stage and their results should be considered into the design. The authors propose a new system safety evaluation method, referring to the conventional standards, criteria and methods for railways, aviation, nuclear power plants and so on. This method consists of two ways: evaluation of the compliance with the system safety design criteria and evaluation in hazard reports based on analysis of scenario of accidents assumed. With these two ways, the maglev system is evaluated thoroughly from viewpoints of not only inherent safety function, but also personnel's operation and countermeasures to natural disasters. As a result, the method contributes much to eliminating various kinds of hazardous elements causing serious accidents; collision, derailment, fire and fatality.