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DESIGN CRITERIA

EMERGENCY DEPRESSURIZATION

PRG.PR.GEN.0007
Rev. 0
May 2010

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


File code: CRIDESBI.DOT
Data file: PRG_PR_GEN_0007_R00_E_F.DOC
CONFIDENTIAL document. Sole property of Saipem. Not to be shown to Third parties or used for purposes other than those for which it has been sent

PRG.PR.GEN.0007

Rev. 0

Data

May 2010
sheet 2 (14)

INDEX

SCOPE AND PURPOSE

REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

DEFINITIONS

4.

ACTIVITIES DESCRIPTION

4.1

WHY EMERGENCY DEPRESSURIZATION SYSTEM IS


REQUIRED.

WHERE EMERGENCY DEPRESSURIZATION IS


REQUIRED.

4.3

SECTIONALIZATION

4.4

DESIGN CRITERIA

4.2

4.4.1

General Philosophy

4.4.2.

Design capacity of the depressurization system

8
10

Fire case 10

4.5

Hot Depressurization

12

Other Scenarios

12

4.4.3

13

MDMT (Cold Depressurization).

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT

14

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


File code: CRIDESBI.DOT
Data file: PRG_PR_GEN_0007_R00_E_F.DOC
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PRG.PR.GEN.0007

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sheet 3 (14)

SCOPE AND PURPOSE

This document provides the design guidelines to be followed for emergency depressurization, unless
otherwise specified in Clients Criteria or by Licensors and Suppliers.
The application of this Design Criteria shall be subjected to accurate review of the results by a qualified and
competent designer to avoid unnecessary over sizing or design not adequate to the scope.
2

REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

PRG.GG.GEN.0001

Choice and Definition of Design Temperature and Design Pressure.

API-521 / ISO 23251

Pressure relieving and Depressurization System.

DEFINITIONS

BLEVE

Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion

Depressurization

Depressurization of a plant or part of a plant, and equipment usually via


vapour depressurization valves.

Sectionalization

Isolating sections of a unit to limit the volume that is exposed to leaks,


thereby making depressurization more effective.

MDMT

The Minimum Design Metal Temperature is the lowest temperature that


the equipment may possibly reach during start-up or shutdown and
exceptional cool down events caused by high rate depressurization, and it
shall be defined for all piping and equipment.

NLL

Normal Liquid Level

Settling out pressure

Equalized pressure throughout compressor loop after compressor


shutdown

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


File code: CRIDESBI.DOT
Data file: PRG_PR_GEN_0007_R00_E_F.DOC
CONFIDENTIAL document. Sole property of Saipem. Not to be shown to Third parties or used for purposes other than those for which it has been sent

PRG.PR.GEN.0007

Rev. 0

Data

May 2010
sheet 4 (14)

4.

ACTIVITIES DESCRIPTION

4.1

WHY EMERGENCY DEPRESSURIZATION SYSTEM IS REQUIRED.

Emergency depressurization facilities are specified to accomplish at least one of the following objectives:

a) To reduce the risk of catastrophic equipment failure and/or BLEVE during fire exposure.

b) To reduce the risk of equipment failure due to internal exothermic reaction (i.e. runaway process
reaction).

c) To reduce the amount of released material if there is a loss of containment caused by a leak and leading
to an unacceptable safety hazard.

d) To rapidly bring the facility into a safe state, in the event of other emergency scenarios such as loss of
instrument air or power failure;

Emergency depressurization system installation, when required, is to be provided in addition to relief valve,
as the latter cannot depressurise a vessel or a system, but it can only limit the pressure, during upset
condition, at its set point value (plus accumulation, according to the applicable code).
4.2

WHERE EMERGENCY DEPRESSURIZATION IS REQUIRED.

Emergency depressurization system should be foreseen for the application listed as follow:

a) Process equipment system containing volatile or flammable liquids susceptible to flashing under normal
operating conditions that can cause a bleve based on credible failure scenario.
The minimum quantity of liquid above which depressurization shall be provided, should be given by plant
owner / user.
If this information is not admissible, during Feed phase optimisation/sectionalisation studies can be done on
the basis of economics/operation considerations.
The following two exceptions applies:

1. For LPG storage, depressurization facilities are usually not applied due to the very large
depressurization loads that would result, and because liquid pool fires are deemed highly unlikely (no

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


File code: CRIDESBI.DOT
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PRG.PR.GEN.0007

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sheet 5 (14)

flanges below the liquid level, sloping floor, remote impounding, etc.) and BLEVE is prevented via
active and/or passive fire protection.

2. When the installation of depressurization valves and disposal systems is impractical or impossible
(i.e.: Natural Gas Liquid transfer lines). In this case, precautions should be taken to reduce the risk of
leakage and fire by minimizing the number of flanges.

b) High pressure process units (operating above 17.5 barg [250 psig], as per API 521 / ISO 23251),
processing toxic and/or flammable liquids and gases.

c) Processes in which an exothermic reaction can lead to exceed the equipment design conditions and
eventually loss of containment in a relatively short time (i.e. hydrocracking process)

d) Pressure vessels containing flammable or toxic gas that can be exposed to fire shall be evaluated on a
case-by-case basis. During fire scenario it is expected that these vessels may collapse even before
reaching the relief valve set pressure. In these cases depressurization is one mean to reduce the risk of
vessel failure.

e) Process sections that have the potential for developing a significant flammable or toxic cloud if there is a
leak.

f) Other applications should be evaluated through risk assessment, taking into consideration if
depressurization the equipment, section, etc. is an effective measure to lower the risks (i.e. reduce the
consequences or reduce the likelihood of escalation).

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


File code: CRIDESBI.DOT
Data file: PRG_PR_GEN_0007_R00_E_F.DOC
CONFIDENTIAL document. Sole property of Saipem. Not to be shown to Third parties or used for purposes other than those for which it has been sent

PRG.PR.GEN.0007

Rev. 0

Data

May 2010
sheet 6 (14)

4.3

SECTIONALIZATION

Sectionalization is a mean to make depressurization more effective by limiting the inventory of equipment
that is within the system.
Due to this reason Sectionalization:

Effectively reduces the risk of escalation by stopping or limit the release in case of fire or loss of
containment to the involved zone in order to minimize the loss of process product and the
depressurization system load. An appropriate plant layout, including fire walls and protection, may
be required in order to avoid that two different fire zones are involved in the same fire emergency.

Optimizes investment costs: (i.e.: by reducing size of flare system or number of shutdown valves).
Plant depressurization should be carried out in the way that peak loads from the different zones are
not simultaneous.

Sectionalization involves the use of emergency isolation valves, to stop flows from one system into another.
Sectionalization activity shall be carefully evaluated since generally introduces additional valves, hence,
additional costs, leak points and additional weight, as well as maintenance for the plant owner.
Sectionalization may create trapped inventories that are isolated from drain, relief or depressurization
connections. Moreover this shall be evaluated against the benefits of sectionalization to find a lowest cost
and risk solution.
The sectionalization shall be established as follows:
a) The unit/section/equipment that requires depressurization facilities shall be identified using the criteria in
(4.2).

b) The size/volume of the system to be depressured shall be defined including all of the equipment that are
normally involved in the same unit operation area.
EXAMPLES:
1. A distillation column with its related reboiler, condenser, accumulator and pump systems.
2. A large pressure vessel in a refrigeration loop that includes the open path with the compressor and
potentially other equipment.

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


File code: CRIDESBI.DOT
Data file: PRG_PR_GEN_0007_R00_E_F.DOC
CONFIDENTIAL document. Sole property of Saipem. Not to be shown to Third parties or used for purposes other than those for which it has been sent

PRG.PR.GEN.0007

Rev. 0

Data

May 2010
sheet 7 (14)

c) Where the size of the system and its plot area is large it may make sense to sectionalize this into smaller
systems (subject to cost evaluation).

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


File code: CRIDESBI.DOT
Data file: PRG_PR_GEN_0007_R00_E_F.DOC
CONFIDENTIAL document. Sole property of Saipem. Not to be shown to Third parties or used for purposes other than those for which it has been sent

PRG.PR.GEN.0007

Rev. 0

Data

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sheet 8 (14)

4.4

DESIGN CRITERIA

4.4.1

General Philosophy

The Following scheme summarize the depressurization workflow:

Depressurization

Sizing

Minimum Temperature

Cold Case
Fire
Hot depress.
Air Failure
Others

In generally depressurization calculation shall pursuit the following aims:


1)

Design capacity of the depressurization system (Flare header / sub header, flare system)
A number of different scenarios, shall be evaluated: i.e. Fire case, Hot depressurization (Run way
reactor), instrument Air Failure etc. See API 521 (ISO 23251) for a comprehensive list of
depressurization causes.

2)

Minimum Design Metal Temperature of the Systems.


Because the effect of pressure reduction lower the temperature of the system.

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


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PRG.PR.GEN.0007

Rev. 0

Data

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sheet 9 (14)

Emergency depressurization typically meets the following criteria:


Depressurise the equipment to 7 barg [100 psig] or 50 % of design pressure, whichever is lower, within 15
min.
API 521 (ISO 23251) prescribes that the criteria of depressurization to 7 barg, or 50 % design pressure,
within 15 min as suitable for pool fire exposure of vessels with a wall thickness greater than 25 mm but may
not be suitable for thinner vessels, in which a faster depressurization rate might be required.
The use of vessel/piping passive fire protection (e.g. fire resistant insulation or fireproofing) may reduce the
temperature rise rate of the fire-exposed equipment. API 521 (ISO 23251) takes into account this fact by
reducing the environmental factor, F (equal to 1 for un-insulated equipment only), which might reduce the
heat input and hence the relief load during depressurization in case of calculation exceeding the design
flare load.
The thermodynamics path to be selected during depressurization is isenthalpic; except for the fire case, in
which Duty is calculate according API 521 (ISO 23251). In case Process simulator requires the PV term
work contribution it shall be equal to 0.

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


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PRG.PR.GEN.0007

Rev. 0

Data

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sheet 10 (14)

4.4.2.

Design capacity of the depressurization system


Fire case

The Designer shall evaluate the depressurization rate in case of fire, if applicable, since it normally
determines highest flowrate.
Input data for the depressurization calculation in fire condition are:
a) Liquid inventory (NLL for vessel as per API 521 (ISO 23251));
b) Vapour volume of the system;
c) Wetted surface
d) Initial condition ( Temperature and Pressure)

Calculation should be performed based on the following input; the initial pressure in the equipment under
consideration is the relief valve set pressure, or the pressure, which will be reached after 15 minutes of fire
exposure in case of manual emergency depressurization, or the maximum operating pressure in case of
automated emergency depressurization. In case of a Compressor system, the settling out condition should
be selected.
The initial temperature is the one reached at corresponding Pressure for each case explained above, to
calculate it, dynamics simulation should be arranged through adequate software.

Vapour depressurization calculation take into account the following:

a) Vaporization due to heat input from the fire;


b) Vapour density variation during pressure decrease and temperature change
c) Liquid flashing due to pressure decrease. (This factor applies only when a system contains liquid at
or near its boiling point).

Heat flux input shall be calculated according to API-521(ISO 23251) (for pool-fire impingement), and should
be taken into account for the duty calculation that the wetted surface decreases in time while simulation is
going on. An other method is according Stefan-Boltzmann formula (for jet-fire impingement) that allow to
take into account radiation, forced convection, flame temperature from any kind of external fire to the item.
The final condition, as a general case, is 7 barg [100 psig] or 50 % of design pressure, whichever is lower
within 15 min.

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


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PRG.PR.GEN.0007

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sheet 11 (14)

The above consideration are summarized in the table here

Automated
Depressurization

Initial Pressure

Initial Temperature Duty

Maximum

Temperature

operating

Corresponding @

Pressure

Initial Pressure

Pressure reached
Manual

after 15 min of fire.

Depressurization

(limited to the relief


valve set pressure)

Temperature after
15 min
of fire

Final Condition

API 521

7 barg [100 psig] or

(ISO-23251)

50 % of design

or

pressure whichever

Time

15 min

Stefan-Boltzman is lower
API 521

7 barg [100 psig] or

(ISO-23251)

50 % of design

or

pressure whichever

15 min

Stefan-Boltzman is lower

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


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PRG.PR.GEN.0007

Rev. 0

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sheet 12 (14)

Hot Depressurization

The designer should consider also depressurization without fire, in order to evaluate emergency scenario
such as runaway reaction.
Hot depressurization is performed to mitigate/stop the effect of a runaway reaction.
Normally two systems are installed; one for fast depressurization and one for slow depressurization. The
two systems has different function; the fast depressurization is used in particular in case of fire or loss of
recycle compressor for prolonged time in order to immediately stop the reaction, while the slow one is
normally used in case of short loss of recycle compressor, or loss of feed, in order to decrease the
pressure in the reactor and so the kinetic of reaction. If the opening of the slow depressurization valve is
not enough to reduce the pressure/temperature in the system, the quick depressurization valve can be
opened simultaneously.
The final condition, as general case, is 25 % of design pressure within 15-30 min with a max
depressurization rate of 10.5 bar/min each valve (limit give in order to reduce the flare load).

In order to calculate the depressurization rate consider that the pressure drop vs time as a logarithmic plot.
So the slope of the line can be calculated considering the following expression:
Slope = (ln Pf ln Po)/tdep
Where: Po is the operating pressure, Pf is the target pressure at the end of the
depressurization, tdep is the request max time for depressurization.
With the slope is possible to calculate the pressure drop in the first minute of depressurization and so the
max flowrate to size the depressurization facilities such as, valve and orifice plate size.
dP/min = Po *(1-eslope)

Other Scenarios

The designer should consider also depressurization without fire, in order to evaluate emergency scenario
such as: power/instrument air failure, operator mistake, etc.
In these scenarios, the initial conditions are, generally, those established in the system immediately after
isolation of the system.

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


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Data file: PRG_PR_GEN_0007_R00_E_F.DOC
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PRG.PR.GEN.0007

Rev. 0

Data

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sheet 13 (14)

4.4.3

MDMT (Cold Depressurization).

Cold depressurization calculations are performed to evaluate the Minimum Design Metal Temperature
(MDMT).
Cold Depressurization is performed based on following initial conditions; the Initial Pressure is the normal
operative pressure or settling out pressure for compressor. Temperature is the operating one.
The final condition to evaluate the MDMT is the minimum backpressure of the relevant flare system, or
atmospheric pressure if the system is connected to the atmosphere.
A particular scenario of cold depressurization is the depressurization after prolonged shut-down. If required
by contractual requirements, the Designer should evaluate also the Depressurization after prolonged shutdown. In this case the Initial Temperature is the minimum ambient temperature and the initial Pressure is
the one according the ambient temperature (the pressure should decrease due to Gas condensing). The
final condition is atmospheric pressure.

Initial Pressure

Initial Temperature Duty

Final Condition

Time

to evaluatre MDMT
Cold

Operating

Operating

Depressurization

Pressure

Pressure

Minimum flare back


-

pressure, or
Atmospheric Pressure

Depressurization

Pressure@

Minimum ambient

after prolonged

T ambient

temperature

Shut-down

Minimum

flare

pressure, or
Atmospheric Pressure

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


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PRG.PR.GEN.0007

Rev. 0

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sheet 14 (14)

4.5

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT

The minimum requirement of a Blowdown valve is described below:

Air Close/Air Failure Open (AC,AFO)

Tight Shut-Off (TSO)

Reduced bore (if there is not other contractual requirement)

Depressurization valves should fail in open position and maintain their integrity during the duration of the
emergency. For this reason either they shall be located outside fire area or, they shall be protected against
fire (fireproofing of body and actuator).
The installation of a dedicated air bottle, allowing 3 complete valve strokes, shall be evaluated in order to
operate the depressurization valve even in case of instrument air failure or to avoid simultaneous or
spurious opening.

Note
CSO: Car seal Open (is a minimum requirement).

Form code: MDT.GG.QUA.0516 Sht. 01/Rev. 1.94


File code: CRIDESBI.DOT
Data file: PRG_PR_GEN_0007_R00_E_F.DOC
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