Conference Papers
Industry personnel often perceive low pressure tanks as being less dangerous than pressure vessels, particularly due to their less stringent standards for design and construction. However, this approach is mistaken as it overlooks the fact that a typical low pressure tank can often contain more material and be more easily opened to the atmosphere in response to a process upset when compared with a typical pressure vessel. This paper will discuss types of safeguards to prevent overpressure and vacuum of low pressure tanks, identify the strengths and weaknesses of these safeguards using consequence modeling techniques where applicable, and recommend overall safeguarding strategies in order to best utilize the strengths and mitigate the weaknesses of the available safeguards.
Mr. Drennen is a member of BakerRisk’s Process Safety Group. His work focuses on Process Safety Management (PSM) Consulting Services, including Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) and Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA) facilitation (for both existing processes and capital projects), Sizing calculations and hydraulic studies for pressure relief devices and relief headers, Detailed dispersion modeling of pressure relief system discharges to the atmosphere using Safesite3G©, Development of guidelines and work processes for relief system design and analysis, Safety Integrity Level (SIL) determination, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and PSM Compliance Audits, serving the Oil & Gas, Chemical, Agricultural, and Energy industries.
For his PHA and LOPA facilitation work, he has utilized various methodologies including Hazards and Operability (HAZOP), What-If, Structured What-If (SWIF), Hazard Identification (HAZID), and Checklist techniques to evaluate hazardous process operations, new equipment designs, and process modifications, using PHA Pro, PHAWorks, Leader, and PHA-Tool© documentation software.
As the biofuels industry continues to expand in support of global decarbonization mandates and objectives, facility owners and developers are being challenged to balance production efficiency, operational reliability, and personnel safety.
As high hazard facilities, biofuels sites should focus on developing a fire protections strategy informed by performance-based analysis so strategies implemented meet the unique challenges found at each facility.