Is a flare required for the venting from the safety valve of the ammonia sphere tank?
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This post was last edited by gu*nchun888 on 2017-9-7 at 12:54. Background: The project requires the installation of two spherical tanks, each with a capacity of 1000 cubic meters, to store liquid ammonia. To handle the ammonia discharged by the safety valves of these two spherical tanks under accident (fire) conditions, treatment measures need to be put in place. According to Section 5.5.10 of the Petrochemical Regulations, the exhaust gas from ammonia safety valves must be treated before being released; the explanatory notes specify that common treatment methods for ammonia exhaust gas include absorption using water or dilute acid to reduce the concentration of the exhaust gas. My question is: (1) Is it acceptable to use water for absorbing the gas released by the safety valves of 2 spherical tanks, each with a capacity of 1000 cubic meters, to store liquid ammonia? (2) Based on relevant experience, safety valves are also installed at high prices to discharge gases from stored liquid ammonia. I would be grateful if all experts could share their guidance and experience.
It is likely too late to use water for fire discharge via the safety valve; burning it instead is a quicker solution
It’s not very advisable to burn it directly at the torch. It should be washed with water first and then burned in a flare; I think that’s a viable approach.
This is a good idea; it can **reduce the amount of fuel burned by the torch**. But there is one problem: how should the amount of emissions from the flare be calculated?
The safety valve is no trivial matter; consult an expert
The currently proposed plan is to send the ammonia released by the safety valve to the ammonia absorption tower of the process unit. I’m not sure if there’s a problem. From a technical perspective, there are no issues
Engage a design institute to develop an economical and feasible technical solution in accordance with safety standards.
This design presumably needs to take into account the backpressure release; it’s a good idea, but it’s unclear whether the design team will approve it.
Due to the fire conditions in the 1,000 cubic meter ammonia storage tank, the discharge rate of the safety valve is around 37 t/h; currently, such installations use elevated ammonia flares for handling this waste. For the safety valves of loading and unloading vehicles, water absorption or dilute acid absorption methods can be used, as the volume is very small, around 3–5 tons per hour.
The water volume is determined, the discharge volume is fixed, and the amount absorbed is known; what’s left goes to the flare. Which organization do you work for? I saw your post about the process package and I really admire it.
May I ask if there are any distance requirements between the elevated torch and the liquid ammonia tanks as well as other equipment?