Question 6 Health and safety and Environmental Issues (20 marks) (a) There are s

Question

Question 6 Health and safety and Environmental Issues (20 marks) (a) There are several design optimization methods. Explain briefly and concisely the difference between optimum economic design and optimum operation design. 6 (b) Three major hazards in processing plants are fire, explosion and toxic release. Explain briefly and in a concise manner what you would do to mitigate their risk factor and how would you do that? (c) In many chemical plants, there boilers to produce steam, heat and power. Explain in a concise manner, what actions you'd take to prevent these boilers from polluting the environment?

Explanation / Answer

(a) OPTIMUM ECONOMIC DESIGN: The main aim is to optimize the total cost that is being used in the production process keeping in view the various factors of the economic performance design such as the type of the processing technique used, processing equipment used, arrangement and sequencing of the processing equipment used in the design.

OPTIMUM OPERATION DESIGN: The main aim is to optimize the designing of the operations so that the desired product is achieved with the least amount of input which may be in the form of energy supply, raw materials etc.

The difference between optimum economic design and optimum operation design can be explained the use of the following example:

During the operation of a catalytic reactor, an optimum operating temperature may exist for each of the reactor sizes because of the equilibrium or reaction rate limitations. This particular temperature could be based upon the maximum percentage conversion.The optimum operation designing is just a part of the optimum economic designing to reduce the cost of the operation.

(b) To mitigate the risk factors of fire, explosion, and toxic release, the below-mentioned steps can be followed:

1. Installation of the equipments, machinery, and piping etc. should be done with utmost caution. Safety check must be carried out. At suitable points, safety valves must be installed.

2.Proper monitoring of the instruments, equipments and adequate repairs or change in parts should be done if it is required.

3. A team must be set up to conduct mock drills to help understand the complexity of such major hazards so that in the actual scenario, the loss of lives can be reduced to the lowest.

4. Regular check on the working of fire extinguishers and fire hydrants. They should be readily available if required.

5. In case of a toxic release, vacate the affected area immediately and stop the production process.

(c) The pollution from the boilers used to produce steam can be controlled by:

1. Use low sulfur fuel such as natural gas.

2. The burners having low NOX emissions must be encouraged.

3. Provide excess air for proper combustion as the fuel that has not been properly burnt results in the production of soot or carbon monoxide.

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