HAZOP-proof ammonia plant: A new way of defining a safe and reliable design

This new technique, which meets interacting design criteria of a 1,800-MTPD ammonia project, offers special safety features and withstands a detailed HAZOP study.     

Anhydrous ammonia explosion in an ice cream plant

Causes and consequences of the explosion where firefighters and an employee barely escaped death or serious injury in December 1983.     

Modernization of an ammonia plant safety shutdown system

The Agrium Redwater Nitrogen Operations Ammonia 2 plant underwent a phased project to upgrade and modernize its automatic safety shutdown system. Agrium incorporated the use of safety integrity levels in the functional design and detailed design of the safety shutdown system to ensure that all required protections were implemented in a safe and cost-effective manner. This article discusses the methodology used to determine the scope of the system, the methodology used to define the functional design, the implementation strategy chosen and the key lessons learned from the execution of this project. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 28:282–292, 2009     

Experience with a simulator for training ammonia plant operators

A computer-based simulator was used for training operators prior to the start-up of a new fertilizer complex which includes a 1,350-MTPD ammonia plant, two 1,100-MTPD urea plants, and a steam and power generation plant with two 18-MW gas turbines. The simulator offered many benefits, which can be used for continued education of operators and engineering studies.     

Metallurgical examination of existing piping in an ammonia plant

Based on their previous problems and recent experiences at other ammonia plants, Columbia Nitrogen decided to inspect all high alloy piping containing hydrogen to determine if proper metallurgy had been used in piping and welds.     

Sensitivity of process risk to human error in an ammonia plant

Fault tree analysis evaluates the relationship between overall process risk and human failure probabilities. Based on this information, most critical areas of operator training and/or need for automatic systems are determined.     

CIL's experience with a computerized ammonia plant trip system

The computerized trip system has been in use since August, 1985, at the CIL Ammonia II plant. Superior reliability, essential avoiding unnecessary shutdowns, while protecting the plant from accident, is obtained through use of a fault-tolerant configuration.     

Commissioning of CIL's ammonia II plant

Special features of this process design contributed to fast start-up, including the role of the computer simulator for training purposes and the concept of commissioning by process test system.     

Causes of ammonia plant shutdowns survey V

The onstream factor for large tonnage ammonia plants has plummeted to 80.8 percent as inventory control and feedstock curtailment cause almost fifty percent of total downtime.     

Introduction to expert systems and potential ammonia plant applications

A conceptual approach for applying expert systems to ammonia plants, on an off-line basis, is discussed. These systems can be used for plant problem diagnostics, operator training, safety studies, and risk analysis.     

Analysis of vent area estimation methods for non-nomograph gases

The approach discussed in this paper is an attempt to allow a broader application of a loss prevention technique and to insure efficacy of the technique.