Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) recently announced a key enhancement to its UniSim® design and simulation software, designed to help oil & gas manufacturing facilities improve safety and reduce capital expenditures for both new and existing installations.
Rapid depressurizing and gas expansion can result in very low temperatures, potentially putting equipment at risk of brittle fracture if the construction material goes below its ductile-brittle transition temperature. In addition, the entire pressure relief system, including safety valves, relief orifices, flare piping and knockout drums, must be sufficiently sized to handle the flowrates that occur during blowdown, in addition to the piping and capacity of the flare system. Similarly, having an accurate prediction of the maximum flow rate during blowdown is important for the reduction of overdesign associated with the relief valve/network sizing, without compromising on safety.
The new UniSim Design Blowdown Utility, designed specifically for oil and gas, petrochemical, and chemical industry applications assists in designing systems to allow for safe depressurization of process equipment. It also helps companies manage capital costs by more accurately selecting the right construction materials and blowdown system sizes needed for the site.