HAZOP PROJECT for (Title of Plant Design ChE141)

Sorbitol Production from Cassava Starch using Catalytic Hydrogenation

Sorbitol is a hexahydric alcohol with a straight chain of six carbon atoms and six hydroxyl groups. As a pure solid, sorbitol is a white, odorless, crystalline material. It has a negative heat of solution, hence produces a cooling effect when tasted. It is a water soluble polyhydric alcohol, having sweet taste and high stability besides properties of humectancy and plasticizing. Sorbitol is two thirds as sweet as sugar with one-third fewer calories. Sorbitol is produced either from starch hydrolysates, from glucose syrup, Introduction (Describe briefly your PD topic) or from dextrose monohydrate. Glucose can be processed from cassava starch. Cassava is among the most important agricultural crops in the Philippines specifically in Mindanao. Sorbitol is used extensively in a variety of consumer products, including food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial applications. Sorbitols largest applications, confections and food, are mature and expected to grow with population. As seen from the wide range of use of sorbitol, it is identified as the most commonly used polyol, and held the biggest market share among similar polyols. The industry is shifting to high-growth and high-consuming markets such as China

and other Asian countries (excluding Japan). The sorbitol demand in the Philippines is expected to grow at average 1.64% annually and perhaps could rise to 1.82% level if the economic strengthens. However, there is no local production of sorbitol in the country. Sorbitols good taste, reduced caloric value, versatility and other advantages facilitate its use in a wide variety of products. High abundance of cassava and the availability of technology provide a sound opportunity to locally produce sorbitol in the Philippines. With the increasing demand for products reduced in calories or fat, sorbitols use should increase as well. Considering the application potentials of sorbitol and the feasibility of exploiting the export opportunities, creation of sorbitol plant can be considered in the country.

Define the overall process design (box flowchart). In Scope & Limitation: highlights those units/boundaries

Sorbitol is produced by pressure hydrogenation of glucose solution using a Raney Nickel catalyst. It is a batch process and the reaction is as follows:

The reactor is stainless steel clad, jacketed for water cooling, and equipped with agitators.

that will be used for the HAZOP

The vessel is built to take pressures up to 2000 psi. Adjacent to the reactor is a catalyst make-up tank. The catalyst is prepared just prior to hydrogenation from Raney nickel an aluminium-nickel alloy (about 0% nickel by weight). It is made active by dissolving the aluminium from the matrix with warm (60C) 25% caustic soda. After the aluminium is dissolved from the matrix, the solution is treated with deionized water to remove sodium aluminate which formed during the caustic soda treatment. The catalyst is then charged to the reactor as a slurry by nitrogen. Deionized glucose solution about 3000 pounds of glucose per charge is then added to the reactor and agitation started. Hydrogen flow is turned on and the reaction begins. The hydrogenation takes place at 1000 psi and requires up to 3 hours to complete. During the reaction, the process temperature is controlled below 150C. About 1800 cubic feet of hydrogen are needed for each 1000 pounds of glucose charged. When the reaction is complete, the catalyst is allowed to settle to the bottom of the reactor. The pressure is reduced by venting the hydrogen back to the gas holder and then, reduced pressure is used to blow the supernatant sorbitol to a dual filtering system. The first is a Rigimesh micrometallic mesh. The catalyst is pyrophoric so it is separated from the sorbitol solution then washed back to the reactor without coming in contact with

air. The sorbitol solution is passed through a sparkler filter and any catalyst picked up here is inactivated and stored underwater. Meanwhile, the sorbitol solution is pumped to storage tanks to await further processing.

Overall HAZOP Objective: To identify the potential hazards and operating problems in the hydrogenation reactor

Scope & Limitations: Highlight those unit(s)/ boundaries that will be used for HAZOP. Define each boundaries and its operational node(s) of the facility under review.
The reaction is exothermic. A cooling system is provided to remove the excess energy of reaction. In the event of cooling function is lost, the temperature of reactor would increase. This would lead to an increase in reaction rate leading to additional energy release. The result could be a runaway reaction with pressures exceeding the bursting pressure of the reactor. The temperature within the reactor is measured and is used to control the cooling water flow

rate by a valve.

HAZOP REPORT

H2

NODE(s) (SubSystems) Considered:

H2

The subsystem considered is the cooling water system in the reactor. The nodes are the hydrogenation reactor, the cooling water line, stirring motor, and reactor feed line. List all Flow,

PARAMETERS.
(Pls. LIST DOWN

Level, Pressure, Temperature, Stirrer Agitation, Material, Concentration, Contaminants, Viscosity

ALL possible parameters and ensure that each parameter (ex. Level, Pressure, etc) has its own DEVIATION, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCE, SAFEGUARDS, SLR Ranking and RECOMMENDATI ONS). Refer to
the Guide your adviser has provided. Or use any HAZOP book guides.

E Reactor cools, reactant concentrati on builds, possible runaway on heating

Cooling water in control valve More Flow Cooli ng water fails Controller fails and opens valve Failure in the water system

Regular plant inspections Preventive maintenance 1 3 low Installation of cooling water flow meter

od Risk

DEVIATION

CAUSES

CONSEQUENC

SAFEGUARDS

Ranking

Severity

Likeliho

RECOMMENDATIONS

 Reactor operates at a feed ratio much Malfunction in Feed the feed control valve higher than the one indicated causing the formation of more byproducts Installed feed flow meter Instruct operators and 1 3 low update procedures More flow alarm

 Partially plugged cooling line Partial water source failure Less Flow Cooli ng water Control valve fail to respond Wrong routing Fouling of pipes, valves Cooling water in control valve not fully open Diminished cooling, possible runaway Reactor overheats Reaction will not proceed Regular plant inspections Preventive maintenance 2 3 high Installation of cooling water flow meter and low flow alarm to provide an immediate indication of cooling loss

 Reaction will Feed control valve not fully Feed open Possible leakage not proceed as desired Pressure build-up inside the reactor Loss of Failure of water sources Backflow due to
Revers e Flow

Instruct operators and Installed feed flow meter 2 3 high update procedures More flow alarm Constant monitoring

cooling, possible runaway Failure to utilize cooling properly Damage to upstream equipment Regular plant inspections Preventive maintenance 3 3 high

Installation of a check valve in the cooling line. A check valve could be installed both before and after the reactor to prevent the reactor contents from flowing upstream and to prevent

Cooli ng water

high backpressure Emergency venting Incorrect operation

 Control valve None Flow Cooli ng water fails closed Plugged cooling coils Cooling water

Loss of cooling, possible runaway Dangerous

Regular plant inspections Preventive maintenance Feed flow 5 3 high

Place controller on critical instrumentation list Select valve to fail open Install filter with

service failure Controller fails and closes valve Air pressure fails, closing Feed valve Pipe or vessel rupture Large leak Equipment failure Isolation in error

rise in reactor temperature Reaction will not proceed Pressure build-up inside reactor from high pressure hydrogen

meter installed

maintenance procedure Check and monitor reliability of water service Install cooling water flow meter Low flow alarm installation

 Outlet isolated Cooli ng Coils High Level React or or blocked Inflow greater than outflow Control failure Faulty level measurement Gravity liquid balancing Flooding Corrosion Sludge Pressure surges Overflow could cause injury to operator in the area Overflow would be contained b secondary containment system Level indicator installed Secondary containment Bundwall around reactor 2 3 low Regular plant inspections Preventive maintenance Automated control system that will manipulate feed flow

 Possible Inlet flow stops Leak Outflow greater than inflow Low Level Control failure Faulty level measurement Draining of pipe damage to downstream equipment Damage to agitator/stir rer, leading to vibration and leak and personal injury Installed level indicator 2 3 low

 High hydrogen inflow Surge problems Connecting to high pressure hydrogen Gas (surge) breakthrough Relief valves Reactor High Pressure isolated Thermal overpressure Boiling Scaling Foaming Gas release Imploding Exploding Changes in viscosity Reaction does not proceed as desired due to high temperature s brought by more of cooling water Explosion from pressure build-up Installed pressure gauges Pressure safety relief valves or rupture disks 5 3 high Install high pressure alarm system Install emergency shutdown system

 Insufficient supply of hydrogen Gas dissolving in liquid Condensation Low Pressure Undetected leakage Vessel drainage Open relief valves Chemical breakdown Sedimentation Reaction does not proceed as desired due to low pressures Installed pressure gauges 2 3 low Install low pressure alarm system

 Cooling system capacity limited, temperature increases Elevation in Insufficient supply of cooling water High water supply temperature Cooling Coils High Temperature Possible salt leakage Process fluid leak into coils Fouled coils Defective control valve Faulty instrumentation and control reactor temperature to hot spots Temperature runaway may occur if the temperature reaches dangerous levels Reaction does not proceed as desired due to high temperature Thermocouple Temperature controller 5 3 high Install high temperature alarm to alert operator in the event of cooling function loss Installation of a high temperature shutdown system that would automatically shutdown the process in the event of a high reactor temperature. The shutdown temperature would be higher than the alarm temperature to provide the operator with the opportunity to restore cooling before the reactor is shutdown.

 High cooling water inflow Low water supply Low Temperature temperature No exothermic reaction occurs Faulty instrumentation and control Fouled coils None controller handles Thermocouple Temperature controller 1 3 low Install low temperature alarm to alert operator in the event of cooling function loss Regular plant inspections Preventive maintenance

 No mixing Feed Stirrer No Agitation Stirrer motor malfunction Power failure continues possible accumulatio n of unreacted materials Stirrer motor More Agitation controller fails, resulting in high motor speed None NA 1 2 low Regular plant inspections Preventive maintenance interlock with feed line 1 2 low feed valve must fail closed on power loss

 Incorrect or OFF specification Wrong Material cooling water and reactor feed Incorrect operation Formation of undesired products Possible catalyst poisoning Sampling of reactor feed and cooling water 4 3 high Periodic inspections and maintenance of the cooling coil to insure its integrity

 Leaking cooling coils Leaking valves Phase change Reaction byproducts Reactor Wrong Concentration Incorrect feed specification Process control upset Ingress of water, corrosion products from high pressure system Loss of cooling, possible runaway Failure to utilize cooling properly Formation of undesired products Possible catalyst poisoning Sampling of reactor feed 3 3 low Install basic protection control and critical alarm systems that will monitor concentration

 Feed stream impurities (Na+ , Formation of Cl- ions, CO2, etc) Contaminated hydrogen from high pressure system Leaking cooling Contaminants coils Leaking valves Incorrect operation of system Interconnected systems Ingress of air: shutdown and start-up conditions unwanted by-products Catalyst poisoning Water contaminati on may cause inconvenien ces when cooling the reactants Less effective cooling May hinder the reaction Installed dual filtering system after reactor Cationicanionic exchange system 4 3 high Evaluation of the cooling water and reactor feed sources to consider any possible interruption and contamination of the supply Periodic inspections and maintenance of cooling coils and pipes

 Formation of undesired High solids concentration Settling of glucose More Viscosity solution (feed) Incorrect temperature Incorrect material or composition products due to possible presence of other compounds Higher feed to hydrogen ratio Higher retention time Installed flow meter in feed line Installed thermocouple and temperature controller 1 2 Low Regular plant inspections Preventive maintenance

 Formation of undesired products Low solids concentration Incorrect Less Viscosity temperature Solvent flushing Incorrect material Possible catalyst poisoning Slower reaction Low conversion of reactants to desired products Installed flow meter in feed line Installed thermocouple and temperature controller 1 2 Low Regular plant inspections Preventive maintenance