Optimization of Multi-event Interlocks and Multi-layer Standby Mechanisms in Chemical Plants

Abstract

The design and maintenance of interlock and standby systems are critical issues to be addressed for safety and reliability of modern chemical processes Although the processing units in modern chemical plants are often equipped with various safety interlocks almost every conventional design was created by conjecturing the proper protective mechanism against a single abnormal event In reality multiple independent abnormal events may take place in various processes Thus there is a definite need to develop a systematic approach for designing the multi-event interlocks On the other hand every critical unit in a continuous process must always function normally and the multi-layer standby mechanisms are usually installed to sustain uninterrupted operation Furthermore there is also another class of continuous processes operated under varying loads and thus the multi-layer standby mechanisms are needed to ensure that the fluctuating demand is always satisfied The ultimate objective of the present study is to construct the mathematical programming models to address the optimization issues in implementing the aforementioned multi-event interlocks and multi-layer standbys Extensive case studies are presented in this thesis to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed methods

Date of Award	2020
Original language	English
Supervisor	Chuei-Tin Chang (Supervisor)