A good management practice is to set objectives before safety reviews are conducted. The objectives should include the timing for completing the objectives. Develop objectives for a safety review for the design of a polyether reactor described in Example 11-2 and Problem 11-5. As stated earlier, this reactor is used to polymerize ethylene oxide to form polyether or polyols.

Problem 11-5.

Conduct a safety review for the design of the system described in Example 11-2. This reactor is used to polymerize ethylene oxide to form polyols.

Example 11-2

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Consider the reactor system shown in Figure 11-6. The reaction is exothermic, so a cooling system is used to remove the excess energy of reaction (this is the design intent). In the event that the cooling function is lost, the temperature of the reactor would increase. This would lead to an increase in reaction rate, resulting in additional energy release. The ultimate result would be a runaway reaction with pressures exceeding the bursting pressure of the reactor vessel. Monomer Feed Cooling Water Out Cooling Water In TC Reactor X Cooling Coil Thermocouple Figure 11-6 An exothermic reaction controlled by cooling water. The temperature within the reactor is measured and is used to control the cooling water flow rate with a valve. Perform a partial HAZOP study on this unit to improve the safety of the process. Use the cooling coil as a study node, a process parameter of flow, and the guide words of NO, HIGH, and LOW.