Risk-based design tools for process facilities

Xin, Peiwei (2017) Risk-based design tools for process facilities. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Process facilities include operations with different levels of risks. Risk-based design incorporates risk analysis into the design process and thus facilitates discovering design limitations and making improvements with respect to process safety. This work presents two risk-based design tools: (i) a hazard identification methodology and (ii) a risk-based layout optimization technique. The first tool developed and presented in this research is for dynamic hazard identification. In risk assessment, the first major step is hazard identification that helps to unveil what may go wrong during operation of a process. Traditional hazard identification tools have the limitations of being static in nature; changing circumstances are not considered in the existing tools. Therefore, the present work develops a new methodology which realizes hazard identification by tracing hazard evolutions. A generic model is proposed. The model is dynamic in making predictions for the most likely hazard in terms of different input evidences based on field observations. A risk-based design is to design for safety.Means of conducting risk-based design can be various. The second aspect of this thesis presents a risk-based design method that uses inherent safety metrics for layout optimization of floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facilities. Layout plays a paramount role in hazard evolution and thus affects the risk of an operation. Three topside layouts are proposed and evaluated using inherent safety indices. Finally, a layout is chosen as the most optimal one in terms of layout evaluation results. In this way, the layout becomes inherently safer and thus brings tremendous benefits to reducing risks as well as potential loss.

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