Vent system

Figure 9.4 A thick-walled pressure vessel might be economical when compared with a thin-walled vessel and its relief and venting system.

Whenever unvented combustion occurs iadoors or when venting systems attached to combustion units malfunction, a variety of combustion products win be released to the iadoor environment. Iadoor combustioa units include nonelectric stoves and ovens, furnaces, hot water heaters, space heaters, and wood-burning fireplaces or stoves. Products of combustion include CO, NO, NO2, fine particles, aldehydes, polynuclear aromatics, and other organic compounds. Especially dangerous sources are unvented gas and kerosene [8008-20-6] space heaters which discharge pollutants directly into the living space. The best way to prevent the accumulation of combustion products indoors is to make sure all units are properly vented and properly maintained. 

Most small Hquid helium containers are unpressurized heat leak slowly bods away the Hquid, and the vapor is vented to the atmosphere. To prevent plugging of the vent lines with solidified air, check valves of some sort are included in the vent system. Containers used for air transportation are equipped with automatic venting valves that maintain a constant absolute pressure with the helium container in order to prevent Hquid flash losses at the lower pressures of flight altitudes and to prevent the inhalation of air as the pressure increases during the aircraft s descent. Improved super insulation has removed the need for Hquid nitrogen shielding from almost all small containers. 

Methacrylic acid polymer is iasoluble ia the monomer, which may result ia the plugging of transfer lines and vent systems. Polymers of the lower alkyl esters are often soluble ia the parent monomer and may be detected by an iacrease ia solution viscosity. Alternatively, dilution with a nonsolvent for the polymer such as methanol results ia the formation of haze and can be used as a diagnostic tool for determining presence of polymer. 

FIG. 25-73 Typical detail of a passive gas venting system with a header pipe. (From Bagchi, A, Design, Construction, and Monitoring of Sanitary Landfill, Wiley, 1990.)... 

Control of ga.s movement by recovery. The movement of gases in landfills can also be controlled by instadhng gas-recovery wells in completed landfills (see Fig. 25-74b). This is considered an active venting system. Clay and other hners are used when landfill gas is to be recovered. In some gas-recovery systems, leachate is collected and recycled to the top of the landfill and reinjected through perforated lines located in drainage trenches. Typically, the rate of gas production is greater in leachate-recirculation systems. 

The couphng equation is a vapor mass balance written at the vent system entrance and provides a relationship between the vent rate W and the vent system inlet quahty Xq. The relief system flow models described in the following section provide a second relationship between W and Xo to be solved simultaneously with the coupling equation. Once W andXo are known, the simultaneous solution of the material and energy balances can be accomplished. For all the preceding vessel flow models and the coupling equations, the reader is referred to the DIERS Project Manual for a more complete and detailed review. 

Among other things, one prerequisite necessaiy to calculate the pressure relief openings needed on the apparatus is knowledge about the explosion threat definition and venting system hardware definition. Tne various influences are summarized in Table 26-22. 

TABLE 26-22 Explosion Venting System Design Parameters... 

Explosion hazard definition Venting system definition... 

Shared vent systems, utility systems, or equipment may result in incompatible materials coming together. 

Potential for fire traveling through the shared vent system. 

Provide separate vent systems for incompatible materials... 

Blockage of liquid Monitor pressure drop across vent system (e.g., effluent line due local indication, alarm or interlock) to closed valves,, Interlock valve in feed line to centrifuge results in flooding of basket and Equipment/line-up checks overflow from Remove unnecessary valves basket to solid col-. 5, lection system in base. Possibility of liquid spill. ... 

Monitor flow through vent system provide steady purge if needed... 

Make sure vent system is sloped to drain to knock-out pot (separator)... 

Vent system Test system back pressure before use inoperable, Flow indication or pressure drop indication or clogged. ACGIH 1986 CCPS G-3 CCPS G-22 CCPS G-23 CCPS G-29... 

For open filters, or when opening closed filters, solvent is flammable and may be above flash point with air present. For open filters, vent system failure may increase solvent vapor concentration, resulting in a fire or explosion. 

At the Lipari Landfill site in New Jersey, the gas venting system installed in 1983 consisted of two underground 4-inch (10-cm) perforated PVC pipes and five vent risers. Two parallel PVC pipes were installed 200 feet apart prior to cap emplacement during the period of wall construction and were placed about 3 feet beneath the finished grade. The vent risers were connected to the buried manifold pipes and consisted of open pipe installed perpendicular to the underground pipes and the ground surface. Filters were not attached to the riser exit points (U.S. EPA, 1987). 

Aeration of ferric sulfate should be held to a minimum because of the hygroscopic nature of the material, particularly in damp atmospheres. Mixing of ferric sulfate and quicklime in conveying and dust vent systems should be avoided as caking and excessive heating can result. The presence of ferric sulfate and lime in combination has been known to destroy cloth bags in pneumatic unloading devices. Because ferric sulfate in the presence of moisture will stain, precautions similar to those discussed for ferric chloride should be observed. 

These systems are ealled tempering (i.e., to prevent temperature rise after venting) systems beeause there is suffieient latent heat available to remove the heat of reaetion and to temper the reaetion at the set pressure. The vent requirements for sueh systems are estimated from the Leung s Method [31,32] ... 

Vessel is final scrubber in a flare, relief, or vent system and is designed to withstand maximum built-up back-pressure. 

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