Predicting duration of petroleum products evaporation in process units

PURPOSE. Predicting duration of petroleum products evaporation in process units is a necessary step in the development of engineering documentation before maintaining process units for under inflammable and combustible liquids. The article is devoted to one of the most common technological operations – gas space ventilation of process units. METHODS. The ventilation process is analytically described by the differential equation of material balance. Formulas for calculating ventilation duration are presented. Analytical determination of ventilation duration is performed. The procedure for the experimental study of the ventilation process is presented. FINDINGS. The ventilation process is conditionally divided into three periods: unsteady, stationary (main) and degassing period. The first and third periods are short-term ones. The main period depends on the amount of oil product residues in the process unit and its properties. RESEARCH APPLICATION FIELD. The results of analytical and experimental studies can be used for predicting ventilation process duration and assessing the level of its fire and explosion hazard during maintenance of process units and admission to hot works. CONCLUSIONS. The method of experimental and theoretical study of evaporation process of IFL (CL) and assessment of its fire hazard level is proposed.