(27b) Optimal Placement of Relief Devices for Hydrogen Peroxide Pipeline Protection

The causes and effects of hydrogen peroxide decomposition have been widely researched and published. The two most common phenomena studied are contamination and thermal runaway. Depending on the cause and concentration, hydrogen peroxide decomposition can generate a large amount of oxygen, resulting in a volume expansion as many as 3000 times the starting volume. Heat released from the reaction may exceed the rate of heat lost to the surroundings, resulting in temperature increase and further intensifying the rate of decomposition. Relief systems must be adequately sized in order to protect the equipment from overpressure. While there are various guidelines circulated by leading industry organizations and manufacturers, most concentrate on the handling and bulk storage of hydrogen peroxide.

This paper examines the overpressure relief protection specifically for pipeline, particularly designed for hydrogen peroxide transport over an extensive distance. Presented as a case study, it includes a series of sensitivity analyses to obtain an optimal placement of relief devices along the pipeline. Both contamination and localized abnormal heating are examined for hydrogen peroxide concentration up to 70%. An assessment on an exposed and insulated pipeline will also be discussed.