Quantitative risk assessment of an amine-based CO2 capture process

Abstract

This study presents a risk assessment study on an amine-based CO2 capture process. Based on the critical risks identified by a hazard and operability study (HAZOP) conducted in our previous work, we performed detailed quantitative risk assessment, including frequency estimation using fault tree analysis (FTA) and consequence estimation using the process hazard analysis software tool (PHAST). As a result of our FTA study on explosion accidents in the absorber column as a top event, we identified 25 basic events and eight intermediate events that lead to the top event. The probability of a T-102 explosion was estimated to approximately 3.55E-03 per year, which satisfies international safety regulations. Additionally, we performed consequence estimation for three types of accidents in an absorber, namely toxic substance leakage, explosions, and fireballs, under two different weather conditions, namely modest and worst conditions. It was determined that in the event of a toxic substance leakage accident, the effect zone of acid gas with high toxic substance content is approximately four-times larger than that of raw gas.