Global Safety Scan
TP-Cloud warns you when unwanted phases may form, meaning that they become thermodynamically stable. It currently predicts the stability of key solid phases, such as ice, dry ice and hydrates, and of free water. Future versions will also include checks for other solids such as sulfur, as well as acidic liquid phases.
These checks appear in several tools. The Property Calculator shows whether solids are stable at the selected conditions, and Phase Diagrams show where they become stable as temperature or pressure changes. In a process, the same checks are run across every stream at once by the Global Safety Scan, described below.
Running the scan
Once a process has been successfully solved, a full safety check can be performed by pressing the Global Safety Scan button.
A window will then appear where the user can perform various safety and flow assurance checks on all of the streams in the process.
If a safety check fails, a warning triangle will appear above the relevant stream. Details about the safety checks that have been performed can be accessed by navigating to the Safety Checks tab of the stream.
Pure solids
Solid formation can block pipes, damage equipment, and cause costly downtime. It also creates safety risks for plant operators.
TP-Cloud predicts when pure solid phases become stable. At present, it can identify:
- Ice (solid water)
- Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide)
This helps engineers adjust process conditions to avoid solid formation and maintain safe operation.
Water and hydrates
Clathrate hydrates, or simply hydrates, are ice-like solids that trap small molecules such as carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrogen inside a lattice of water. Think of it like "impure ice". Hydrate formation is a major concern in pipelines and flow assurance.
TP-Cloud predicts when hydrates become stable, allowing users to identify operating conditions that prevent their formation and keep flow lines clear.