Improved Structural Integrity for Arctic Designs by Ignition Isolation Control

The harsh environment of the arctic requires specialized safety solutions. One main safety issue in the arctic is the need for more enclosed modules. Enclosed modules are used for two reasons; to prevent ice and snow to expose the process equipment; and to prevent the cold climate to impose an unduly harsh working environment for operators. The enclosed mechanically ventilated process modules are different from the open naturally ventilated process modules that are normally used in offshore facilities. The explosion safety performance of the non-standard mechanically ventilated process modules has therefore been studied in detail through an extensive program of CFD simulations. It is seen that mechanically ventilated modules has explosion risk drivers that are distinctly different from risk drivers in naturally ventilated modules. It is seen that the ignition source isolation efficiency is significantly more important for confined modules than for standard naturally ventilated modules. The explosion design loads are therefore strongly depending on the ignition source isolation efficiency. Isolation control, and its impact on the explosion design loads, is discussed in this paper. The presented conclusions are of high importance in future developments in arctic climate.