The development of a real-time emergency advisory system for batch reactors

Abstract Each year a number of runaway incidents occur in batch/semi-batch chemical reactors. This number may be reduced by applying various strategies. One approach is the use of a diagnostic expert system. This can act as an advisor to plant operators following the initial indications of process deviations. It may also provide the possibility of partial control to return the plant to normal, desirable operation and/or to aid automatic shutdown. The feasibility of using an expert system shell “COGSYS”, which has real time capabilities, together with a knowledge base derived from case histories, hazop and fault-tree analysis, provides such a diagnostic tool and has been used to investigate the manufacture of Phenol-Formaldehyde resin.