Ammonia Dispersion in the Closed Space of an Ammonia Engine Room with Forced Ventilation in an Industrial Plant

Abstract

Air pollution is a global problem that is responsible for more than four million premature deaths each year. Air exchange in ammonia engine rooms is a priority for normal operating conditions, as well as in the event of an emergency release. A numerical approach with the use of computational fluid dynamics techniques can provide detailed data, such as spatial gas dispersion. Therefore, the objective of this study was to prepare a mathematical tool for the assessment of ammonia distribution in an engine room equipped with forced ventilation as a prediction tool for dangerous industrial setup working configurations. This study analyzed the uncontrolled release of ammonia during the production process in an engine room using Ansys Fluent software. It was observed that emergency ammonia leakage of 0.1 kg/s in the assumed air flow poses a great threat to the mechanics. In many simulated scenarios, ammonia spread to the entire building. Moreover, the mass fraction of ammonia was the highest in the gas stream right after its release. After being released, ammonia often accumulated in the ceiling zone, and in inactive exhaust chimneys, air inlets, and doors. It was observed that the effectiveness of the ventilation analyzed depended on the number of active air vents and exhausts, as well as their spatial distribution throughout the building.