Abstract

Recently, a new failure probability index was introduced that characterizes the operation of highly sensitive chemical reactors

(i.e. when highly exothermic / hazardous reactions are conducted). Based on this, the current paper exemplifies the application of

the risk analysis methodology proposed to generate the Pareto optimal operating solutions accounting for reactor productivity

maximization (product yield) and probabilistic risk minimization. The multi-objective optimization problem formulation

accounts for uncertainty in the runaway boundaries and for random disturbances of the operating parameters and control

variables (in the presence of technological constraints). Exemplification is made for a case study from literature, i.e. a semi-batch

reactor (SBR) of high thermal sensitivity used for the catalytic aceto-acetylation of pyrrole with diketene in homogeneous liquid

phase. In this paper, novel aspects related to the effect of shorter batch times on the selected Pareto-optimal solution are

approached.