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In the realm of chemical processing, particularly at the industrial scale, safety is of utmost importance. A predominant factor causing accidents within the chemical industry is runaway phenomena, primarily initiated by uncontrolled exothermic reactions. This review critically examines the often‐overlooked decomposition mechanisms as a significant contributor to thermal energy release, necessitating a comprehensive revision and understanding of both experimental and theoretical strategies for assessing thermal degradation. Key to this discourse is the explication of calorimetry as the principal experimental technique, alongside ab initio quantum chemistry simulations as a robust theoretical framework for quantifying the most relevant properties. However, more than mere cognisance of these methodologies is required for a meticulous thermal stability assessment. The review emphasizes identifying and quantifying fundamental parameters through experimental and theoretical investigations. Only upon acquiring these parameters, including kinetic, thermodynamic, onset, and peak characteristics of the exothermic decomposition reactions, can one effectively mitigate risks and hazards in designing and optimizing chemical processes and apparatus. Furthermore, this review delineates qualitative and quantitative methodologies for hazard assessment, proffering strategies for estimating safe operational conditions and sizing relief devices. The paper culminates in exploring future trajectories in thermal stability assessments, focusing on emerging applications in lithium‐ion batteries, electrolyzers, electrified reactors, ionic liquids, artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches. Thus, the paper underlines the evolving landscape of thermal risk management in contemporary and future chemical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the critical need for effective risk assessment and mitigation strategies in academic research environments. As research laboratories engage in increasingly complex projects, ensuring the safety of personnel, equipment, and the surrounding environment becomes paramount. These settings are prone to various vulnerabilities, including manual operations, transient states, and diverse training backgrounds. This work presents a case study focusing on the potential hazards and risks associated with Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The analysis examines critical factors such as catalyst use, high-temperature reactions, potential byproducts, and the influence of human error during manual operations. Utilizing a systematic approach that incorporates interaction matrices and HAZOP analysis, the study identifies potential undesired scenarios, ranging from minor incidents to severe consequences, and evaluates their likelihood and impact. In response to the identified risks, the paper proposes targeted mitigation measures specifically designed for the Fischer-Tropsch experimental setting, structured as layers of protection. The findings of this research offer valuable insights into laboratory safety in academic settings, providing a risk assessment and mitigation model adaptable to various experimental setups. By integrating theoretical frameworks with practical applications, this study aims to enhance safety standards in academic laboratories conducting Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and establish a foundation for continuous improvement in laboratory practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical industry often handles, stores, and processes molecules like hydroxylamine (HA) and hydrogen peroxide (HP), which can easily undergo thermal decomposition reactions. Hence, the ideal perspective is to have simple quantitative criteria to use during the equipment design phase, accommodating the possibility of exothermic degradations of substances to enhance process safety and avoid thermal runaways. To this aim, the Frank-Kamenetskii theory of self-heating (FKT) can be involved in determining the critical size of a storage vessel to guarantee the intrinsic safe storage of chemically hazardous materials. Eventually, the proposed design strategy will be implemented to design storage equipment for two commercial aqueous solutions of HA and HP, respectively. In this way, it will be possible to compare the inherent thermal hazard linked to the storage of these mixtures, evaluating the threshold vessel size above which the self-heating phenomenon of the materials becomes no longer controllable. The HA and HP mixtures can be used alone or together in chemical processes as oxidants or precursors for producing hydroxyl radicals. Under comparable conditions free of impurities and organic contamination, the results show that the system made of 50 %w hydrogen peroxide is more stable than hydroxylamine. This is reflected in a larger characteristic size of the storage vessel able to handle appropriately self-heating phenomena potentially leading to runaway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismic events can trigger a NaTech disaster, leading to the release of hazardous materials, fires, and explosions. These can occur within industrial complexes and along distribution networks as a result of natural disasters. Industrial plants, composed of structural and non-structural components, may be damaged when subjected to earthquakes of a given magnitude. Some examples of these disasters occurred in Kobe (1995), Kocaeli (1999), and Tohoku (2011). This study aims to assess the local seismic hazard by the implementation of different analytical approaches in a Major-Hazard Industrial Plant (MHIP) triggering a NaTech event. For the Bussi MHIP area, a geodatabase has been designed where geometric and geotechnical parameters have been associated with each geotechnical unit. The local seismic hazard has been simulated using 1D and 2D codes, considering two seismic hazard scenarios limit state SLV - SLC according to the National Building Code (NTC2018). In this study, the amplification factor AF has been calculated within the natural vibration range of an H2O2 storage tank located in the Bussi MHIP facility. This type of structure was chosen as it represents an element able to generate a relevant accident and consequently, a potential NaTech event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from oil and gas operations today are around 5,200 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) yearly, 15% of total energy sector GHG emissions. Most of these emissions occur due to natural gas leaks. Methane, a much more potent GHG than CO2, is the most significant single component of natural gas and, therefore, of these emissions. Part of these emissions results from routine operations such as flaring and venting, representing both an economic and an environmental issue. Many solutions have been developed to recover and use this natural gas instead of venting and flaring it. Three possibilities were simulated with AVEVA PRO/II, and a preliminary economic assessment was carried out with Guthrie's method. 30 kmol/hr of natural gas fed was assumed, according to average site data, therefore, small-scale plants are suitable. A first solution based on compression, though requiring high OPEX (> 280 k$/y), produces very low emissions yearly (1,140 t CO2-eq/y). Another possibility is to couple flaring to a microturbine for energy generation, but this solution is both uneconomical and has a high environmental impact (> 10,000 t CO2-eq/y). The last technology analysed is thermal methane pyrolysis. This possibility, often disregarded in environmental studies, involves the production of turquoise hydrogen and carbon black. Although characterised by high capital costs (almost 3 M$), it can reduce gaseous emissions since it stores the carbon part of hydrocarbons in the solid matrix that is formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for sustainable energy sources has recently promoted the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a low-carbon fuel. Although economic evaluations indicate the transportation of LNG as a convenient solution for long distances between markets and reservoirs, several concerns are still present regarding its safe use and transportation. The preliminary evaluations performed in this work indicate that credible releases deriving from real bunkering operations result in pools having a diameter smaller than 1 m, which has been poorly investigated so far. Hence, an experimental campaign devoted to the characterization of a medium-scale release of LNG was carried out either in the presence or absence of an ignition source. An evaporation rate of 0.005 kg s−1 m−2 was collected for the non-reactive scenario, whereas the measured burning rate was 0.100 kg s−1 m−2. The reduction factor of 20 demonstrates the inaccuracy in the commonly adopted assumption of equality between these values for the LNG pool. Flame morphology was characterized quantitatively and qualitatively, showing a maximum ratio between flame height and flame diameter equal to 2.5 and temperatures up to 1100 K in the proximity of the flame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hazards and operability analysis (HAZOP) is one of a dozen‐structured Process Hazards Analysis (PHA) methodologies that assess risks associated with operating processes to mitigate their consequences. HAZOP applies to all six stages of process design from discovery to decommissioning. Industry massively adopted PHA methodologies as a consequence of several industrial disasters in the 1970s that increased society's scrutiny of chemical operations. HAZOPs are conducted by multidisciplinary teams that rely on a set of guide words in combination with the system parameters to identify deviations from the design intent. The team discuss the causes and consequences of deviations, and the project owner modifies the process accordingly. It relies on heuristics rather than algorithms, so the formal structure gives practitioners the false sense that the analysis is comprehensive. Academic institutions increasingly apply PHAs to experimental work, but the scope of a HAZOP is often ill‐suited for this environment as it requires dedicated personnel with particular expertise. Here, we outline the essential features of a HAZOP analysis for early career researchers engaging in process development for conditions that include, for example, high temperature, high pressure, toxic compounds (Hg, phosgene, CO), and potentially explosive and flammable mixtures like organic peroxides. Web of Science indexed over 100 000 documents that mention safety in 2021 and assigned 1500 to chemical engineering. A bibliometric analysis grouped them into five clusters: (1) lithium ion batteries and nanoparticles, (2) fire, simulation, and combustion, (3) models, risk, systems, and techniques (including HAZOP), (4) water treatment, and (5) mechanisms and thermal runaway. [Correction added on 01 September 2022, after first online publication: The item number 3 in the preceding sentence was duplicated in the original published article and has been deleted in this version.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world annual hydrogen demand continues to increase with a direct impact on the global CO2 emissions. A potential solution is the production of CO2-neutral hydrogen (green hydrogen) using renewable resources. In addition to electrolytic hydrogen, biogenic hydrogen can increase productivity and enable the expansion of the H2 economy for regions with low availability of solar and wind, such as central Europe. In this work, the design of a decentralized biogas-to-hydrogen process (50 Nm3 h-1 H2 productivity) based on an electrically heated reformer was developed. An economic analysis has established the viability of this suggested production route: the Hydrogen production price remains below 6 € kg-1. It results that this innovative process requires approximately 0.6 Nm3 of biogas and 1.25 kWh of renewable electricity to produce 1 Nm3 of hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide is the leading anthropogenic greenhouse gas in terms of emissions from carbon-intensive industries, such as cement plants, steel mills and refineries. The deployment of CO2 (carbon) capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies plays an important role in reducing CO2 emissions on a global scale. When optimizing the CCS supply chains for the Italian peninsula, additional complexity is brought up by the Country seismic profile. This contribution provides a techno-economic assessment and optimization of a comprehensive CCS from Italian industrial stationary sources by aim of a multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming modeling framework. In particular, the model is conceived to simultaneously optimize the economic (i.e., minimum cost) and seismic (i.e., minimum risk) performance of a CCS system in the geographic setting of Italy. In this work, a case study aiming at a carbon reduction target of 50 % is presented by discussing the corresponding set of Pareto optimal solutions. Results show a trade-off between the two conflicting objectives, where the configuration with the minimum specific CO2 avoidance cost (68.8 €/t) is characterized by the highest value of risk (13.5 ruptures/year). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The data about illegal activities connected to the waste cycle refer to an alarming situation linked to the development of waste fires in Italy and the world in the last few years. Hence the interest in implementing new methodologies to study fires in piles of waste, understand the incidental dynamics, and draw scientific evidence on the nature of combustion is crucial. The investigation focused on a real case waste disposal fire in a company in northern Italy. Initially, the trigger involved a heap of unsorted municipal waste, with flames spreading to other heaps of twigs, wood, and paper and plastic storage areas. The damage was limited by the prompt intervention of the Fire Brigade, who took a few hours to tame and extinguish the flames. The entire dynamic was captured by internal security cameras and made available for investigations. This key element made it possible to compare the real evolution to model estimations. Therefore, the present work aimed to approach an actual case study via numerical simulation to give insight into the fire accident. To this end, it was decided to use the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) for an open field application. The application produced interesting results and paved the way for further research questions and debates regarding the effectiveness of this strategy for investigating incidental scenarios. In particular, it was possible to recreate the incidental dynamics assuming different compositions of the initial fuel matrix and their impact on the fire dynamics. However, some issues have emerged, including the lack of reliable data concerning fuel matrixes and their behaviour in open spaces. Another limitation is linked to the software unsuitability to implement heterogeneous material properly. On the contrary, internal safety distances among piles of stored waste were defined through empirical models and compared to what is embodied in the technical fire prevention rule draft concerning waste disposal facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of design and installation of fire detection and fire alarm system in buildings, when high ceilings are involved, it is likely to run into the limits of the more common standards. Several regulations fix a ceiling height limit beyond which heat, smoke, and combustion gas detectors should not be mounted. Among the available technologies, the aspirating smoke detection (ASD) systems have the highest limit (i.e., 40 m according to BS 5839-1:2017). Nevertheless, this technology should not be used when processes that yield smoke, fumes, dust, etc., are present, and an alternative type of fire detector needs to be employed. This is due to the necessity to avoid false alarms, which is critical for successful fire detection and alarm systems. The concomitance of these two situations, i.e., dusty environments and high ceiling height, is not unusual in the industrial sectors. To investigate it, the state-of-the-art solution is adopting the principles of Fire Safety Engineering (FSE). The FSE is based on calculations that consider the conservation of mass and energy and permit to predict several crucial quantities such as the smoke temperature, smoke volume (and layer height), and species concentrations resulting from a fire of a given size (ISO/TS 13447:2013). In this work, a series of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted to assess the performances of a fire detection system composed of heat detectors installed at heights up to 20 m larger than the standard limit. The characteristics of an actual building adopted for storage of hazardous materials and a real heat detector system were considered. The temperature field resulting from two different types of t2-growth fire, i.e., one ultra-fast and one with slow evolution, were analyzed. The corresponding alarm times were evaluated and compared with ASD characteristics timings, recognized as a benchmark for its high sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing sustainable solutions for power generation and transportation is crucial for reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs). The tendency in fundamental and practical research on this field has been characterized by investigating low or net zero-carbon sources. Among the available options, hydrogen may be employed as a possible energy carrier to reduce the local emissions of harmful gases. However, the intensive use of gaseous hydrogen is still limited by the issues related to its storage and transportation systems. In this framework, injection of compressed hydrogen into the existing natural gas pipelines is seen as a way forward to reduce the quantity of carbon-based fuel and will be studied in this work. Compared to building a dedicated hydrogen infrastructure, this solution permits lower capital costs and ensures system scalability (i.e., the possibility to add hydrogen gradually). However, the possible consequences of a gas pipeline failure can be altered. In this paper, a numerical evaluation is conducted to characterize hydrogen-methane mixture jet fire. The analysis is performed using integral models and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In the case of the computational fluid dynamic approach, an accurate thermodynamic properties database is employed. The distance from the releasing point at which the maximum temperature is reached (i.e., the length of the jet flame) is used as a monitoring parameter for the comparison. Results are compared with existing literature data and discussed to evaluate the safety impact of adding hydrogen to the natural gas network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release and dispersion of toxic materials from industrial equipment may pose severe concerns and have tragic consequences. The assessment of such scenarios relies on broad literature, approaches, and modelling tools that support estimating the impact area. However, hazard assessments do not generally embed the egress modelling and the impact of a toxic release on people evacuating. The present work couples a gas dispersion model with evacuation dynamics to estimate the near-field impact on people approaching a safe place. It is applied to a hypothetical case study concerning a release of dense chlorine, in which the effect of adopting different assumptions is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current trends in environmental impact reduction have promoted natural gas and hydrogen either as short-or long-term solutions. In both cases, liquid transportation in cryogenic form is associated with new concerns in terms of safety aspects. So far, infrastructures based on utilizing the liquefied natural gas (LNG) in port areas have been developed and realized worldwide. However, a uniform guideline and set of monitoring criteria are missing because of the lack of knowledge of the phenomenological aspects. This work deals with the numerical characterization of the visible cloud boundaries in the case of an unintentional release during bunkering operations and its comparison with the standard value for the flammability of cloud, based on the lower flammability limit. To this aim, real-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed. Results showed that both flammable and visible clouds were dramatically sensitive to the heat transfer with the substrate in an unconfined environment. Besides, turbulence seems to affect the flammable cloud expansion rather than the visible cloud. Eventually, results indicate that the flammable cloud can be up to 50% larger than the visible for confined and 20% large for unconfined environments, conservatively, on the safe side. These values can be adopted for design and emergency purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dealing with pressurized releases of CO2 from Carbon Capture and Storage systems is of topical interest for the safety assessment of such infrastructures. Evidence shows that a sublimating bank of CO2 can be formed following a loss of containment, which acts as a delayed source of heavy CO2 gas. This source of hazard requires estimation in terms of sublimating mass flow rate, flux, and thermal features. In this work, we illustrate an experimental apparatus to measure the main properties of sublimating CO2 banks for estimating safety parameters. Data concerning mass flow rate, fluxes and temperature were successfully estimated. We measured mass fluxes in the range from 160 to 240 g/(min·m2) of CO2, and we observed a relevant temperature variation. From experimental data, we proposed an approach to evaluate a representative driving force that includes the central feature of the CO2 to accumulate in the vicinity of the sublimating bank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After several high-profile fires in waste and recycling facilities, the industry is put under pressure, especially as the materials processed in waste recycling are getting increasingly dangerous. Fire is an ever-present possibility at most waste management sites requiring proper preventive and mitigative strategies because it can cause significant damage to people, property and the environment. Fire risk assessment may benefit from applying the concept of fire safety engineering and numerical tools to approach the phenomena quantitatively. However, the complexity of such fire scenarios requires a detailed analysis that also involves an insight into fundamental processes, including pyrolysis of solid waste matrices and combustion of pyrolizate. These steps are critical for defining safety features of fire scenarios in waste disposal facilities, but the availability of input data may limit the modelling capability of numerical tools. The present work deals with modelling a fire scenario of a bale of plastics starting from literature data in which both pyrolysis and combustion are addressed. Having an accurate reaction model is of paramount importance in modelling solid waste fires. However, full-scale fire tests in open fields will be required to validate and systematize how piles of material burn dependently on boundary conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to a Climate-Neutral economy requires a reduction of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and Carbon dioxide capture and geological storage (CCS) is a key technology that will contribute to mitigating climate change. Hazards and risks related to processing, transport, and storage of CO2 are not new aspects, but peculiarities of CO2 safety scenarios can lead to risk underestimation and misperception. Solid-phase occurrence and heavy gas dispersion, multiphase releases, leakages from wells and storage sites, and the integrity of equipment subjected to internal corrosion and cryogenic temperatures, are typical scenarios involved in CCS chains. These are often mentioned in technical standards and regulations and require proper advanced assessment. In this work, the main hazards and risk scenarios in CCS operations with a special focus on atypical instances that are peculiar to the case of CO2 will be reviewed. Open issues concerning the modeling of consequences and specific risk-related topics are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing fires in waste disposal facilities is of topical interest for firefighting and environmental protection. Statistics of fires that involve fuel matrixes made of diversified wastes are escalating and ask for an effective response, both in prevention and mitigation. Crucial to this target is the consideration of underlying phenomena, and modeling of fire dynamics and pollutant emission also via robust numerical simulations. In this work, fires in waste disposal facilities are addressed with Large Eddy Simulation to test the capability to catch the main phenomena of the combustion of wastes made of plastic and the consequent emission of pollutants. This approach is applied to fuel matrixes in form of piles of different sizes, made of polyolefins and polyvinylchloride burned in an open field. The atmospheric dispersion of pollutants, including soot, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen chloride are investigated under different environmental conditions. Besides, thermal aspects are addressed to come up with indications of the heat release rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Canadian remote oil sites, natural gas extracted with the bitumen is flared or vented, impacting on the environment. Providing a pipeline network to recover the gas is unaffordable in most cases. Here we propose the economic framework of an innovative process to recover the gas, based on pyrolysis at T = 1223 K and P = 0.1 MPa, performed in situ. Part of produced hydrogen combusts to sustain the process, while solid carbon is sold. We conceptualised and simulated in Aspen Plus two process alternatives. In configuration 1, the remaining part of hydrogen is sent to a gas turbine, where it burns to produce electricity. In configuration 2, the unburnt hydrogen is purified and sold. Both configurations reduce CO 2 emissions by more than 92 % compared to flaring. Both configurations produce a profit over 10 years, being their IRR above 20 % and payback time below 3.5 y. • Flaring and venting natural gas contribute to 1.7 % of Canada's global emissions. • Methane pyrolysis is a promising technology to abate oil sector's emissions. • We present techno-economics and sensitivity analysis of two process alternatives. • Turquoise H 2 sustains energetically the process that produces carbon, to be sold. • Emissions compared to the flaring scenario are reduced by over 90 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

QRA procedures applied to industrial equipment require special attention when dealing with unconventional hazard scenarios. In this perspective, the role played by severe natural events on the functionality of an industrial system is surely of interest in any exhaustive risk assessment study. The focus on earthquake initiating events is due to their severity and strong destructive potential that can lead to severe damages, domino effects and cross effects on residential and industrial sites. In this work, a probability approach that includes unconventional initiating events in usual Fault Tree and Event Tree analysis procedures is proposed to ensure a reliable earthquake-related event management. Main relevant parameters are evaluated, in addition to the typical expected structural behaviour of the industrial structure. The comparison between the scenario without the seismic event and that aggravated by the earthquake shows that, depending on the both the seism and structural parameters, such an unconventional initiating event worsen the final outcomes. Variations are depending on the site-epicentre distance and the seism magnitude and peculiar effects on the final outcomes are observed both in the FTA and ETA initiating branches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many emerging risks are related to strategic infrastructures carrying CO2 for sequestration purposes (CCS and EOR projects). Among these, a pressurized release induced by a rupture is by far the most common hazard scenario that may lead to serious consequences. A comprehensive source modelling approach should also include the description of effects related to impurities that are commonly included and accepted in captured CO2 streams. This work suggests a method to assess the influence of impurities with respect to a flow of pure CO2 and shows that an increasing impurities content alters both the phase change mechanisms and the temperature dynamics inside the pipeline. This effect is very sensitive to the pipeline length subjected to a release and the orifice size. A detailed analysis of the influence of insulation in the release dynamics shows instead a negligible contribution to the thermal dynamics mainly due to the irrelevant role played by conductive mechanisms with respect to convective and latent-related thermal processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compressed hydrogen gas is considered the most convenient and robust technological solution for long-term storage. However, several safety concerns are still under investigation. This work presents an experimental and numerical characterization of the jet flame produced after the accidental release from a high-pressure tank containing pure hydrogen at pressures ranging from 90 to 450 bar and release diameters ranging from 1 to 5 mm. Results are expressed in terms of temperature history and flame length. The complete set of measurements has been reported in the supplementary materials. Both integral and discrete models were employed. Besides, the computational fluid dynamic was integrated with finite reaction rate and accurate thermodynamic properties (from the ab initio approach) and showed excellent agreement with experimental data. • Experimental characterization of hydrogen jet fires up to high-pressure storage. • Comparison of experiments, empirical correlations, and computational fluid dynamics. • Integration of thermodynamic properties of compressed hydrogen calculated ab initio. • Estimation of the effect of boundary conditions on the flame length. • Evaluation of chemical and turbulence sub-models for hydrogen jet flames. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing COVID-19 epidemic highlights the need for effective tools capable of predicting the onset of infection outbreaks at their early stages. The tracing of confirmed cases and the prediction of the local dynamics of contagion through early indicators are crucial measures to a successful fight against emerging infectious diseases (EID). The proposed framework is model-free and applies Early Warning Detection Systems (EWDS) techniques to detect changes in the territorial spread of infections in the very early stages of onset. This study uses publicly available raw data on the spread of SARS-CoV-2 mainly sourced from the database of the Italian Civil Protection Department. Two distinct EWDS approaches, the Hub-Jones (H&J) and Strozzi-Zaldivar (S&Z), are adapted and applied to the current SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. They promptly generate warning signals and detect the onset of an epidemic at early surveillance stages even if working on the limited daily available, open-source data. Additionally, EWDS S&Z criterion is theoretically validated on the basis of the epidemiological SIR. Discussed EWDS successfully analyze self-accelerating systems, like the SARS-CoV-2 scenario, to precociously identify an epidemic spread through the calculation of onset parameters. This approach can also facilitate early clustering detection, further supporting common fight strategies against the spread of EIDs. Overall, we are presenting an effective tool based on solid scientific and methodological foundations to be used to complement medical actions to contrast the spread of infections such as COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The direct electrification of the steam cracking process is analyzed. • The electrified steam cracking is integrated into an ethylene production plant. • Coupling of an endothermic and an exothermic reaction in the same plant. • Economic analysis for electrified production of ethylene compared to fuel-fired. • Flexible process operation minimizes carbon dioxide emissions. This work reports the design of a flexible combined process in which electrified cracking and oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) processes are coupled. An economic viable alternative to the conventional fuel-fired cracking for the production of ethylene is identified. This solution reduces energy consumptions and carbon dioxide emissions. Replacing the radiative heating (fuel-fired cracking) with electrical heating (electrified cracking) or partially combustion of the feed (ODH process) provides the necessary heat to compensate the endothermicity of the reaction. Electrified cracking and ODH have higher thermal efficiency compared to fuel-fired cracking (97.1% and 98.1% vs 89.9%). Both electrified cracking and ODH process reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by 55.4 and 49.5 % compared to fuel-fired cracking. Moreover, coupling the 2 processes pushes the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to 57.7 %. From an economic perspective, this innovative and flexible process has operating costs comparable to the ones of traditional fuel-fired ethane cracking: 0.84 € Nm−3 C2H4 and 0.94 € Nm−3 C2H4. Finally, this combined process is not only the most profitable but also the one with the low carbon footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]