Methods are given for the design of dump tanks to separate the liquid
and vapour/gas phases from a two-phase emergency relief discharge from
a runaway chemical reactor. A small-scale test apparatus is described
which has been used to evaluate the design methods. Results and analy
sis are given for reacting and non-reacting systems, which give good a
greement with the predictions from the design methods for water depres
surization and a 'vapour-pressure' system. Results for a hybrid system
indicate the problems associated with deciding whether the major comp
onent of the relief stream is the gas or the vapour.