Hydrogen Fire in the Hydro-Desulfurization Unit of a Refinery
A hot oil line (8-inch) in the hydro-desulfurisation (HDS) unit failed due to fatigue cracking. Hot oil at 50 bar and 343C sprayed across the roadway into the hydrogen units where ignition occurred. The pipe break was a guillotine -type, probably in the heat affected zone at 2 inches from a welding. The intense fire around the pipe rack in the hydrogen plant caused a hydrogen line (16-inch) to rupture, adding a second blow torch to the fire. In successive order, more pipes ruptured with explosions. Damage was extensive. The three hydrogen units and the four HDS units were heavily damaged or destroyed.
Event Date
December 13, 1984
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Causes
Cause Comments
The immediate cause is fatigue cracking of the oil pipeline, different sources referring to probable fatigue cracking, again probably hydrogen assisted. Failure of managing out-of-specification fatigue phenomena may be the root cause, or at least a contributing cause.
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
hydrogen (generation) unit
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Industrial Area
Pre-event Summary
9 years earlier vibrations had been noted on the gas line which failed. The structure had been stiffened by means of gussets. An hypothesis is that this intervention had amplified/accelerated the fatigue phenomena which was caused the break of the line., together with blistering due to hydrogen attack.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Unknown
Event Nature
Emergency Action
The fire lasted 6h30
Release Type
Release Substance
Ignition Source
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Flame Type
Source Category
References
References
A. Goel, Refinery Reliability Through Advanced NDT Methodologies,
Proc. National Seminar on Non-Destructive Evaluation Dec. 7 - 9, 2006, Hyderabad
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.216.4819&rep=r…
(accessed September 2020)
Description of he event in the database ARIA
https://www.aria.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/accident/7315/
(accessed September 2020)