Radiant Tube Rupture in Hydrodesulfurisation Heater Due to Uneven Flow Distribution
A vertical cylindrical fired heater was used on the charge to a hydrodesulfurisation reactor. The flow was two phase at the heater inlet (hydrogen and hydrocarbon). The distribution of flow to the multiple tube passes depends on symmetrical pipework and the pressure drop through the passes. There were no individual pass flow meters.During start-up when the flow was low a radiant tube ruptured in one pass. This was though to be due to static head in the U tubes of that pass with liquid in the up legs and vapour in the down. Thus there was no flow in that pass and it overheated.
Event Date
January 1, 1971
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Causes
Cause Comments
No flow, design inadequate and tube failure
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
reactors, reaction equipment and heater
Location Type
Location description
Industrial Area
Pre-event Summary
This was though to be due to static head in the U tubes of that pass with liquid in the up legs and vapor in the down. Thus there was no flow in that pass and it overheated.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
change in the design
Event Nature
Emergency Action
Unknown
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References
Event description extracted from the UK database ICHEME in PDF
ICHEME database is no longer available for purchase, but data can be download as PDF for free.
https://www.icheme.org/knowledge/safety-centre/resources/accident-data/
(accessed October 2020)