Severe Fire in Hydrogen Compressor Building at Oil Sands Refinery
A severe fire in a hydrogen compressor building in a unifier unit of an oil sands refinery reportedly started in a 1,500 psi lube oil system. Fire fighting was difficult because of 40 degrees F temperatures. The building reportedly housed three centrifugal hydrogen recycle compressors, a centrifugal natural gas compressor and two 4,000 horsepower reciprocating compressors.
Event Date
January 20, 1982
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Causes
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
Reactor
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Industrial Area
Operational Condition
Pre-event Summary
On the day of the incident a recycle (and make-up) compressor was shut down due to hot valves.Description of the Installation:Feed (diesel stock) preheat is supplied via effluent exchange and a bottom fired vertical tube, four pass "can type" furnace. Each heater pass consists of 10 rows of 9-chrome tubes around the circumference of the radiant section and 12 rows of extended surface 9-chrome tubes in the convection section. External inlet block valves on each pass have been used for flow balancing. Combined heater outlet (reactor inlet) temperature regulates the fuel gas to four combination burners.
Currency
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Unknown
Event Nature
Emergency Action
Fire fighting was difficult because of 40 degrees F temperatures.
Ignition Source
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Flame Type
Source Category
References
References
source lost