4 replies to this topic

[Botaj]

I am preparing a presentation on relief valves and blow down valves. Can i get help on finding a few past examples of disasters in the industry because of missing relief valve and blow down valve.

[paulhorth]

Botaj,

 

The Piper Alpha disaster, in summer 1989, killed 163 men and destroyed an oil platform in the UK North Sea. The initiating cause was that a relief valve on a standby condensate pump discharge had been blanked off. When the pump was started, the flange leaked and started a fire.

There were other contributing causes (often the case in disasters), such as the auto start of the firewater pumps being overridden.

You will find plenty of information about this disaster on the Web.

 

It is the duty of engineers to imagine disasters, and the deaths they cause, so that we can avoid real ones.

 

Paul

 

EDIT: Sorry, I got the date wrong, it was 1988.

Edited by paulhorth, 10 November 2014 - 08:40 AM.

[fallah]

Botaj,

 

Another accident at a refinery in Brazil in 1972:

 

According to press report, a relief valve failed to open when the pressure in an LPG sphere rose. To try to reduce the pressure, the operators opened the drain valve. A little water came out , and the LPG that followed it caused the valve to freeze, and the flow couldn't be stopped. There was only one drain valve; the LPG ignited, the vessel BLEVEd, and 37 people were killed. 

[Marc-Andre Leblanc]

Hello,

 

I suggest you look at the CSB.gov website ( U.S chemical safety board) a few accident are directly linked to PSV misdesign or have PSV related misdesign contributing to the accident:

 

Among these :

 

Marcus Oil and Chemical Tank explosion - Pressure vessel with no PSV getting overpressurised and exploding 

 

BP america refinery explosion (Texas city) - PSV relief to a blowdown drum subsequently form a vapor cloud and explode

 

MFG Chemical Inc. Toxic Gas Release - Undersized PSV lead to vessel Explosion

 

D.D. Williamson & Co. Catastrophic Vessel Failure - Pressure vessel with no PSV getting overpressurised and exploding 

 

T2 laboratories Inc.  Reactive Chemical Explosion  - Undersized/Misdesigned PSV lead to vessel Explosion

 

Goodyear Heat Exchanger Rupture - PSV isolated from vessel for maintenance lead to vessel Explosion

 

The CSB provide complete and detailled reports for each of these incident, they might have more related incident / reports available on the website.

 

I really suggest you take a good look at each of these report they are very informative and well written.

 

Regards

 

Marc-Andre

[breizh]

thanks for sharing !

Breizh