Tank farms are used for the storage of extremely flammable and explosive substances; Consequently, preventive fire protection is of major importance. When rehabilitation of such a tank farm is planned, contractors often advocate in depth – and thus pricey – measures. A fire-protection answer developed by TÜV SÜD demonstrates that an equivalent level of security may also be reached with a a lot more cost-effective resolution. A central function in damage limitation is played by early hearth detection using thermographic cameras.
Numerous tank farms throughout Germany store petrol, diesel, kerosene or liquefied petroleum gasoline (LPG). In contact with air, these highly flammable substances can type explosive mixtures. Given this, tank farms require special measures in the area of preventive hearth safety. If rehabilitation of fire-protection methods becomes necessary at an older tank farm, far-reaching measures should be taken, not solely by the use of precaution but also to exclude possible liability risks. And but not each measure that is technologically possible can be necessary in case of a rehabilitation, as could be seen from the instance of a tank farm in Bavaria, Germany.
The tank farm is located at a basin of a river port in Bavaria. The part of the tank farm in need of rehabilitation covers 24 tanks with a storage quantity of between 600 and 2,000 cubic metres. The tank farm is used for intermediate storage of highly flammable fluids with flame points of < 21 levels Celsius, as outlined within the German hazardous substances legislation. In hearth inspections and on-site inspections after incidents, the inspectors had identified major non-conformities within the fire-extinguishing system. To replace the outdated and non-conforming system, an engineering firm submitted an in depth listing of measures. These measures absolutely satisfied all regulatory requirements but represented a very cost-intensive resolution, requiring a full rehabilitation utilizing conventional extinguishing methods. For the tank-farm working firm, the prices of implementing these measures would have added up to 1.7 million euros.
In fire protection, the challenge lies in connecting well-founded technological knowledge and authorized know-how. In เกจวัดแรงดันภาษาอังกฤษ implies harmonising cheap engineering companies and legal applications to acquire a cohesive, economically feasible and easily carried out fire-protection concept.
Alternative solution developed by TÜV SÜD
At the operating company’s request, TÜV SÜD’s third-party experts validated the individual measures and the cost-effectiveness of the rehabilitation plan submitted by the engineering firm. Owing to the massive variety of deficiencies identified within the tank farm, the consultants first ready a listing of priorities with the measures essential to fulfil the safety requirements and achieve the protection objectives. They arrived on the conclusion that not the entire proposed measures really needed to be applied. Starting from this finding, they then drew up another fire-protection idea that would in the end reduce the projected costs by one third.
TÜV SÜD’s rehabilitation plan included the fire-protection infrastructure already in place on the tank farm, such as a non-automatic foam extinguishing system with a complete foaming-agent supply of 10,500 litres distributed across two tanks, two submerged pumps within the port basin with a pump capability of a hundred and eighty m3 per hour to make sure water provide for fireplace combating and sprinkling the shells and the roofs of the tanks, guide triggering of the shut-off valves and a transformer station powered by the regional power provider. The feed-in of emergency energy was effected by the native professional hearth division.
The engineering firm, against this, had planned to replace the entire fire-extinguishing system. They needed to install three mobile extinguishing-agent distribution techniques in container form for distant controlled sprinkling and foaming of the tanks. This solution would have required the installation of recent electrical, operational and management systems in addition to new pipe routes connecting the extinguishing-agent distribution systems with the fire-fighting systems in the tank fields. The costs for the three extinguishing-agent distribution techniques in container type alone would have added as a lot as round 1.2 million euros.
Incipient hearth fighting situation with intact energy provide and free access to the tank farm.
Implementation of three packages of measures
The alternative rehabilitation concept developed by TÜV SÜD, which also met the necessities of the Bavarian Building Code (BayBo [1]), supplied for three essential packages of measures to achieve the protection and security goals.
First, installation of a totally automated infrared measuring system made by DIAS Infrared to ensure early hearth detection. The system’s seven thermographic cameras are installed on pan-tilt units. They detect adjustments in temperature at the surfaces of the tanks made of various supplies and positioned in the area monitored by the cameras, earlier than these modifications in temperature can cause a hearth. As the cameras can move, the areas to be monitored may be divided into sectors. The cameras then strategy these sectors cyclically in sequence. To protect the cameras against exterior influences, they are housed in ventilated and heated weatherproof enclosures (Fig. 1). Monitoring focuses primarily on the safety devices of the tanks, pumps and motors and on the filling techniques on the tank-farm premises. The control room at the tank farm and the native skilled hearth department are notified immediately as quickly because the temperature exceeds a certain limit. The measure package also consists of distant triggering of the extinguishing-agent provide from the control centre and automation of the security devices.
Incipient fire fighting scenario with energy loss where entry to the tank farm is blocked by a cargo train.
In addition, it covers rehabilitation of the sprinkler and foam-extinguisher system. In this context, TÜV SÜD’s resolution supplied for substitute of the leaking and corroded pipe sections with new pipes and for installation of three mounted foam-extinguishing techniques in the type of foam screens to battle incipient fires directly. In addition, a mobile foam monitor was planned as a backup.
A third focus space issues safeguarding the power supply required for early fire detection and fire preventing. According to the regional energy supplier, power outages could have a length of at least half-hour. Given this, the tank-farm wanted an impartial power provide system that was in a position to ensure energy supply for at least 2 hours. The specialists relied on battery buffering and a diesel operated emergency power unit to resolve this drawback.
Fire safety must guarantee achievement of the safety goals
Protection aims and equal security level reached
The fire-protection answer offered by TÜV SÜD was agreed with each the tank farm’s operating firm, the municipal authority and the professional fire department. The three measure packages additionally complied with the required safety goals and the protection ranges. And ultimately, they proved far cheaper than the answer initially proposed. Since rehabilitation of the tank farm, early fire detection along side improved fire-protection infrastructure has turn into a central a half of harm limitation. Since the rehabilitation concept was carried out, the tank-farm’s working company – working with the professional fire department – has been able to successfully counteract all possible situations of incipient hearth successfully and at an early stage, even in circumstances of energy loss or when access to the tank farm is blocked (see Figures 2 and 3).
For extra info, go to www.tuev-sued.de/is or www.dias-infrared.de
Classification beneath the Bavarian Building Code (Bayerische Bauordnung, BayBo)
Tank farms are installations of a particular sort and use (special structures). Their operation entails the dealing with and storing of extremely explosive or flammable substances. Protection measures and security precautions thus not only fall inside the working company’s duty but are also a matter of public interest. Given this, the BayBO stipulates necessities including materials requirements which, as “General clauses of fireside protection”, assist to support the safety goals outlined in Article 12. However, based on article three (1) deviations from the technical constructing rules are possible if an alternate solution is discovered that’s equivalent by method of fulfilling the overall requirements in paragraph 1. In other phrases, the necessities laid down in the Building Code are deemed complied with if the generally recognised guidelines of architecture and expertise are fulfilled.
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