Tank farms are used for the storage of highly flammable and explosive substances; Consequently, preventive fireplace protection is of major importance. When เกจวัดแรงดันน้ำมันเครื่อง of such a tank farm is planned, contractors typically recommend extensive – and thus expensive – measures. A fire-protection resolution developed by TÜV SÜD demonstrates that an equal stage of safety can be reached with a a lot more cost-effective resolution. A central function in injury limitation is performed by early hearth detection using thermographic cameras.
Numerous tank farms all through 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 within the area of preventive hearth protection. If rehabilitation of fire-protection systems becomes needed at an older tank farm, far-reaching measures should be taken, not solely by means of precaution but additionally to exclude attainable legal responsibility dangers. And yet not every measure that’s technologically possible can also be essential in case of a rehabilitation, as may be seen from the instance of a tank farm in Bavaria, Germany.
The tank farm is positioned at a basin of a river port in Bavaria. The part of the tank farm in want 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 degrees Celsius, as outlined within the German hazardous substances legislation. In fire inspections and on-site inspections after incidents, the inspectors had identified major non-conformities in the fire-extinguishing system. To exchange the outdated and non-conforming system, an engineering agency submitted an extensive record of measures. These measures totally satisfied all regulatory requirements but represented a very cost-intensive solution, requiring a full rehabilitation utilizing conventional extinguishing methods. For the tank-farm operating company, the prices of implementing these measures would have added as a lot as 1.7 million euros.
In hearth safety, the problem lies in connecting well-founded technological knowledge and authorized know-how. In apply this implies harmonising cheap engineering providers and legal applications to obtain a cohesive, economically possible and easily carried out fire-protection concept.
Alternative answer developed by TÜV SÜD
At the operating company’s request, TÜV SÜD’s third-party consultants validated the individual measures and the cost-effectiveness of the rehabilitation plan submitted by the engineering agency. Owing to the massive variety of deficiencies recognized in the tank farm, the experts first prepared an inventory of priorities with the measures essential to fulfil the protection requirements and achieve the protection objectives. They arrived on the conclusion that not all the proposed measures truly wanted to be applied. Starting from this finding, they then drew up an alternate fire-protection concept that might in the end scale back the projected costs by one third.
TÜV SÜD’s rehabilitation plan included the fire-protection infrastructure already in place at the tank farm, corresponding to a non-automatic foam extinguishing system with a complete foaming-agent provide of 10,500 litres distributed across two tanks, two submerged pumps within the port basin with a pump capability of 180 m3 per hour to ensure water supply for fire combating and sprinkling the shells and the roofs of the tanks, handbook triggering of the shut-off valves and a transformer station powered by the regional vitality supplier. The feed-in of emergency power was effected by the native skilled fire division.
The engineering firm, against this, had deliberate to replace the complete fire-extinguishing system. They wished to put in three cell extinguishing-agent distribution techniques in container form for remote controlled sprinkling and foaming of the tanks. This solution would have required the set up of latest electrical, operational and management techniques in addition to new pipe routes connecting the extinguishing-agent distribution techniques with the fire-fighting systems in the tank fields. The prices for the three extinguishing-agent distribution systems in container kind alone would have added up to round 1.2 million euros.
Incipient fireplace preventing state of affairs with intact power provide and free access to the tank farm.
Implementation of three packages of measures
The different rehabilitation idea developed by TÜV SÜD, which also met the requirements of the Bavarian Building Code (BayBo [1]), provided for 3 important packages of measures to achieve the protection and security aims.
First, set up of a totally automatic infrared measuring system made by DIAS Infrared to make sure early fire detection. The system’s seven thermographic cameras are put in on pan-tilt items. They detect changes in temperature on the surfaces of the tanks made of different materials and located within the space monitored by the cameras, before these adjustments in temperature could cause a fireplace. As the cameras can transfer, the areas to be monitored could be divided into sectors. The cameras then method these sectors cyclically in sequence. To shield the cameras in opposition to external influences, they are housed in ventilated and heated weatherproof enclosures (Fig. 1). Monitoring focuses primarily on the security devices of the tanks, pumps and motors and on the filling systems on the tank-farm premises. The control room on the tank farm and the native professional fireplace department are notified immediately as quickly because the temperature exceeds a certain limit. The measure bundle also consists of remote triggering of the extinguishing-agent provide from the management centre and automation of the protection gadgets.
Incipient hearth fighting scenario with power loss where access 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 offered for replacement of the leaking and corroded pipe sections with new pipes and for set up of three mounted foam-extinguishing systems within the type of foam monitors to fight incipient fires instantly. In addition, a cell foam monitor was deliberate as a backup.
A third focus area issues safeguarding the power provide required for early fireplace detection and hearth preventing. According to the regional power provider, energy outages may have a duration of no much less than half-hour. Given this, the tank-farm wanted an independent power provide system that was in a position to make sure power supply for no much less than 2 hours. The specialists relied on battery buffering and a diesel operated emergency power unit to unravel this downside.
Fire safety should ensure achievement of the protection objectives
Protection aims and equivalent security level reached
The fire-protection answer offered by TÜV SÜD was agreed with both the tank farm’s operating company, the municipal authority and the skilled fireplace division. The three measure packages also complied with the required safety aims and the safety levels. And in the end, they proved far cheaper than the solution initially proposed. Since rehabilitation of the tank farm, early fireplace detection at the side of improved fire-protection infrastructure has become a central a part of damage limitation. Since the rehabilitation concept was carried out, the tank-farm’s operating company – working with the professional fireplace department – has been able to successfully counteract all attainable eventualities of incipient fire successfully and at an early stage, even in cases of energy loss or when access to the tank farm is blocked (see Figures 2 and 3).
For more information, 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 special sort and use (special structures). Their operation includes the dealing with and storing of extremely explosive or flammable substances. Protection measures and safety precautions thus not solely fall inside the working company’s duty but are also a matter of public interest. Given this, the BayBO stipulates necessities together with material requirements which, as “General clauses of fireside protection”, help to support the protection objectives defined in Article 12. However, based on article three (1) deviations from the technical building rules are potential if another answer is found that is equivalent when it comes to fulfilling the final necessities in paragraph 1. In different phrases, the necessities laid down within the Building Code are deemed complied with if the commonly recognised guidelines of architecture and expertise are fulfilled.
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