FIRE TRAINING

SPECIAL FIRE HAZARDS

Reliance Fire Services

POTENTIAL HAZARDS
Loading/unloading

facilities.

Off-shore

facilities.
Storage tanks.
Spheres & bullets.
Cryogenic storage.
Pipelines.
Process areas.
Warehouses.
Electrical installations.
Office buildings/canteens.
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SPECIAL FIRE HAZARDS

BLEVE
UVCE
BOILOVER

& SLOPOVER
COKE STORAGE
TEAL STORAGE
HYDROGEN HANDLING
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BLEVE
Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion
A Sudden Conversion of the Liquid into Gas,
Increases Pressure and Results in an
Explosion

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BLEVE
Conditions:

Superheated Liquid, Stored above its Normal

Boiling Point.

Temperature Should Exceed its Critical Temp.

Liquid Vaporizes Rapidly Resulting in Excessive
Pressure Built-up & Explodes.
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EFFECTS OF BLEVE
Blast

wave: due to physical explosion and

flash evaporation of liquid.
Fragments: ruptured parts may travel to a
distance of one kilometer.
Fire ball: escaped rising gases ignites and
temperature may be around 11000C to
12000C
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BLEVE OF LPG SPHERE

Out

flow of quantity
Duration of fire
Diameter of cloud
Intensity of radiation
at the center of cloud

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: 46400 Kg
: 25.3 sec.
: 450m
: 171.6 kw/m2

CONSEQUENCES OF BLEVE
Damage distance for heat radiation
100%

lethality
50% lethality
1% lethality
First degree burns
No discomfort

: 390 m
: 450 m
: 635 m
: 1030 m
: 1930 m

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CONSEQUENCES OF BLEVE
Damage distance for pressure wave
Heavy
Repairable
Damage

of glass

: 200 m
: 600 m
: 2000 m

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UVCE
Unconfined Vapour Cloud Explosion
An explosion in which the cloud of vapor (gas
or mist) ignites in air , resulting in a
detonation accompanied by blast wave and
intense heat.

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UVCE
Conditions:
Release of flammable material
Sufficient mixing of the flammable material
in air to allow rapid flame front propagation
Ignition
UVCE occur in the open air, but have some
degree of confinement, which allows the
flame front to accelerate to achieve
explosion parameters.
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UVCE
Cyclo-hexane(flash

pt. -170C/B.P. 810C)

Processed at 1550C & 8.5 bars
Mechanical failure
Out-flow: about 100 tons
Duration: about 30 sec.
Area covered by fire: 40,000 sq. mt.
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BOILOVER
A Physical Phenomenon:
Occurs in Crude Oil & Residual Oil Tanks..
Boiling Point of Product 100 o C.
Lighter Fraction Burns First
Heavier Fraction Heats up & travels downwards.
Hot Layer of heavier Fractions called
Heat Wave.
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BOILOVER
Downward advance rate of heat-wave 500mm/hr
Temperature of heat wave reaches approximately
250 - 482 o C
Heat waves meets water layer at bottom causing
expansion to steam .
water expansion ratio 1700 times.
Oil is forcibly ejected out causing fireball.
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BOILOVER

Heat - Wave
Water Layer
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Conditions For Boilover to Occur

Full Surface Tank Fire
Wide Range of Boiling Points
Oil Emulsification/Bottom Water

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Prevention of Boilover:
Fire Extinguishment Should be Organised at
least Within 2 Hrs .
Try to Mix the product by using Mixers.
Check Position of Heat Waves with Water Spray
Risk Persist Even After Fire is Extinguished

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SLOPOVER
Products Forming Hot Zone
Products With High Water Contents or
Non- uniform Layering
Generation of Steam Bubbles- Floating on
Liquid Surface
Frothing Due to Foam/ Fire Water

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SLOPOVER
Phenomenon occurring in Heavy Oils.
Free Board Space of the Tank
Quiet-Like Boiling/ Slop Explosion

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COKE STORAGE
Surface

Oxidation
Initiation Of Surface Oxidation At Room
Temperature
Smoldering - Spreads Slowly Throughout The
Coke Heap
Smoldering Takes Weeks to Appear at the Surface
A Deep Seated Fires & a Hidden Source of
Ignition

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TEAL STORAGE
Co-catalyst

of PP plant
Pyrophoric in nature

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HYDROGEN HANDLING
Increased

Use of Hydrogen in Processes

Burning Generates Tremendous Heat
Burns in Explosive Manner
Invisible Flames
Very Low Inversion Temperature(-80 0C)

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