Tank farms are used for the storage of extremely flammable and explosive substances; Consequently, preventive fireplace protection is of main importance. When rehabilitation of such a tank farm is planned, contractors typically suggest intensive – and thus expensive – measures. A fire-protection solution developed by TÜV SÜD demonstrates that an equivalent degree of security can additionally be reached with a far more cost-effective solution. A central function in damage limitation is performed by early hearth detection utilizing thermographic cameras.
Numerous tank farms all through Germany store petrol, diesel, kerosene or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). In contact with air, these highly flammable substances can form explosive mixtures. Given this, tank farms require particular measures within the subject of preventive fireplace safety. If rehabilitation of fire-protection systems turns into necessary at an older tank farm, far-reaching measures ought to be taken, not only by way of precaution but also to exclude attainable liability dangers. And but not every measure that’s technologically feasible is also essential in case of a rehabilitation, as can 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 want of rehabilitation covers 24 tanks with a storage quantity of between 600 and a pair of,000 cubic metres. The tank farm is used for intermediate storage of highly flammable fluids with flame factors of < 21 levels Celsius, as outlined within the German hazardous substances laws. In fire inspections and on-site inspections after incidents, the inspectors had identified main non-conformities in the fire-extinguishing system. To exchange the outdated and non-conforming system, an engineering firm submitted an intensive listing of measures. These measures fully glad all regulatory necessities however represented a really cost-intensive solution, requiring a full rehabilitation utilizing traditional extinguishing techniques. For the tank-farm operating company, the costs of implementing these measures would have added up to 1.7 million euros.
In diaphragm seal , the problem lies in connecting well-founded technological data and authorized know-how. In apply this means harmonising cheap engineering companies and authorized applications to obtain a cohesive, economically possible and simply carried out fire-protection idea.
Alternative answer developed by TÜV SÜD
At the working 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 big variety of deficiencies identified within the tank farm, the experts first prepared an inventory of priorities with the measures necessary to fulfil the protection necessities and achieve the safety objectives. They arrived on the conclusion that not all of the proposed measures truly needed to be implemented. Starting from this discovering, they then drew up an alternative fire-protection concept that may finally scale back the projected costs by one third.
TÜV SÜD’s rehabilitation plan included the fire-protection infrastructure already in place on the tank farm, corresponding to a non-automatic foam extinguishing system with a total foaming-agent supply of 10,500 litres distributed throughout two tanks, two submerged pumps within the port basin with a pump capability of a hundred and eighty m3 per hour to ensure water provide 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 energy supplier. The feed-in of emergency energy was effected by the local skilled hearth division.
The engineering firm, against this, had planned to replace the entire fire-extinguishing system. They wanted to install three cell extinguishing-agent distribution methods in container type for remote managed sprinkling and foaming of the tanks. This resolution would have required the installation of recent electrical, operational and management techniques as properly as new pipe routes connecting the extinguishing-agent distribution methods with the fire-fighting methods within 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 fire fighting state of affairs with intact power provide and free entry to the tank farm.
Implementation of three packages of measures
The different rehabilitation idea developed by TÜV SÜD, which also met the necessities of the Bavarian Building Code (BayBo [1]), offered for three essential packages of measures to achieve the protection and security objectives.
First, set up of a completely automated infrared measuring system made by DIAS Infrared to make sure early fire detection. The system’s seven thermographic cameras are installed on pan-tilt models. They detect changes in temperature on the surfaces of the tanks made of various supplies and located within the space monitored by the cameras, before these changes in temperature can cause a fireplace. As the cameras can transfer, the areas to be monitored can be divided into sectors. The cameras then method these sectors cyclically in sequence. To shield the cameras in opposition to exterior influences, they’re housed in ventilated and heated weatherproof enclosures (Fig. 1). Monitoring focuses totally on the protection units of the tanks, pumps and motors and on the filling methods on the tank-farm premises. The control room on the tank farm and the local skilled fire department are notified instantly as soon as the temperature exceeds a sure limit. ไดอะแฟรม includes remote triggering of the extinguishing-agent provide from the control centre and automation of the security gadgets.
Incipient fire preventing state of affairs with power loss where access to the tank farm is blocked by a cargo prepare.
In addition, it covers rehabilitation of the sprinkler and foam-extinguisher system. In this context, TÜV SÜD’s solution provided for alternative of the leaking and corroded pipe sections with new pipes and for installation of three mounted foam-extinguishing systems within the type of foam monitors to battle incipient fires directly. In addition, a mobile foam monitor was planned as a backup.
A third focus area concerns safeguarding the facility provide required for early fire detection and fire preventing. According to the regional vitality provider, energy outages could have a duration of no less than 30 minutes. Given เพรสเชอร์เกจ , the tank-farm needed an independent power provide system that was ready to ensure energy provide for at least 2 hours. The experts relied on battery buffering and a diesel operated emergency energy unit to unravel this problem.
Fire protection should guarantee achievement of the protection aims
Protection aims and equal safety degree reached
The fire-protection solution presented by TÜV SÜD was agreed with each the tank farm’s working company, the municipal authority and the skilled fireplace department. The three measure packages also complied with the required protection aims and the safety levels. And ultimately, they proved far less expensive than the answer initially proposed. Since rehabilitation of the tank farm, early fire detection in conjunction with improved fire-protection infrastructure has turn out to be a central part of injury limitation. Since the rehabilitation concept was applied, the tank-farm’s operating company – working with the professional hearth division – has been capable of effectively counteract all potential scenarios of incipient fireplace effectively and at an early stage, even in circumstances of power 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 type and use (special structures). Their operation entails the dealing with and storing of highly explosive or flammable substances. Protection measures and safety precautions thus not only fall inside the working company’s accountability however are also a matter of public curiosity. Given this, the BayBO stipulates necessities together with material requirements which, as “General clauses of fireside protection”, assist to support the protection aims defined in Article 12. However, according to article 3 (1) deviations from the technical building laws are potential if another answer is discovered that is equal by method of fulfilling the general necessities in paragraph 1. In other words, the requirements laid down in the Building Code are deemed complied with if the widely recognised rules of architecture and expertise are fulfilled.
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