Question: please keep answer simple please write clear n box in answer a. A contractor accidentally cut into a 10-in propane line operating at 800 psi
a. A contractor accidentally cut into a 10-in propane line operating at 800 psi at a natural gas liquids terminal. The large vapor cloud estimated to cover an area of 44 acres was ignited about 4-5 min later by an unknown source. Liquid products from 5 of 26 salt dome caverns fed the fire with an estimated 18,000-30,000 gal of LPGs for almost 6 hr before being blocked in and the fires extinguished. Both enginedriven fire pumps failed, one because intense radiated heat damaged its ignition wires and the other because the explosion broke a sight glass fuel gauge, spilling diesel fuel, which ignited, destroying the fire pump engine. b. An alkylation unit was being started up after shutdown because of an electrical outage. When adequate circulation could not be maintained in a deisobutanizer heater circuit, it was decided to clean the strainer. Workers had depressurized the pipe and removed all but three of the flange bolts when a pressure release blew a black material from the flange, followed by butane vapors. These vapors were carried to a furnace 100 ft away, where they ignited, flashing back to the flange. The ensuing fire exposed a fractionation tower and horizontal receiver drums. These drums exploded, rupturing pipelines, which added more fuel. The explosions and heat caused loss of insulation from the 8-ft x 122-ft fractionator tower, causing it to weaken and fall across two major pipelines, breaking piping- which added more fuel to the fire. Extinguishment, achieved basically by isolating the fuel sources, took 212 hours. The fault was traced to a 10-in valve that had been prevented from closing the last 3/4-inch by a fine powder of carbon and iron oxide. When the flange was opened, this powder blew out, allowing liquid butane to be released
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