The glass plate level gauge at the bottom of the distillation tower suddenly burst
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An incident occurred some time ago during normal production: the glass level gauge at the bottom of the catalytic unit’s distillation tower suddenly burst, producing thick smoke, but no fire broke out. How do people usually handle this situation?
We encountered something similar here once as well; luckily, a standby employee happened to be passing by and manually closed the valve connected to the level gauge from the side, which prevented the situation from worsening further! (It’s a very simple action: once that backup person went down, his clothes were completely wet; upon returning, he said just two words, “I was scared.”) If a fire breaks out, the situation can be brought under control, and with the help of the fire department, the relief valves can be shut off as quickly as possible‘ ； When it cannot be controlled, stop operations immediately!
The slurry can catch fire on its own; you’re lucky to not have encountered that. At such times, personnel should wear proper protective gear and, while using steam to cover and isolate the air around the leak site, approach as quickly as possible to close the manual valve of the level gauge.
Glass level gauges used in areas with heavy oil often end up being useless, as the heavy oil tends to stick to the glass surface, preventing an accurate reading of the actual liquid level. In normal production, float level gauges and double-flange level gauges are primarily used, while glass plate level gauges can be omitted.
What was said upstairs is right! The glass plate level gauges in all the heavy oil sections of our units (atmospheric and vacuum distillation, catalytic units) have become useless, as the heavy oil tends to stick to the glass plates, preventing an accurate reading of the actual liquid level. So, resection is not necessary.
In the event of such an accident, the area should be immediately covered with fire-resistant steam. Personnel equipped with high-temperature heat-resistant suits should be sent to quickly close the hand valves located at the base of the tower near the level gauge, taking care to prevent anyone from getting burned； In our case, it’s just as described in the water version: on-site level gauges for things like crude oil tanks, reprocessed oil tanks, and the bottom of distillation towers don’t work at all; the readings are unclear. Using them actually increases certain safety risks, so it’s recommended to remove them, especially in high-temperature systems. After removal, by strengthening the maintenance of the differential pressure level indicators and float level indicators at the bottom of the tower, the safety factor can be ensured.
Do you also use glass plate level gauges in your slurry system? Cow, I think a floating ball would be better
Evacuate the bottom of the distillation tower to prevent the slurry from escaping, and then consider the issue of closing the glass-handled valve using steam. It’s dangerous if oil slurry keeps coming out. If the manual valve cannot be closed, an emergency shutdown is the only option
I haven’t encountered it, but I think the fastest way is to close the manual valve connected to the level gauge; in case of a fire, use a fire extinguisher to help close that valve as well. If it gets too big and out of control, call the police and retreat immediately. Saving one’s life is important, haha.
A lot has been said about how to deal with them. I would like to share my opinion on whether it is necessary to use glass plate level gauges: I think glass plate level gauges can be used, while float level gauges tend to get clogged easily； Our experience is with steam or flushing oil for protection and cleaning. Kill two birds with one stone.
The most important thing is to quickly cut off the two outlet pipes of the level gauge.