Flange leakage caused a fire
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What are the causes of fire resulting from leaks in the flanges of high-temperature oil pipelines, and what are the remedial measures?
The reason for the fire caused by a leak in the high-temperature oil pipeline flange is that the oil is ejected in a mist form at high pressure, and when its temperature reaches the ignition point, it burns in combination with the oxygen in the air. The measure taken was to quickly close the valve connected to the leak point and shut down the system for repair. Use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire; after that, replace the gasket and resume production.
As a supplementary point, in the case of heavy oil, it catches fire when it reaches its auto-ignition temperature; after extinguishing the fire, steam is used for shielding； You didn’t say whether you work at a hydrogenation plant; the safety regulations there state that since there is pressure inside, it is not allowed to extinguish the fire – one can only try to cool down the system and relieve its pressure.
High-temperature flanges that leak and catch fire are usually due to problems with the gaskets; issues related to the weld seams are less common. It is recommended to cut off the affected part if possible, wait for it to cool down, and then replace it. Heavy oil cannot be truncated. To burn the medium, or after cooling, replace the gasket
In the vast majority of cases, flange leaks are caused by problems with the gaskets. High-temperature oil sprays out from the leak site, either catching fire on its own or leading to a fire when it comes into contact with hot surfaces or sources of ignition. Once a fire is detected, it should be extinguished immediately using a fire extinguisher or steam. The valves of the pipeline involved in the accident should be shut off urgently. For pipelines that do not affect normal production, the gaskets can be replaced after cooling. For important high-temperature pipelines, the bolts securing the flanges can also be tightened. If the leakage continues, the only option is to stop operations and replace the gaskets
Seal any areas that might leak in advance by wrapping them up. If there is no leakage in our slurry control valve, we wrap it along with the flange to prevent problems from occurring