After modifying the lower components, it is necessary to ensure that the dry separation valve functions properly, as well as that the oil and gas recovery system works correctly.
Report on an incident involving vehicle loading At 16:37 on June 24, 2018, in the fuel loading area of Qirun Chemical Co., Ltd. located in the Yellow River Delta High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, a hazardous materials transport vehicle caught fire during the process of loading diesel. As a result of this incident, 5 transport vehicles and some of the loading platforms were destroyed, but no injuries were reported. Based on the preliminary investigation and analysis conducted by expert teams, the process and cause of the accident were as follows: before the tank truck with license plate number Su CW9603, belonging to Jiangsu Jinluda Materials Co., Ltd., went to loading platform No. 27 at Dongying Qirun Chemical Co., Ltd. to load hydrogenated diesel, it had been used for loading and unloading 95# gasoline. From 12:30 to 14:30 on June 24, the maximum temperature in Dongying reached 38°C. The high temperatures caused a large amount of volatile light oils to evaporate from the tankers. Before loading the diesel, the driver closed the European-style manholes, which have good sealing properties, but did not lock them properly. At the start of the loading process, the gas connection valve on the tank truck malfunctioned, preventing effective connection between the tank truck’s gas line and the gas line of the oil and gas recovery system. The four breather valves on the tank truck were not inspected regularly by the operating party; as a result, oil and gas accumulated inside the tank truck during loading and continued to build up under pressure, without being able to be removed promptly through the gas recovery system. This caused the pressure inside the tank truck to exceed the bearing capacity of the seal at the manhole, leading to the sudden and abnormal opening of the manhole cover. The rapidly escaping oil and gas generated static electricity due to friction against the manhole, triggering an explosion of the accumulated oil and gas inside and outside the tank truck. The force of this explosion damaged the dry valves in the loading system at the bottom of the tank truck as well as its liquid phase connections, resulting in oil leakage and an escalation of the fire. Through in-depth analysis by the expert group, the renovation of the loading system at Dongying Qirun Chemical Co., Ltd. played a crucial role in preventing casualties and secondary accidents. Firstly, with the switch to a bottom-loading system, the loading platform that was originally part of the upper-loading system was removed; operators now operate from the ground instead of from the upper platform, which facilitates timely evacuation in case of an accident. Secondly, the liquid level line of the bottom loading system is equipped with interlocked shut-off valves, which enable interlocked shutdown in the event of an accident, thereby preventing the accident from escalating and secondary accidents from occurring. Third, a flame arrester is installed in the gas phase system of the bottom loading system, which effectively prevents the spread of flames from flammable gases in the event of an accident, thereby avoiding an escalation of the incident. Following the accident, the municipal Party committee and the municipal government attached great importance to it. The main responsible officials and those in charge issued important directives, calling for “proper handling of the aftermath, identification of the causes of the accident, thorough assessment of potential risks, effective implementation of corrective measures, and strict prevention of such accidents from occurring again”. In order to earnestly implement the instructions given by the municipal Party committee and municipal leaders, and to effectively prevent similar accidents from occurring, the following requirements are put forward to draw lessons from this accident and further strengthen the safety management of hazardous chemical loading and unloading operations.