Event
- Event ID
- 319
- Quality
- Description
A small leak of syngas (a mixture mainly consisting of hydrogen and carbon monoxide) resulted in a localised fire. The location was a bolted flange on the outlet carbon steel pipework of the High Temperature Shift Catalyst Vessel.
- Event Initiating system
- Classification of the physical effects
- Hydrogen Release and Ignition
- Nature of the consequences
- fire
- Macro-region
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Date
- Component involved
- flange (gasket)
- Failure mode
- leak & ignition
- Initiating cause
- unknown
- Root causes
- Unknown
- Date entry in HIAD
- 28/02/2009
Facility
- Application
- Chemical industry
- Sub-application
- Ammonia production
- Hydrogen supply chain stage
- All components affected
flange,
High Temperature Shift Catalyst Vessel.- Process temperature range [C]
- High temperature (100°C to 500°C)
- Location type
- Unknown
- Location
- industrial area
- Operational condition
Emergency & Consequences
- Number of fatalities
- 0
- Number of injured persons
- 0
- Emergency action
The incident was identified and quickly brought under control by initiating a controlled shutdown of the plant where the flame size was reduced and ultimately extinguished.
It was not considered necessary to initiate the plant Emergency Shutdown procedure. The leak occurred at an elevated and un-occupied position on the vessel.Since the leak occurred in the in the "hot front end" of the plant, a controlled the cool down was necessary, for 24 hours, after which the gasket could be replaced. The restart took around 36 to 48 hours.
In-depth data
- Release type
- gas mixture
- Involved substances (% vol)
- H2, CO
- Probable IGNITION SOURCE
References
- Sources categories
- HSE
- Reference & weblink
Event description provided by HSE, original source confidential
