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Spectacular Oil Tank Fire in Matanzas, CUBA ... Caused by lightning ??? 4

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MJCronin

MJCronin

Mechanical
Apr 9, 2001
5,097
Can we talk about BLEVE, ????

A BLEVE is a Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion a deadly and unpredicatble element in some storage tank fires.

Wikipedia tells us: (
A boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion ... is an explosion caused by the rupture of a vessel containing a pressurized liquid that has reached temperature above its boiling point. Because the boiling point of a liquid rises with pressure, the contents of the pressurized vessel can remain liquid as long as the vessel is intact. If the vessel's integrity is compromised, the loss of pressure and dropping boiling point can cause the liquid to rapidly convert to a gas and expand rapidly. If the gas is combustible, as is the case with hydrocarbons and alcohols, further damage can be caused by an ensuing fire.

Can we talk about the crucial importance of NEC compliant tank grounding systems ?

.... and finally, can we talk about the MASSIVE COSTS for this particular accident, with today's expensive oil ?




MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer
 
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How are these designed for lightning? Do they have 'air terminals'? or a special grounding system. You often see them isolated in a field where they would be 'good lightning targets'.

So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik
 
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Dik: See this document ...


"Because of the high incidence of lightning related tank fires, the American Petroleum Institute
(API) formed technical committee 545 to investigate the cause of these fires, evaluate tank
designs and write a standard to force changes in petroleum storage practices. API sponsored
testing proved that shunts will arc under all conditions, whether they are clean, dirty, rusty, wellmaintained, etc. ....

After years of testing and deliberation, in October 2009 the API published
API RP 545, Recommended Practice for Lightning Protection of Above Ground Storage Tanks for Flammable or Combustible Liquids.
This document makes three key recommendations to improve thelightning safety of petroleum storage tanks with external floating roofs, as follows:

1. Install submerged shunts between the roof and shell every 10 feet (3 meters) around the roof
perimeter. The shunts should be submerged by one foot (0.3 meters) or more, and if existing
above-seal shunts are present, they should be removed.

2. Electrically insulate all seal assembly components (including springs, scissor assemblies, seal
membranes, etc.), and all gauge and guide poles, from the tank roof. The insulation level
should be one kilovolt or more.

3. Install bypass conductors between the roof and shell no more than every 30 meters (100 feet)
around tank circumference. These bypass conductors should be as short as possible and
evenly spaced around the roof perimeter. They should have a maximum end-to-end
resistance of 0.03 ohms and be of the minimum length necessary to permit full movement of
the floating roof"]




MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer
 
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Great article, and information MJ... and the links are excellent.

So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik
 
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In that picture they're doing boundary cooling on an adjacent tank. Is the spacing between tanks considered so that they would not require require boundary cooling in such a situation?
 
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Looks like a dome tank roof, not a floating roof. The poles on the roof are likely air terminals or supports for suspended air terminal wires.
Screenshot_from_2022-08-06_18-34-37.1_vbku92.png

clipped from the cbs video
There is the possibility that the headspace contained an ignitable mixture, particularly with the tank being heated by the adjacent fire.
 
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We had an ethanol tank explosion recently near my house. Someone caught it on video:


When I was younger, there was a seal fire on an oil tank by my parents house. I think they focused on containing the oil vs extinguishing the fire. The tank was nearly empty when the fire started.

Duke Energy Power Plant Fire in Moss Landing (2003)

FACTS The fire was adjacent to Elkhorn Slough, a nationally-recognized critical estuary. Environmental concerns included water contamination and harm from smoke and ash. The cool marine air kept th…
sanctuarysimon.org
 
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Hello everyone

TugboatEng asks: Is the spacing between tanks considered so that they would not require require boundary cooling in such a situation?
The answer is yes, but the explantion is complex and detailed.

Rules for flammable/combustable liquid classification, tank spacing, tank construction and containment design are contained in:

"NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code"

NFPA 30's rules intend to minimize the hazards of flammable and combustible liquids. It is adopted by most states and enforceable under OSHA,

This internationally recognized flammable and Combustible Liquids Code presents the best guidance on the safe storage, handling, and use of dangerous liquids. It provides the criteria needed to design facilities for better protection, comply with sprinkler rules, and use safe operating of liquids storage cabinets, inside storage areas, and liquid warehouses * Sprinkler design rules for storage of all types of liquids Detailed requirements cover * Siting of storage tanks * Spill control, normal breather vents, and emergency relief vents for storage tanks

Additionally, there should be HAZOP/HAZID evaluation of the facility, a fire protection plan should exist and a fully equipped fire brigade should practice for this specific type of disaster. We have no idea what the plan was in this Cuban facility ....

Lightning induced fires at petro tank farms are nothing new!!... Lightning induced rim fires should be the major hazard that fire brigades practice for. Frequently, an AFFF foam system is already bolted in place, with nozzles pointed to fight this specific fire



MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer
 
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Thanks for the answer, I live next to a refinery and a chemical storage facility. They've both had fires. The one tank exploded in the video I posted but with no collateral damage. In the other cases the fires were confined to a single tank. I understand Cuba may not follow the same standards.

On a side note, We purchased some remote control mounted nozzles for FiFi capabilities on one of our boats. Talk about a garbage product... The nozzles would flip upwards once flow was applied because the manufacturer machined a step in the wrong place on the shaft and had to leave a nut loose so they could sell the product. This is a premier manufacturer. Eyes on you Stang.
 
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Thanks, MJ...

So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik
 
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A little "look-see" using GOOGLE EARTH, indicates that there are eight massive tanks at the CUBAN facility.... in two groups of four

The first group of four, I assume are older (they are nearest the loading facility) and the second (newer ?)group is farther away

The tank on fire is in the last in the first group..... an adjacent tank is now on fire.... the fire is spreading downhill ...

GOOGLE EARTH seems to clearly indicate a RED fire protection piping system surrounding and piped to only the second group of tanks


The NEWS report indicates that the tanked oil is used for power generation ... This probably means that it is heavy fuel oil and not crude

MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer
 
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MJCronin (Mechanical)(OP) said:
Can we talk about BLEVE, boys and girls ????
Click to expand...
Unlikely, heavy oil does not BLEVE. A boilover accident is a possibility.

[URL unfurl="true" said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boilover[/URL]]NFPA defines boil-over as: An event in the burning of certain oils in an open-top tank when, after a long period of quiescent burning, there is a sudden increase in fire intensity associated with expulsion of burning oil from the tank.
Click to expand...

I have seen this once, fortunately not associated with fire. Tank (volume about 5,000 gal) had about 8 feet of oil/water emulsion in it and perhaps 3 feet of water. As attempt was being made to de-emulsify the water the free water in the bottom was heated above 212F, perhaps to 215F. At some point the free hot water became buoyant enough to start to rise into the oil, where it did boil, creating a very rapid rolling of the oil in the tank, and liberating enough steam to shoot the oil & water froth out of the manhole and - we think more than 100 feet in the air. It left a rather large area to clean up.

Fighting oil tank farm fires is hard and dangerous.
Screenshot_from_2022-08-07_12-39-27_qq2ara.png

Reference Video: Fire in an oil storage tank - Boilover - Three rivers texas

Google map link
 
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Then, on a closely related matter .... The design of these important tank ...safety systems has changed over time

...there are the fine points of a proper Lightning Protection System (LPS) design for tanks located in the Tropics (2019 paper)


I also found this vendor document to be very informative:



MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer
 
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At one time Venezuela was trying to develop a market for emulsified heavy oil fuel in Florida. Never worked out as the ash was full of heavy metals. Their heavy oil (API°4) is effectively solid at room temperature.

Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."
 
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That local 10 link is the best by far.

These are a few screen grabs, but it looks to me like this is a dome roof tank, possibly with an internal floating roof, but it may have simply replaced or originally built that way and with some sort of tank breathing system.

However it looks like once it caught fire, it has simply buckled and the "explosion" is more likely to be simply the tank partly collapsing and spilling out large quantities of burning liquid which once it got some more surface area went up. You can see that the fire has spread outside the tank bund and in looks to me like the second tank has been completely burnt to the ground.

Screenshot_2022-08-08_122218_d92csf.jpg


Second tank looks destroyed
Screenshot_2022-08-08_122316_ihvqu1.jpg


tank rim starting to buckle
Screenshot_2022-08-08_122410_hvm0mn.jpg


Fire pool extending into the bund
Screenshot_2022-08-08_122605_atys2o.jpg


Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
 
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This reminds me of the Doraville,GA gasoline tank farm fire in 1972. I was only a few years old but I remember my Mom taking me to the window to see the sky glowing red at night. We live miles away but it lit up the entire sky. The fire lasted 3 days. The tank farm still exists and is located at Buford Highway and I-285 near Atlanta.



Kyle
 
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