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A Powerformer (catalytic reforming) unit, equipped with six furnaces sharing a common waste heat boiler (WHB) and flue stack, encountered a series of incidents. Initially, one of two recycle gas compressors tripped due to a short-circuit in the compressor motor cable. This was followed by the WHB automatic bypass system activating, directing flue gas to the stack due to a voltage dip caused by the compressor issue. After a temporary WHB shutdown, an automatic 'heat off' shutdown was initiated due to high flue gas pressure, leading to a decision to attempt a 'hot restart' of the furnaces. Although three reforming furnaces and the xylene column reboiler were successfully restarted, an ensuing fire erupted in the reboiler and escalated rapidly as hydrocarbons from the xylene column fuelled it. The intense fire resulted in the demolition and rebuilding of all furnaces, causing the Powerformer unit to be offline for around a year.
Ask yourself and your crew:
- How can something like this happen here (e.g. on our site)?
- What safety measures (i.e. procedures, controls/barriers) do we have in place to mitigate the risk?
- How do we know the risk controls/barriers are working?
- What improvements or changes should we make to the procedures, controls/barriers or the way we work?
Original content courtesy of IChemE Safety Centre
