FSE120-Assignment6-Kaylie Petrey
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Dec 6, 2023
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FSE 120: Assignment 6
Boilover and BLEVE report
Total points: 50
Instructions:
Can be submitted as word or pdf file. Cite the references in the text and give the
list of references at the end. Use APA format and style.
Question 1: Boilover
a)
Explain Boilover (5 points)-
a boilover happens when the fire intensity suddenly
increases, due to water being vaporized and expanding rapidly, causing an expulsion of
burning fuels.
b)
Search online and identify one fire/explosion incident resulted from Boilover.
Specify the location, year, fuel(s) involved. (5 points)-
Nicaragua, 2016, crude oil tanks
roughly 150 feet in diameter
(Riecher, 2016).
c)
Explain the sequence of events that led to the Boilover.-
(Williams Fire & Hazard
Control) At 4 p.m. one crude oil tank was on fire, two tanks shared a containment dike. It
was not until 5 p.m. that the WF&HC was contacted. The floating roof failed causing the
geodesic dome to fall and sink the floating roof, this was after four hours of burning. The
crude oil was exposed, and fire rapidly spread across the fuel. To try and protect the
second tank, by adding cool water to the dike as it was already overheating. The second
tank contained naphtha. 25-30 feet of oil sat on top of the water and increased the boiling
point and expansion rate
(Riecher, 2016).
The WF&HC team did not arrive until after the
boilover had already began and the dike and both tanks were on fire as well as burning
fuel on equipment and fire from ruptured piping. The report stated the fire reaching all of
the firefighting equipment. Equipment for other areas was not enough to control the fire,
and so they had to wait for supplies to arrive (from Texas).
(Riecher, 2016).
Include photographs (if available) and sketches.
Photos:
(Blake & Singelis, 2016)
d)
Explain the aftermath of the Boilover event. Include details of the damage caused by
the Boilover if the information is available (5 points)-
The cost to extinguish the fire
would have costed more than the saved product was worth, so they allowed the fire to
burn. The naphtha tank exploded and launched product in the air. The containment center
was destroyed, the piping, terminals, and pumps were destroyed, and the fuel needed to
be cleaned up using special equipment
(Riecher, 2016).
e)
What safety precautions could have avoided the Boilover incident or reduced the
damage? (5 points)-
more fire extinguishing equipment near by rather than a country
away as the foam had to be shipped from Texas, on-site headquarters to hastily resolve
issues with officials and locals as the team had to fly in from Texas, and back-up portable
equipment onsite in case the terminals are destroyed. I would also recommend better
extinguishing equipment such as automatic hoses that release the correct foam, a shield
that can smother the fire, and/ or a continuous cooling system for prevention that cycles
cold water into the tank continuously. I would also recommend separate systems for
every tank to prevent spreading, and off-site system controls.
Cite the references in the text and give the list of references at the end. Use APA
format and style.
Question 2: BLEVE
a)
Explain BLEVE (5 points)-
Pressurized liquid reaches a temperature that cause it to
expand rapidly inside a vessel resulting in an explosion.
b)
Search online and identify one BLEVE incident.
Alberta, Iowa, 1998, two teens struck
pipelines carrying liquid propane from an 18,000-gallon tank.
c)
Explain the sequence of events that led to the BLEVE.-
The teens were riding ATVs
when they struck the pipeline, the teens rushed to a near by house to call 911 as the
vapors were ignited by a local source. The fire department arrived as the flames were
bellowing out of the vents surrounding the propane tank that was nestled near multiple
buildings on a near by farm. The fire fighters began to set up provisions to protect the
buildings. A potable water tank was used as no water source was near the tank, the tanker
then needed to driver two miles to refill the water. At 11:28 p.m. the tank exploded,
killing two fire fighters and injuring others.
Include photographs (if available) and sketches. (5 points)
Photos:
(
NFPA Fire
Investigations: BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion)
)
d)
Explain the aftermath of the event. Include details of the damage caused by the
BLEVE if the information is available (5 points)-
The tank exploded resulting in two
deaths and serious burns. A building was also struck by a piece of the tank and the rest of
the tank was scattered throughout the fields.
(
NFPA Fire Investigations: BLEVE (Boiling Liquid
Expanding Vapor Explosion)
)
e)
What safety precautions could have avoided the BLEVE or reduced the damage? (5
points)-
A NFPA investigation identified the lack of protection around the tank and the
pipes allowed it to be damaged, the flames beating on the tank weakened the shell and led
to its’ failure, the lack of a water supply posed a challenge, and the fact that the
firefighters were within the blast radius and did not relocate to a safer area even though
fire was directly on the tank. So, a local water source, more protection of pipe, perhaps
placing it away from structures, onsite prevention, and clear labeling of pipelines.
(
NFPA
Fire Investigations: BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion)
).
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References
Blake, P., & Singelis, P. (2016).
In Pictures: Billowing Flames and Smoke Rise From Oil Tank
Explosions in Nicaragua
. ABC News. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from
https://abcnews.go.com/International/pictures-billowing-flames-smoke-rise-oil-tank-
explosions/story?id=41512577
NFPA Fire Investigations. (n.d.).
NFPA Fire Investigations: BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding
Vapor Explosion)
. Bleve. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from
https://ncsp.tamu.edu/reports/NFPA/vapor_explosion.htm
Riecher, A. (2016, October 1).
Boilover in Nicaragua dies unchallenged
. Industrial Fire World.
Retrieved April 9, 2022, from https://www.industrialfireworld.com/530762/when-not-to-
pull-the-trigger