×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

metal structured packing - clean(new col) a fire risk?

metal structured packing - clean(new col) a fire risk?

metal structured packing - clean(new col) a fire risk?

(OP)
Dear all,

i understand the risk of structured packing fires during turnarounds etc. that a spark could be a major risk.

Is this the same case for a new install of stuctured packing into a clean column on a new plant.?

and is the risk the same as the packing is being stored?
ie do we need to be carefull installing the packing in a constuction site?

RE: metal structured packing - clean(new col) a fire risk?

Cases I have heard of involving structured packing fires are usually started by welding work inside the tower.  Slag or direct flame source impinges the thin metal and ignites.  Take proper precautions when performing hot work and you should not have a problem.

RE: metal structured packing - clean(new col) a fire risk?

Hi all,

Main risk with packing is presence of pyrophoric iron. This compound doesn't need spark to ignite, only oxygen. This is particulate dangerous in refinery vacuum towers.  Usually before opening for maintenance  such column are chemically washed. Even after cleaning during maintenance it is good idea to keep packing wet.

Good article: http://www.cheresources.com/ironfires.shtml

For installation of new packing , main concern is how to keep debris away from packing, also walking on them is not good idea.
I hope that your packing vendor will provide you enough data how to deal with packing during installation also many vendors offers supervisors for packing installation.

Regards,

Milutin

RE: metal structured packing - clean(new col) a fire risk?


Milutin, has given the good answer to this subject,which is a commom practice.


luis marques

RE: metal structured packing - clean(new col) a fire risk?

One of the plants at a site where I worked had a column fire due to welding slag which slipped down onto the packing below- area below the work was blanketed but not good enough. This was structured packing, I think wire gause bricks. This was shutdown work, but the tower was believed clean. The draft through the tower was believed to assist the propagation.

The workers felt the heat from below and evacuated. The tower was flushed with water. This was one experience anyway.

best wishes,
sshep

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources