pumps
Critical point As well as examining different types of industrial pumps and outlining technology developments and trends, Robert Avsec makes some recommendations for selecting the right solution.
L Ferrara’s Super Pumper is fitted with an HPV6000 pump from US Fire Pump. It has a flow capability of 6,256 gallons per minute (23,681 lpm) from draft at a discharge pressure of 125psi, exceeding the world record for pump performance.
arger facilities, decreasing fire-related funding, and more remote locations for new industrial plants are just some of the factors that are increasing the levels of fire risk and piling the pressure on fire pumps to fulfil their role at the critical time. Between 2011 and 2015, municipal fire departments in the US responded to an estimated average of 37,910 fires at industrial or manufacturing properties each year, with annual losses from these fires estimated at 16 civilian deaths, 273 civilian injuries, and US$1.2 billion in direct property damage[1]. And those are just the numbers that are reported by the municipal fire departments that regularly report fire incident data to the US Fire Administration using the National Fire Incident Reporting System. Currently, only about 60% of fire departments (career and volunteer) in the US submit that data to the USFA.
Event Number of Incidents Deaths Insured Loss ($ millions) Event Number of Incidents Deaths Insured Loss ($ millions) Major fires, explosions 45 477 $5,439 Major fires, explosions 45 477 $5,439 Oil, gas 15 36 3,056 Oil, gas 15 36 3,056 Industry, warehouses 14 73 1,845 Industry, warehouses 14 73 1,845 Other buildings 11 308 382 Other buildings 11 308 382 Other fire, explosions 3 22 81 Other fire, explosions 3 22 81 Department stores 2 38 76 Department stores 2 38 76 Table 1. Source: Insurance Information Institute. Facts + Statistics: Global catastrophes. Man-Made Disasters, 2017 Table 1. Source: Insurance Information Institute. Facts + Statistics: Global catastrophes. Man-Made Disasters, 2017
Top world property damage losses for land-based hydrocarbon operations (US$ millions) Rank Date Rank Date
Plant Type Plant Type
Event Type Event Type
Location Location
Country Property Country Property Loss (1) Loss (1)
2 2
Oct. 23,1989 Oct. 23,1989
Petrochem Petrochem
Vapour cloud explosion Vapour cloud explosion
Pasadena, Texas Pasadena, Texas
U.S. U.S.
3 3
Jan. 19, 2004 Jan. 19, 2004
Gas processing Gas processing
Explosion/fire Explosion/fire
Skikda Skikda
Algeria Algeria
940 940
6 6
Jun. 25, 2000 Jun. 25, 2000
Refinery Refinery
Explosion/fire Explosion/fire
Mina Al-Ahmadi Mina Al-Ahmadi
Kuwait Kuwait
820 820
88
Sep. Sep.25, 25, 1998 1998
Gas Gas processing processing
Explosion Explosion
Longford,Victoria Victoria Longford,
Australia Australia
750 750
10 10
Sep. Sep.21, 21, 2001 2001
Petrochemical Petrochemical
Explosion Explosion
Toulouse Toulouse
France France
680 680
11 11
May May 4, 4, 1988 1988
Petrochemical Petrochemical
Explosion Explosion
Henderson,Nevada Nevada U.S. U.S. Henderson,
640 640
12 12
May May 5, 5, 1988 1988
Refinery Refinery
Vapour cloud cloud explosion explosion Vapour
Norco,Louisiana Louisiana Norco,
U.S. U.S.
610 610
13 13
Mar. Mar.11, 11, 2011 2011
Refinery Refinery
Earthquake (2) (2) Earthquake
Sendai Sendai
Japan Japan
600 600
15 15
Sep. Sep.12, 12, 2008 2008
Refinery Refinery
Hurricane Hurricane
Texas Texas
U.S. U.S.
550 550
16 16
Jun. Jun. 13, 13, 2013 2013
Petrochemical Petrochemical
Explosion/fire Explosion/fire
Geismar,Louisiana Louisiana Geismar,
U.S. U.S.
17 17
Apr. Apr. 2, 2, 2013 2013
Refinery Refinery
Flooding/fire Flooding/fire
LaPlata, Plata,Ensenada Ensenada La
Argentina Argentina
18 18
Dec. Dec.25, 25, 1997 1997
Gas Gas processing processing
Explosion/fire Explosion/fire
Bintulu,Sarawak Sarawak Bintulu,
Malaysia Malaysia
490 490
19 19
Jul. Jul. 27, 27, 2005 2005
Upstream Upstream
Collision/fire Collision/fire
MumbaiHigh HighNorth North Mumbai Field Field
India India
480 480
20 20
Nov. Nov.14, 14, 1987 1987
Petrochemical Petrochemical
cloud explosion explosion Vapour cloud
Pampa,Texas Texas Pampa,
USA USA
Table Global catastrophes. catastrophes. 1) 1) Inflated InflatedtotoDecember December2013 2013values; values;(2) (2) Table2.2. Source: Source: Insurance Insurance Information Information Institute. Facts + Statistics: Global Loss Preliminary estimate. estimate. Losstoto refinery refinery following following the the Tohuku Tohuku earthquake; and (3) Preliminary
18
< INDUSTRIAL FIRE JOURNAL < third quarter 2018 Rise to to Rise Fireground Fireground 7.6m 7.6m
Impellor Impellor
L/min
Standard Standard
2,650L/min 4,164L/min
Usable Usable Hose Hose Length Length(meters) (meters)
101mm 101mm 823 823 183 183
35kPa 35kPaavailable availableatatend endofofhose hose
127mm 127mm 1,707 1,707 396 396
152mm 152mm 4,420 4,420 1,036 1,036
1,400 1,400
510 510 500(3) (3) 500
480 480
In 2017, there were a reported 45 incidents of major fires and/or explosions in the commercial and industrial sectors worldwide. As shown in Table 1 below, those 45 incidents alone accounted for US$5.4 trillion worth of insured loss in 2017. Table 2 shows data derived from a listing of the top 20 world property damage losses in the hydrocarbon industry, which includes property damage, debris removal and clean-up costs. The extracted data represents damage losses for land-based hydrocarbon operations only (eg refineries or petrochemical manufacturing facilities).
Increasing levels of risk There is an increasing level of fire protection risk in the commercial and industrial sectors brought on by a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the following: • Larger occupancies to protect. • Facilities that are more spread out. • Aging on-site water distribution systems. • Aging municipal water-distribution systems supplying facilities. • New manufacturing processes with fire hazards that ‘out pace’ existing on-site fire protection water supplies and delivery systems. For facility managers and safety managers, this increased level of risk is exacerbated by several factors, such as: • Decreased funding for routine and preventative maintenance on operational processes. Lack of maintenance is frequently cited in post-action reports following a commercial or industrial fire as a significant contributing factor to the damage loss. • Decreased funding for routine and preventative maintenance and appropriate upgrades to existing fire protection systems. • Decreased funding for fire apparatus and associated water-pumping capacity to keep pace with the potential fire risk (eg not enough available litres per minute to overcome the potential BTUs). • Decreased funding for on-site emergency response personnel. Fewer emergency response personnel means that the available fire apparatus and pumps must be able to deliver the required fire flows with fewer people.
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