For a hydrogen production facility the feed gas and hydrogen product compressors are the heart of the plant, providing power to move gas through the process and the pipeline to the customers. If a mechanical problem occurs within the running gear, machine vibration is the result. In the past the company viewed the vibration switches on a reciprocating compressor as equipment protection. A recent loss of containment incident changed that concept. The incident at Air Products' Port Neches, Texas Hydrogen Pipeline Compressor Station in November 2006 caused a revision to the way we install and test the vibration switches to motor trip interlock and start up flammable gas reciprocating compressors after a vibration trip. This paper outlines the use of an event tree quantitative risk analysis to determine the reliability required for the vibration switch, relay, and motor disconnect switch interlock for a SIF (Safety Instrumented Function). In addition to the SIF, administrative procedural changes were instituted to achieve a low hazard rate. The demand on the SIF and administrative protection systems was based on one loss of containment incident for the fleet consisting of 10,000 reciprocating cylinder operating years. Quantitative risk analysis required the vibration trip to be redundant per cylinder and proof tested with the motor disconnect switch and interposing relay at least once every 3 years for a 4 cylinder compressor. Existing operating procedures were also changed to include a thorough mechanical inspection with analysis of compressor operating data and start-up of the compressor on nitrogen instead of flammable gas after a vibration trip. Furthermore, new equipment siting procedures excludes sensitive equipment and buildings from direct line up with the cylinder heads. As a result of one loss of containment incident our company has upgraded the compressor vibration trip to a critical safety interlock requiring increased mechanical integrity testing with more stringent operating procedures and equipment arrangement.
Hydrogen pipeline compressor incident changes standard procedures
2008
18 Seiten, 10 Bilder, 1 Tabelle, 3 Quellen
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Datenträger
Englisch
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