Fire Risk In Power Facilities

Introduction

• Fires in Power Plants or Distribution Facilities have occurred World Wide

• Many have resulted in Plant Shutdowns or have been inoperative for a long period of time

• Many of these fires have started as a small fire and turned into a major incident

• Most Fires can be prevented

What we are presenting and demonstrating to you today is tool that will manage and prevent a major disaster occurring in your facility.

The fire risk driver

Why Fire Protection?• Fires have resulted in Plant shutdowns• Fires result due to cables, transformers, fuels etc.• Fire has occurred due to electrical problems, short circuits or over heating

caused by overloading

Some major Fires include:

• Philippines Power Plant US$29 million dollar claim (1996)– Fire occurred in a hot air duct of coal mill and propagated to cable tunnel. The fire spread along the cable tunnel to the cable spreading room destroying all cables and the control room – it resulted in two generating units shut down for 4 months and 10 months.

• Australia New Power Station – (1999) Motor Control Cabinet caught fire resulting in smoke damage to the entire multi-floor site and prevented this new site from starting production.

The fire risk driver

Some major Fires include:

• La Spezia, Italy, a coal‑fired station with four tandem 600 MW units

A flashover in the cable‑terminating chamber of a medium‑voltage circuit breaker caused the cables to catch fire. The cables were p.v.c. insulated, and fire propagated throughout the electrical annexe causing complete disruption of the electrical auxiliary, equipment, including the computer and control room. The cost to repair the damage was $5.6 million and there were nine months of delay before generation recommenced.

• Brown's Ferry - USA nuclear station

A search was being made, with a candle, for air leaks in polystyrene filled cable ducts. An air leak caused the candle flame to he drawn into the duct setting fire to the polystyrene and hence the cable. Propagation followed resulting in the loss of the automatic reactor control and necessitating a manual trip of the reactor. The station was shut down completely (1975) and considerable delay was involved before it returned to service.

– What is a Risk?

– An event with a NEGATIVE IMPACT on life or business

– of “sufficient” probability and magnitude!

– Which type of risks are of concern to Power Facilities?

– fuel cost & exchange rate changes Financial Risks

– fires & machinery breakdowns Operational Risks

– earthquakes & typhoons Natural Hazards

Why Risk Management and Risk Engineering?

Why Risk Management and Risk Engineering?

What is Risk Management?

–The informed decision regarding:

–Risk Avoidance

–Risk Reduction

–Risk Transfer

For all types of risk of concern to life or business!

Why Risk Management and Risk Engineering?

Is Risk Reduction possible?

–Yes: Risk Engineering

–Is Risk Transfer possible?

–Yes: Insurance

The Key is for you to maintain Business Continuity.

Limiting Loss caused by Fire is Imperitive to this.

Why Risk Management and Risk Engineering?

– What type of large losses?

– Operational Risks fires & machinery breakdowns• boilers & furnaces• lubrication oil systems• gas & steam turbine-generators• transformers, switchgear, cables & control rooms• coal pulverizers

– Natural Hazards earthquakes & typhoons• transmission lines • power plants• substations

Why Risk Management and Risk Engineering?

– What is Risk Engineering?

– Prevention:

– Actions to ensure a risk does not result in an incident

– “Prevent the cause of an incident”

– Control:

– Actions to ensure an incident does not result in a loss

– “Control the impact of an incident”

The fire risk driver

Power Plant Losses from 1969 to 1998 Number Aggregate $% of

Aggregate Average $ Min $ Max $

Boiler Explosions - due to a fuel problem 8 348 13% 44 17 70Boiler Explosions - due to a steam problem 3 258 9% 86 31 155

Lubrication oil - due to electrical or mechanical 8 278 10% 35 20 53Lubrication oil - due to a leak or human error 11 251 9% 23 12 54

Mechanical Failure 7 359 13% 51 12 143

Transformer,switchgear,cables & control rooms fire - due to an electrical problem

8 229 8% 29 10 61

Transformer,switchgear,cables & control rooms fire - due to an overheating

3 60 2% 20 12 29

Dust Explosion 2 79 3% 40 29 50

Others 15 869 32% 58 13 182Dam failure 2 229 115 47 182

Building Collapse 2 197 99 66 131Fires 5 181 36 13 75

Unknown 1 103 103 103 103Natural hazards 3 74 25 12 34

Hot work 1 48 48 48 48PCB contamination 1 37 37 37 37

50 2,731 49 12 182Source - Marsh & Mclennan Million USD

Fires in Switch Facilities

• Fires in Electrical Facilities can be prevented if there is enough time to respond and prevent failure occurring

• Most Fires in electrical facilities can have a long period of time of overheating or electrical arcing before visible smoke or fire occurs.

Explosion in Electrical Switchgear

• Explosion in low voltage switchgear at cogeneration plant.

• Electrical switchgear, MCC and generator sync & control panels affected by soot and ionic contamination.

• Equipment supplied by Siemens and brand-new.

Example of Fire Affected Equipment which cannot be Recovered

Example of Fire Affected Equipment which can be Recovered