HAZARDS OF TRAPPED PRESSURE AND VACUUM

ACCIDENT Runaway reaction in deadleg causes overpressure!

A butadiene vapour cloud was released from a 1 m (39 inch) split rupture on
the overhead pipe from the reboiler on the final purification tower. A large
quantity of popcorn polymer was noticed in the area local to the leak
substantiating the fact that the split was caused by the tremendous forces
created during its formation. Fortunately, the released hydrocarbon vapour
cloud did not ignite and no fatalities or injuries were recorded.
The causes of the pipe rupture were:
• Popcorn polymer formation (1,3 butadiene monomers polymerize at their
active free radical ends and create crosslinkings. This reaction is
extremely exothermic and can provide enough heat to expand and
overpressure pipes, resulting in rupture).
• The safety valve line which was a deadleg line and ‘live’ to the process
was found not sloped as originally specified, possibly allowing liquid
butadiene to pool in the pipe.
A similar incident killed two operators and injured four others when a vessel
was overpressured by a popcorn type reaction.

Pipe ruptured due to overpressure.

Clearing choked lines or plugged drains

As many past incidents have shown, the clearing of blocked drains is a
hazardous operation for which we really do not have a satisfactory and totally
practicable answer. In the past, a number of techniques have been considered,
but often the safest advice was to close the system down when it was not
possible to safely clear a drain and prove it to be so. This could, unfortunately,
sometimes be difficult when the blocked drain played an important part of the
shutdown/draining system.

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HAZARDS OF TRAPPED PRESSURE AND VACUUM

There have been many instances of sudden release of trapped pressure and
loss of containment while attempting to unblock a plugged drain.
Though there are several devices designed to overcome this potential hazard,
certain criteria must be considered before adopting them:
• Will they effectively clear the whole or a substantial part of the bore of a
drain connection?
• Will the device itself stand up to the pressure in the system so it will not
blow out?
• Is there any chance that the threaded bar or similar part of the device could
penetrate the drain connection wall, resulting in a blow out?
• Can the device itself be disconnected without the chance of a sudden
release of pressure? For example, as it is removed from the drain
connection, the valve, which may not be properly shut (scale under the seat),
may blow clear.
• If ‘force’ pumps are used, these must not be capable of exceeding the
pressure rating of the pipeline.

All plugged drains and bleeders must be opened safely.

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