A Gas Compressor Is Protected from Dirt, But the Plant Catches Fire

A Gas Compressor Is Protected from Dirt, but the Plant Catches Fire 

Just before a plant startup, the operations team wondered if the piping upstream of a flammable gas compressor may not have been cleaned sufficiently to prevent dirt from entering the precision machinery. Concerned employees had a temporary filter installed in the suction line. The operations team was correct there was a sufficient amount of foreign material in the upstream piping to plug up the filter. [8] 

Unfortunately the temporary filter was placed between the compressor and a low suction pressure trip. The compressor suction pressure was reduced to a vacuum and air intruded into the system. The air reacted within the system. A decomposition occurred further downstream and a major fire caused many months delay in the startup of this unit. 

Just before a plant startup lots of details must be reviewed, and there are pressures to startup on the target date. Therefore it is not suiprising that some modifications introduced by clever, concerned individuals during this time result in serious unforeseen consequences. This is especially the case when no disciplined method of dealing with changes of process technology is in place. 

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A gas compressor is protected from dirt, but the plant catches fire... 

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