Storage spheres

Storage Spheres and Spheroids - The total exposed surface within 7.5 m of grade, or up to the elevation of the maximum horizontal diameter, whichever is greater, is used. 

On January 4, 1966, at Feyzin refinery in France, a leak from a propane storage sphere ignited. The fire burned around the vessel and led to boiling liquid expanding vapor explosions. The accident caused eighteen deaths and eighty-one injuries. 

Boiling liquid expanding vapour explosions occur when there is a sudden release of vapour, containing liquid droplets, due to the failure of a storage vessel exposed to fire. A serious incident involving the failure of a LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) storage sphere occurred at Feyzin, France, in 1966, when the tank was heated by an external fire fuelled by a leak from the tank see Lees (1996) and Marshall (1987). 

Feyzin, France 1966 Propane Frozen valve during sampling from storage sphere allowed a vapor cloud to form and explode killing 16, injuring 63 UVCE ... 

Spherical Shell. Radial heat flux, qr, at any radius r through a spherical shell of inner radius r, held at temperature Th and outer radius r0 held at temperature Ta, e.g. heat loss through the wall of a storage sphere, is given by... 

Low-strength NH3-Solutions from vent gas Recovery scrubbers and Aqua storage spheres... 

The C2 cut is separated from Deethanizer overhead and sent to Acetylene Reactor to convert all Acetylene to Ethylene. Then, the outlet of the reactor is sent to C2 Splitter, in which Ethylene is separated from Ethane. The separated Ethylene is sent to ethylene storage sphere or sent to pipeline as main product. The Ethane is either send back to Furnaces or to Ethane sphere. 

The incident was caused by the uncontrolled release of propane from a storage sphere (T61443), due to the misbehaviour of the operators involved in the purge operation. These did not execute the correct instructions for the blockage of the two safety valves (located at the base of the sphere) and caused a leakage of propane. 

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