Abstract
Processing highly flammable products, the oil and gas (O&G) industry can experience major explosions and fires, which may expose pressurized equipment to high thermal loads. In 2020, oil fires occurred at two Norwegian O&G processing plants. To reduce the escalation risk, passive fire protection may serve as a consequence-reducing barrier. For heat or cold conservation, equipment and piping often require thermal insulation, which may offer some fire protection. In the present study, a representative thermal insulation (certified up to 700 °C) was examined with respect to dimensional changes and thermal transport properties after heat treatment to temperatures in the range of 700 °C to 1200 °C. Post heat treatment, the thermal conductivity of each test specimen was recorded at ambient temperature and up to 700 °C, which was the upper limit for the applied measurement method. Based on thermal transport theory for porous and/or amorphous materials, the thermal conductivity at the heat treatment temperature above 700 °C was estimated by extrapolation. The dimensional changes due to, e.g., sintering, were also analyzed. Empirical equations describing the thermal conductivity, the dimensional changes and possible crack formation were developed. It should be noted that the thermal insulation degradation, especially at temperatures approaching 1200 °C, is massive. Thus, future numerical modeling may be difficult above 1150 °C, due to abrupt changes in properties as well as crack development and crack tortuosity. However, if the thermal insulation is protected by a thin layer of more robust material, e.g., passive fire protection to keep the thermal insulation at temperatures below 1100 °C, future modeling seems promising.
Highlights
The process industry may represent a major accident hazard, e.g., an ignited hydrocarbon leak, resulting in an explosion, or a jet fire exposing adjacent equipment for a prolonged time period
The thermal conductivity of each test specimen was recorded at ambient temperature and up to 700 ◦ C, which was the upper limit for the applied measurement method
The international recommended practice for application of passive fire protection is given by API RP 2218 [10], where the applied material, i.e., fire-resistive barrier systems for electrical system components, shall be certified according to ASTM E1725-19 [11]
Summary
The process industry may represent a major accident hazard, e.g., an ignited hydrocarbon leak, resulting in an explosion, or a jet fire exposing adjacent equipment for a prolonged time period. In order to inhibit further escalation, critical equipment is often protected with a layer of passive fire protection. This is sometimes applied in addition to thermal insulation for heat or cold conservation required to maintain the optimal operating temperature [5,6,7]. This thermal insulation may provide some reduction in heat flux to fire-exposed pipes and equipment. The first of these, which does not reach 1000 ◦ C within
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