Translate

Friday, August 31, 2012

A True Story Tell You How Important Can One Valve Be

If you wonder how important a small air valve can possibly be, you need to read this story about a fire that started at an Emeryville AC transit station in May 2012.On May 4, 2012, a fire broke out at the AC transit station. The fire was a large hydrogen fire, and damaged equipment at parts at the transit station and also caused the nearby neighborhood to require evacuation for a few days.
The transit station had to shut down until the damage from the fire was repaired, because the station had no way to refuel the 12 hydrogen busses used by the company on a regular basis. The transit station and refueling station was closed the entire summer, with plans to reopen in September 2012. The company lost millions of dollars worth of business due to the fire.

After investigation, the fire marshal found that the cause of the fire was a faulty air valve. The air valve used in a pressure relief valve at the hydrogen plant was made from a hard steel material that breaks down under exposure to hydrogen. When the hydrogen passed through the valve, the valve broke, causing the hydrogen to explode and damage the plant and the surrounding area. The fire burned for two hours before the fire department could put out the flames.

According to both the fire marshal and the plant owners, the fire would have been prevented with the correct choice of valve. Without the correct air valve, any system is bound to have problems. Even something as small as a little pressure relief valve can end up controlling the safety of an entire large plant or facility. When choosing valves, it is vitally important to ensure that the valve is compatible with the material and pressure amount passing through the valve to avoid costly dangers like what occurred in Emeryville.

No comments:

Post a Comment