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.
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