© Minimax 2015

STANDARDS & CODES

Australian Gas Turbines Conference, 25 November 2015

Joerg Lindner

Minimax Fire Fighting Systems Pty. Ltd.

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1) Coal storage (stockpiles/bunkers)

2) Coal conveyors

3) Oil tanks

4) Boiler house (heat recovery boiler)

5) Boiler house (burners)

6) Gas turbines with enclosure

7) Steam turbines with enclosure

8) Switchgear buildings

9) Cable channels and cable rooms/galleries

10) Transformers

11) Administration buildings

12) Telecommunication facilities

FIRE HAZARD EXAMPLES

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PLAN FOR YOUR RISK SCENARIOS

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LOOK FOR THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY

Minimax Fire Research Centre

Practical proof of theoretical research

Cooperation with testing authorities

Solutions to specific client issues

Development of new solutions

Fire tests in a 1:1 scale

Mobile suspended ceiling (2-15 m)

Auditorium with 140 seats

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Rio Tinto – Yarwun (QLD)

CS Energy – Kogan Creek (QLD)

Energy Australia – Tallawarra (NSW)

Snowy Hydro – Colongra (NSW)

NewGen – Kwinana (WA)

Synergy – Cockburn (WA)

Alcoa – Wagerup (WA)

Origin Energy – Mortlake (VIC)

Alinta – Bell Bay (TAS)

Pulau Seraya Power Plant, Singapore

RWE Power Coal Power Plant, Germany

Ratchaburi Power Plants, Thailand

Termo Rio Power Plant, Brazil

Repower 5M Wind Power Plant, Germany

Gas Power Plant, Kuwait

FIND AN EXPERIENCED VENDOR

Minimax has 35 years experience in implementing fire protection for power stations

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1. Cylinder Battery

2. Actuation and Delay Device

3. Selector Valve

4. Pneumatic Actuation Device

5. Fire Control Panel

6. Safety Valve

7. Room Nozzle

8. Detector Flooding area 1

(generator)

Flooding area 2

(gas turbine)

IMPLEMENT THE RIGHT FIRE PROTECTION

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let’s look at some things gone wrong…

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

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A blast at the 620-megawatt combined cycle

gas and oil-fired power plant occurred on 7

February 2010 at 11:17.

The initial blast killed five and injured at least

fifty; one of the injured later died in hospital,

bringing the total death toll to six. *

The plant had been under construction and

was scheduled to start supplying energy in

June 2010.

The local fire marshal said the explosion was

the result of an attempted purging of natural

gas from a pipeline as a test, a procedure

known as a blow-down.

On 5 August 2010, the Occupational Safety

and Health Administration (OSHA) announced

that it planned to fine seventeen companies

involved in the construction of the plant a total

of $16.6 million. OSHA said that it had found a

total of 371 safety violations in the construction

of the plant, 225 of which it considered

deliberate. Credits.

Source Wikipedia, Picture: Harfort Courant / Getty Images, Video: LocalOnlineNewsTV

MIDDLETOWN POWER PLANT (CONNECTICUT, USA)

Aftermath, implications on standards

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MIDDLETOWN POWER PLANT (CONNECTICUT, USA)

Aftermath, implications on standards

Picture: Rick Hardford / Hartford Courant

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27-11-2011: The National Fire Protection

Association's new standard, published a

few weeks ago and publicly introduced

Tuesday, prohibits the use of natural gas

to clean pipes at industrial plants,

commercial developments and other

projects. *

In 2014 the proposal made its way into

new standards

Credits.

Source: Huffington Post , Picture: Mark Mirko / Hartford Courant

MIDDLETOWN POWER PLANT (CONNECTICUT, USA)

Aftermath, implications on standards

Disasters can trigger

adjustments to existing

standards.

Standards reflect a

‘Best Practice

Recommendation”

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WHAT IS A CODE? WHAT IS A STANDARD?

• The earliest building code is thought to have been developed

sometime between 1955 B.C. and 1913 B.C., during the reign of

King Hammurabi of Babylon.

• The code didn’t specify how to build a building - but laid out the

consequences of not building well. If a house fell and killed the

owner or his child, then the builder, or his child, would be slain

in retaliation.

• A code is a model, a set of rules that knowledgeable people

recommend for others to follow. It is not a law, but can be

adopted into law.

• A standard on the other hand tends be a more detailed

elaboration - the nuts and bolts of meeting a code.

A standard is a recommendation.

Source: nfpa.org

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FROM STANDARD TO REGULATION

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A STANDARD PROVIDES DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Source: nfpa.org

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Example:

CO2 Concentration Test

PASS:

Design

34% in 60s

Over 30% after 20min

50kg/min ext. CO2

Integrity test

42% in 60s

14kg/min ext. CO2

Actual

40% in 60s

1st Sensor <30% at 30min

TESTING OF SYSTEMS – WHAT STANDARD APPLIES?

Blue = high

Green = centre

Yellow = low

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MURPHY’S LAW - IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE

Installation company certified clean

installation of pipes and fittings with no

excess hemp; all fittings double

checked for tightness; pipes blown out

with compressed air in surges; door

fan test passed the enclosure.

Full discharge FAIL; nozzles blocked,

fittings leaked, 1” pipe blocked solid

Best practise is one full discharge

every five years, minimum after

installation and/or changes

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GOING BEYOND STANDARDS AND CODES?

• Fire Protection is a key factor in keeping a power station future proof

and safe!

• Often fire protection measurements are only implemented according

to fulfil time-based service intervals or current legal requirements.

• Ongoing corrosion, new environmental challenges and the

development of new technical capacities would require a more

dynamic approach.

• Should Fire Protection should ‘grow’ with these requirements?

(before codes or standards can catch up…)

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QUESTIONS?

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