Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan

CNG Operations, Islamabad

******* MOST IMMEDIATE Subject:

EXPLOSION IN ELECTRICAL CONTROL PANEL ROOM

It is stated that recently a number of explosions have occur in the electrical control panel room at the CNG Station. Although, I have not visited any of the accident site, but the reports mentions that these accidents are happening in the panel room which have UPS installed inside it. Batteries of the UPS can produce explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen gases that can accumulate in the panel room which is usually isolated, small in size and not properly ventilated. If this happens explosion is likely to occur as the electrical contactors in the panel room often produce sparking during automatic start of the CNG compressor. Details of the explosion in the lead acid batteries are given as under: a) Hydrogen and oxygen are usually produced inside a battery when it is being charged. A source of ignition for example, a flame, a spark, a cigarette or any hot object, electrical equipment will often cause mixtures of these gases to ignite and explode. The explosion is often so violent that it shatters the battery and produces a highly dangerous shower of fragments and corrosive chemicals which may result in death or injury of the persons. b) Hydrogen and oxygen are produced more quickly as the battery gets close to being fully charged. If the UPS is not branded, chances are it may overcharge the battery which is fully charged in this case a lot of gas will be produced in turn greatly increasing the risk from explosion. c) During charging, gas bubbles often become trapped inside the battery. The mixture of two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen produced is perfect for an explosion. The trapped gases are released into the air around the battery through vents or when it is moved. A tiny spark is all that is needed to ignite the gases. If this happens in a confined space (e.g. inside the battery, or in an enclosure or a poorly ventilated battery room), a violent explosion is likely. d) The gases that come out of a vented lead/acid battery during charging often contain a fine mist of sulphuric acid which is dangerous if its fumes are inhaled and exposed to the eyes. e) Although, valve-regulated (maintenance-free) batteries are much less likely to release hydrogen than vented batteries. However, it is still important to take care when charging them. Gas pressure may build up inside the battery if it is charged too quickly or for too long. If this happens, the pressure relief valves in the battery may open and let the gases escape. An explosion is likely if this happens close to an ignition source. 2. In the light of above, it is strongly recommended that the UPS/Batteries must not be placed in the control panel room of the CNG stations. The Regulatory Authority is required to take immediate action in this regard as the matter is related to life and property safety of the public. Asim Riaz (Senior Research Engineer) Dated: October 28, 2013