GUIDELINES FOR COLUMNS WITH PACKED BEDS

Risks
A recent study of 58 known distillation plant fires by Koch-Glitch, Inc., a leading
supplier of distillation products and technology indicates the following:
 It appears that the frequency of these incidents is increasing from less than 1/year in
the 1970-1989 time frame to more than 3/year since 1990. In the last two years, there
have been 11 known incidents. This appears to coincide with the increased use sheet
metal structured packing in the chemical and petrochemical industry.
 38 of the 58 incidents were in columns with sheet metal structured packing. 11 were
in columns with wire gauze packing.
 32 of the incidents were attributed to spontaneous ignition of materials in the column
after opening with 18 due to ignition of pyrophoric materials
 7 incidents were due to ignition from hot work
 36 of the incidents were in refinery units

The study concluded the following:

There is a higher risk of fire in columns with structured packing due to the following:
 Structured packing has a large surface area to volume ratio which retains significant
quantities of fuel after cleaning.
 New packing can have a large area of a thin film protective lube oil coating
 Existing packing can retain a thin film of combustible or pyrophoric material
even after cleaning
 The thin gauge material (0.2-0.1mm) can support a metal fire after ignition
 Thin material has a low capacity to transfer heat away from an ignition source
leading to the metal starting to combust.
 Investigation appear to indicate that thinner material requires less oxygen and is
easier to ignite
 Packing material can thin with age thus increasing this risk for columns with older
packed beds
 The packed beds are difficult to cool combined with inadequate tools to monitor the
bed temperature before and after opening the column
 Understanding the condition of a packed bed (thickness, cleanliness, etc.) is difficult
because they cannot be inspected without removal.

Design
 Clearly, the time to address the risks of fires in distillation columns is at the design
stage.
 For new columns and retrofits of existing columns, the increased risk of fire in
structured packing should be a factor in the decision on choice of packing. Other
types of packing, though less efficient, could be inherently safer. If corrosion is an
issue, periodic replacement of the packing needs to be factored into the decision
as well.

Rev 3, RBH 6/11/02

  Titanium or aluminum materials are clearly more susceptible to ignition than
others and should not be used. The 300-series and 400-series stainless steels and
carbon steel have roughly the same resistance.
 Material selection of the beds and upstream equipment needs to include the
possible presence of pyrophorics.
 Design new columns so that packed beds are more easily removable for hot work,
inspection and replacement.
 Bed should be designed to provide temperature monitoring in multiple locations.
Provision should be made to utilize these TI’s in both normal operations and
shutdown periods.

Shutdown Planning
 Investigations indicate that the shutdown planning process is critical in preventing
fires in packed columns.
 The planning needs to address all of the risks discussed above. The Job Safety
Analysis (JSA) is an excellent tool for addressing these risks.
 The process should include all of the key players – operations, process
engineering, design engineering, maintenance, contractor(s) and plant
protection/hole watch personnel.
 It is very important to use knowledgeable, experienced and trained contractors for the
work
 The first option should be to look for ways to avoid doing hot work over packed
beds.
 If hot work is required, the packing should be removed from the column.
 Use cold cutting techniques where cutting is required over packed beds
 When hot work over a packed bed is the only feasible means to achieve the
turnaround objectives, the precautions discussed below must be in place.

Shutdown/Opening Procedures
Shutdown and opening procedures need to address the potential for pyrophoric material
in the column. The following procedures assume the presence of pyrophorics:
 There should be multiple washes to remove any residue
 There needs to be a chemical cleaning process tochemically neutralized the
pyrophorics. Contact the chemical cleaning experts to develop a procedure for
the wash. Operations review of this procedure is critical.
 It must be assumed that, even with the best of cleaning procedures, there will
remain some fuel on the packing.
 The column should be steam or inert purged prior to opening to reduce and control air
entry.

Warning: the use of inert gas entails risk of asphyxiation to personnel who enter
the column or who may be near openings to the columns.

 If pyrophorics are suspected, the column should be cooled to 150F before opening.
An effective way to do this is by water washing or water flooding the packing.

Rev 3, RBH 6/11/02

 Maintain an inert purge on the column to avoid pulling a vacuum and re-
contaminating the column from relief gases being pulled back into the column.
 After isolation and blinding, the column should be opened carefully to avoid a sudden
flow of air through the column.
 Start opening the manways at the top and working down the column.
 Open one manway every 2-3 hours
 Minimize the number of open manways that might need to be sealed in the event
of an internal fire.
 Monitor all column temperature points closely during opening.
 After the column is fully open, monitor the column closely for at least 24 hours
before allowing entry.
 At any time during this process, if there is any indications of a pyrophoric reaction
occurring, the column needs to be immediately closed back up and inert or steam
purged.
 Packing should be kept wet prior to hot work activities.

Hot Work Procedures

 As stated above, if hot work is required in the column, the preferred method is to
remove the packing before doing the hot work
 Do not cut, grind or weld directly on the packing
 Only perform hot work on one level at a time. This minimizes people in the column,
the number of openings to close if there is a fire and the auditing needed to ensure
safe performance of the work.
 If hot work is required, isolate packing from hot work with multiple layers of
protection over the packing:
 Fit plywood decking to wall over the packing
 Install at least two layers of fire blanket
 Fire blanket needs to be rated for 2000F and of a durable variety
 Lap fire blankets at least 4 inches. Seal laps with duct tape.
 Seal fire blankets against wall with duct tape
 Orient seams of fire blanket layers at 90 degrees
 Keep fire blankets fully wetted during hot work
 Inspect fire blankets continuously for tears and separation. Stop hot work until
any problems are resolved
 If working under a packed bed, provide a barrier such as a fire blanket above the
hot work as well.
 Maintain monitoring of the hot work at all times by a trained fire watch. Continue
monitoring the site for at least 30 minutes after hot work is completed.
 Minimize vertical ventilation that can cause a chimney effect.
 Provide horizontal ventilation (2 manways) if possible in the work space.
 Watch closely for smoke, fire and temperature increases in the column.
 Provide continuous monitoring of CO and LEL in the area of hot work.
 Maintain column temperature monitoring and consider adding more temporary TI’s in
the packing

Rev 3, RBH 6/11/02

Contingency Planning
Contingency plans should be prepared for 1) opening the column and 2) performing
maintenance and hot work inside the column. In both situations, contingency plans
should be developed for the following:
 Quick application of substantial quantities of firewater (>300gpm/level needed).
 For columns over 100 feet high, the firewater may need to be boosted with a
portable pump
 Water needs to be applied from outside the manway.

Be very careful in the application of water

 Temperatures of a packing fire can become very hot. Water applied can turn
quickly to steam
 Water can disassociate into hydrogen and oxygen resulting in an internal
explosion

 If water cannot be immediately applied, it may be ineffective and unsafe to apply.

An indication would be the amount of steam evolution when water is first applied.
 For hot work jobs, the plywood/fire blanket barriers will impede the fire water
flow increasing the importance of being able to close up and inert the column.
 Quick closing of all of the column openings
 There needs to be a plan for each opening
 Consider how to cut or remove all hoses or cables entering the manways
 Consider how to remove manway air blowers
 Closing process needs to include
 Quick flooding the column with inert gas.
 Provide sources which can be quickly connected
 Provide means to safely vent the column as it is inerted.
 There needs to be adequate inerting capacity to displace the vessel at least twice
in less than 30 minutes.

Warning: the use of inert gas entails risk of asphyxiation to personnel who enter
the column or who may be near openings to the columns.

 If a fire occurs, monitor the external surface temperatures of the column with a
remote temperature scanning device such as an IR camera to follow the progress in
extinguishing the fire and to give indication where to apply cooling water.
 There needs to be a communication plan and evacuation procedure in place which has
been reviewed with all Company and contractor employees.
 Consider a need for an evacuation drill at the onset of the shutdown to practice the
above contingency plans.

Rev 3, RBH 6/11/02