Case Study - Turbine Bearing Housing Fire Accident Due To Hydrogen Inflow Into Nitrogen Line of Dry Gas Seal

Turbine bearing housing fire accident
due to hydrogen inflow into nitrogen line of dry gas seal

Hyeongjun Kim / Sanghun Lee
Jinseok Yang
Presenter / Authors bios
Presenter, Mr. Hyeongjun Kim
Mechanical engineer in Rotating Equipment Reliability Team of GS Caltex, Korea.
He joined GS Caltex in 2011 and worked as the project team for a new plant.
Since 2014, he moved to the rotating equipment reliability team.
Co-author, Mr. Sanghun Lee

Mechanical engineer in Rotating Equipment Reliability Team of GS Caltex, Korea.
He joined GS Caltex in 2005 working in the maintenance team. Since 2012, he moved to
rotating equipment reliability team.
Presenter, Mr. Jinseok Yang
Team leader of the Rotating Equipment Reliability team at GS Caltex, Korea.
RER engineer in Chevron Richmond Refinery 2016~2017 as a joint venture company.
Key member of KRMEA(Korea Rotating Machinery Engineers Association).
Outline
1. Abstract
2. Equipment Data
3. Background and System Schematic
4. Event #1 – Root Cause Analysis Results
5. Event #2 – Root Cause Analysis Results
6. Lessons Learned
Abstract
• Fire incidents occurred in the turbine bearing housing at every start-up
since the original wet type seal in the compressor was replaced with a dry gas seal
(DGS). The first investigation focused on leakage of the lube oil in the turbine
bearing housing. However, despite various measures, the fires continued to occur.
• After repeated attempts to find a root cause, it was realized there were incorrect
operation procedures and valve passing problem in the DGS, and which caused
hydrogen inflow into the nitrogen line(separation gas) of the compressor DGS
and finally migration into turbine bearing housing.
This case study details the root cause analysis results and the countermeasures.
Equipment Data
1. Process : No.1 CCR(Continuous Catalyst Regeneration) Unit
2. Compressor
1) Recycle Gas Centrifugal Compressor, Hydrogen(87%) service
2) Seal Type Modification : Wet Seal → Dry Gas Seal (2012)
3. Steam Turbine : Condensing Turbine Type, speed 8,145rpm
Compressor
Dry Gas
Seal
Background
• Frequent fire accidents in the steam turbine bearing housing occurred every start-up,
which resulted in urgent shutdown(by manual stop).
• In an initial investigation that focused only on the fire location, oil leakage from the bearing
housing was regarded as the cause. However, despite various measures and modifications to
prevent oil leaks, the fires continued to appear during start-up.
• After a thorough investigation, two abnormal phenomena were observed
and the root cause found in the compressor DGS.
1) H2 detected in bearing housings Bearing Housing
(compressor and turbine) and oil reservoir. (NDE side)
Steam
2) H2 detected in the N2 line, although Fire
Turbine
there are two isolation valves(closed) and
one check valve in the H2/N2 common line.
Compressor DGS & Turbine Oil Seal Purge System
Color
Item Function Source
(Next Slide)
Start: Nitrogen
Prevent process gas inflow into the N2 : Blue
Primary Buffer Gas Normal: Hydrogen
gas seal face H2 : Red
(discharge gas)
Separation Gas Prevent bearing oil inflow into DGS Nitrogen Green
Hydrogen Make-up For start-up Hydrogen Pink
Nitrogen Purge For shutdown Nitrogen Orange
Turbine Oil Seal Purge Prevent oil leak from bearing housing Nitrogen Purple
See next slide

Compressor DGS & Turbine Oil Seal Purge System
• The header line of Hydrogen make-up and Nitrogen purge is connected to a common line.
• The header of separation gas and turbine oil seal purge is connected to a common line.
Primary Buffer Gas Flare Vent

Atm. Vent
Comp TBN
H2
Start-up Normal Discharge
(35kg/cm2)
Start-up(H2 Make-up) (9kg/cm2)
Shutdown(N2 Purge)
DGS Separation Gas Turbine Oil
N2 Seal Purge
(7kg/cm2)
Event #1 – Cause and Effect
• Immediate Cause : H2(from compressor discharge) inflow into N2 header line
◦ Primary buffer gas is supplied from N2(back-up) during an initial start, and after
compressor discharge pressure becomes higher than N2 pressure, discharge gas(H2)
should be supplied to the primary buffer gas line. At this time, the block valve should be
fully closed to prevent H2 from passing over to the N2 header.
◦ But in our case, the closing procedure of the valve was omitted when the discharge
pressure > N2 pressure, which resulted in H2 reverse flow into the N2 header and further
migration into the turbine bearing housing. Consequently, the fire occurred in the
turbine bearing housing.
◦ One check valve in the common line of H2 and N2, but it was by-passed.
See next slide

Event #1 – Operation Leading to Fire
Primary Buffer Gas
Cause #1
Reverse flow Fire
caused by not Comp TBN
closing valve
Cause #2 H2 Start-up Normal Discharge

Check valve (9kg/cm2)
leak
Improvement DGS Separation Gas Turbine Oil

Install new Seal Purge
valve N2
(7kg/cm2)
Event #1 – Root Cause and Recommendations
No. Root Cause Recommendation
Not closed the block valve between H2 Add specific valve close timing in start-up
and N2 at an appropriate time operation procedure
1
The lack of operator understanding for Operator training on the dry gas seal
related system and working principle system operation
Check valve leak(reverse flow) Single block valve in common line(H2 & N2)
2 *Nothing was found in check valve overhaul, can also leak → Install additional block valve
but it can potentially leak (prior experience) (Double block valve and one check valve)
Event #2 – Cause and Effect
• Immediate Cause : H2(make-up for compressor start) inflow into N2 header line
◦ H2 make-up line for compressor start and N2 purge line for shutdown are connected
to a common line.
◦ There were two block valves and one check valve in the common line of H2/N2.
However, in our case H2 passed over all valves, and H2 high pressure(35 kg/cm2)
into the nitrogen line.
See next slide

Event #2 – Operation Leading to Fire
Primary Buffer Gas
Cause #1 Fire
All Valves were
by-passed Comp TBN
H2 (35kg/cm2) Discharge
Improvement Start-up(H2 Make-up) (9kg/cm2)
Install the blind Shutdown(N2 Purge)
after H2 make- DGS Separation Gas Turbine Oil
up Seal Purge
N2 (7kg/cm2)
Event #2 – Root Cause and Recommendations
No. Root Cause Recommendations
All valves were by-passed Revise operation procedure to install the blind
1
(two block valves and one check valve) between H2 and N2 after H2 make-up
Detailed review required to prevent recurrence
2 Common line of H2 and N2
in new projects
Lessons Learned
• The case study may appear simple and easy; however, basic issues can often cause problems
and obscure efforts to find root causes.
• When a fire occurs in the bearing housing, (assuming) oil leakage is the cause is a first and
easy explanation. It is difficult to relate the incidents to issues with the DGS operation
procedures.
• Further, start-up operation procedures and important check point were shared with
operators for their full comprehension.
By sharing our case, we hope there will be no similar failures in other sites.
Thank you
&
Questions?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work has been encouraged by the Korea Rotating Machinery Engineers Association,
(KRMEA). The authors are grateful for the encouragement.

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Turbine bearing housing fire accident

due to hydrogen inflow into nitrogen line of dry gas seal

Co-author, Mr. Sanghun Lee

See next slide

Primary Buffer Gas Flare Vent

See next slide

Cause #2 H2 Start-up Normal Discharge

Improvement DGS Separation Gas Turbine Oil

See next slide

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