Fire Fighting Pumping Systems at Industrial Facilities

184 Pages·2011·8.47 MB·English

by  Nolan

FIRE FIGHTING PUMPING
SYSTEMS AT INDUSTRIAL
FACILITIES
Second Edition
by
Dennis P. Nolan, P.E., PhD.
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INTRODUCTION
Millions of unexpected fires occur every year and cause damage which amounts to
several billions of dollars. Fortunately, most fires are small and easily suppressed.
Water is the universal agent to control and suppress unwanted fires, be it a small
incident or a large industrial conflagration. Water suppresses fires by oxygen depri-
vationthroughsmotheringandbyheatabsorption.3.8liters(onegallon)ofwaterwill
absorbabout1,512kcal(6,000Btu’s)whenvaporizedtosteaminafire.Itisthemost
efficient,economicalandmostreadilyavailablemediumforextinguishingfiresofa
generalnature.
Firewaterpumpsareusedtoraise,transferorincreasethepressureorquantitiesof
water applied in fire fighting. Therefore, at industrial facilities a firewater pump is
commonly employed to effectively supply and deliverfire-fighting water. Industrial
firewaterpumpsarenormallyofcentrifugaldesignandthisbookismainlyconcerned
withthesetypes.Individuallytheycanrangeinsizefrom95l/min(25gpm)toasmuch
as47,332l/min(12,500gpm).Industrialfacilitiescontainhazardsthatareuniqueto
their own operations. These hazards vary with the type of processes, structures and
materials handled. Standard and sometimes unique firewater pump installations are
thereforeprovidedtomeettheseriskswithintheseindustries.
Centrifugalpumpsarecommonlyemployedintheprovisionoffirewatersupplies.
Thebasiccentrifugalpumpconsistsofarotatingdiskmoldedintovanesreferredtoas
theimpeller.Theimpellerisencasedinahousingtochannelanddirecttheproduced
liquidflow.Waterentersnearthecenteroftheimpeller;wherebymotionisimpartedto
thefluidthroughtherotationofthevanesandthewateristhendischargedthoughthe
outletofthecasing.Byvaryingtheparticulardesignsandarrangementsofcentrifugal
pumps,theycanbeconstructedtosuitspecificneedsorrequirements.
The study of fluids in motion is called fluid dynamics. Pumps provide for the
movementoffluidsandarethereforeassociatedwiththeprinciplesoffluiddynamics.
Thedesignofpumpstoachieveproperfluiddynamicprinciplesisbeyondthescopeof
thisbookbutcanbefoundinotherexcellentreferencebooksonthesubjectofpump
design.
Oneofthemainreasonsforwritingthisbookistoprovideanadequatereference
bookfromtheperspectiveofindustrialusers(ratherthanfromregulatoryenforcement,
i.e. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 20, LPC, S.I. 611, etc.). One can
learnfromthisbookthegeneralandspecificinstallationarrangementsforfirepumps.
Theseconceptscanbeeasilyunderstoodandreferredtolater.Previously,adedicated
bookontheinstallationandfeaturesoffirewaterpumpsutilizedforhigh-riskindustrial
exposures was generally unavailable. Specific prescriptive requirements from fire
codesarementionedforanyindustrialfirewaterpumpdesignorpurchaseandabrief
xxii Introduction
mentionisprovidedinreferencebooksonpumpsorfirepreventionpractices.Thisis
commonlythoughtofasallthatisnecessaryforafirewaterpumpinstallation.Various
pump designs, options and features are available to the designer at many economic
levels.Also,sinceapumpisonlyoneportionofapumpingsystem,allcomponentsand
supporting services need to be examined to fulfill the review of firewater pumping
needs.
ThefirstreferencetofirepumpsinNFPAfirecodeswasin1896andwasprimarily
directedtowardasourceofbackupwatersupplytosprinklersystems,standpipesand
hydrants. Since then, firewater pumps have been considered a prime source for the
supplyoffire-fightingwaterintheindustrialworld.Nowadays,almostallindustrial
facilitiesareroutinelyprovidedwithfirewaterpumps.Insomecases,theprovisionof
thefirewaterpumpingsystemmayaccountforaconsiderableeconomicpercentageof
theoverallsafetyfeaturesprovidedtoafacility.Thismeritsacriticalexaminationof
thedesigntoensureacost effective,reliable andefficient firewater pumpinginstal-
lationisachieved.
Intheinvestigationoffireincidents,theperformanceofthefacilityfirewaterpumps
is usually one of the first issues raised by the investigators. Additionally, insurance
underwriters are also keenly interested in the installation and specific data of the
annualperformancetestingoffirepumpstodemonstratethatrequirementsarebeing
met during their surveys of the facility and initial assessment of its protection mea-
sures.Ithasbeenstatedononeoccasionthatthefailureofthefirewatersystemin12of
the 100 worst industrial fire incidents has been a major contributing factor in the
resultinglargescaledamagethatensued.Roughlystated,approximately10percentof
allindustrialfireincidentsinvolvefailureofthefirewatersystemtomeetitsobjective
requirements. Thus, it is imperative that these systems be designed and installed to
provide reliable and high integrity service. It is most probable that the 12 failed
firewater systems mentioned above were all in compliance with local and national
codes for the firewater system, yet they still failed to give adequate service to the
incident.
Not every pump that is manufactured is ‘‘permitted’’ to be used in a firewater
pumping system. The major difference between the wide range of commercially
available pumps and qualified fire pumps are the requirements (i.e. standards and
specifications) for their manufacture and installation established by Underwriters
Laboratories(UL),FactoryMutual(FM)andNFPAorothernationalandinternational
regulatory approval agencies. Yet, many industrial locations may incidentally use
‘‘ordinary’’pumpsthathavenotbeenlistedorapprovedforfirewaterservice.
Some pumping systems are available that may meet the letter or intent of these
requirements but have not been officially submitted for approval or listing marks,
althoughthey‘‘may’’beperfectlysatisfactoryforfirewaterservice.Theirfeaturesand
optionsmustbeevaluatedbytheauthorityhavingjurisdiction,toachieveanaccept-
able,practical,reliableandeconomicalfirewaterpumpinstallation.
The installation of a firewater pump appears to be a fairly simple task. Simple
errors, oversights, complacency or even economic pressures may lead to a major
impactonafacilityduringanincidentbecausesomecriticalfeatureofthefirewater
pumpingsystemwasnotprovided,maintainedorwasoverlooked.Thisbookhopesto
Introduction xxiii
provide some insight into the typical arrangements and features that should be con-
sideredduringthedesign,installation,operation,maintenance,andtestingoffirewater
pumpsforindustrialfacilitiestoavoidthesecircumstances.
Numerousotherreferencesareprovidedattheendofthebooktofurtherassistthe
readerintheinstallationandmaintenanceoffirewaterpumps.
PREFACE
Thisbookdescribesfixedfirewaterpumpinstallationsforindustrialfacilitiesfromthe
viewpointoftheendusers,fireprotectionengineers,losspreventionprofessionalsand
thosejustenteringacareerinwhichdecisionsaboutfirepumpinstallationsmustbe
made. Therefore, much background information is given for the necessary require-
mentsandusefulnessofafirewaterpumpandtheservicesthatinterfacewithit.
It is assumed that the reader is to some extent generally knowledgeable about
hydraulicsforpumpsandpumpingsystems,thereforethisbookisnotconcernedwith
those detailed design aspects. Many excellent reference books are available which
provide adequateguidance in the design offirewater installations tocalculatewater
flow, pressure and other hydraulic features and concerns associated with fire pump
installations.
This book’s primary objectiveisthe provisionof practical informationandbasic
background design principles on the application of fixed pumps for fire-fighting
purposes at industrial facilities, both onshore and offshore. Where specific details
arenecessaryandpertinenttothediscussiontheyareprovided,otherwise,thesecanbe
found from the applicable fire codes and engineering practices to be applied to the
facility.Experiencefromtheinstallationoffirepumpsinthepetroleumandchemical
industries, historical data, manufacturers specification sheets and regulatory code
requirementshavebeendrawnuponforthepreparationoftheinformationinthisbook.
Allfirewaterpumpinstallationsshouldmeettherequirementsoflocalordinances
and applicable fire codes for the facility. This book does not intend to replace or
supplementthelegalrequirementsofthosedocumentsandtherequiredresponsibility
tomeetthemrestwiththeownerofthefacility.
CONTENTS
Abouttheauthor xiii
Acknowledgements xv
Notice xvii
Preface xix
Introduction xxi
ListofTables xxv
ListofFigures xxvii
ListofAcronyms xxix
1. HistoricalApplicationsofFirewaterPumpingSystems 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 AncientWaterPumps 1
1.3 ReciprocatingHandandSteam-DrivenFirePumps 2
1.4 RotaryPumps 3
1.5 InventionoftheCentrifugalPump 4
1.6 ModernFirePumps 4
1.7 MunicipalWaterPumpingPlantsandMains 5
1.8 OffshoreFacilities 7
2. PhilosophyofProtection 9
2.1 Introduction 9
2.2 ProtectionOptions 9
2.3 InsuranceRequirements 10
2.4 InternalCompanyPoliciesandStandards 12
3. FirewaterFlowRequirements 13
3.1 Introduction 13
3.2 RiskAreas 14
3.3 ExposureCoolingRequirements 15
3.4 FireControlRequirements 15
3.5 SuppressionRequirements 16
3.6 ResidualPressureRequirements 16
4. DurationofFirewaterSupplies 19
4.1 Introduction 19
4.2 CapabilityofPublicWaterMains 19
4.3 PrimarySupplies 19
4.4 ReserveSupplies 22
viii Contents
5. SourcesofFirewaterPumpSupply 25
5.1 Introduction 25
5.2 SeasandOceans 25
5.3 Rivers,Channels,PondsandLakes 26
5.4 WaterWells(NaturalUndergroundReservoirs) 26
5.5 ManmadeReservoirs(ImpoundedSupplies) 27
5.6 StorageTanks 28
5.7 MunicipalandPrivateFirewaterDistributionMains 29
5.8 SpecializedOffshoreRawSeawaterSystems 30
5.9 FirewaterUsagebyOtherServices 31
5.10 EmergencyWaterSources 32
5.11 WaterQuality 32
5.12 EnhancementstoFire-FightingWater 33
5.13 MarineGrowth 34
5.14 FutureUse,SourcesandDevelopment 36
6. PumpTypesandApplications 37
6.1 Introduction 37
6.2 DynamicPumps 37
6.3 PositiveDisplacementPumps 43
6.4 FirewaterPumpCharacteristics 44
6.5 MainandStandbyFirewaterPumps 45
6.6 BoosterFirewaterPumps 46
6.7 WaterMistFirewaterPumps 47
6.8 JockeyPumps 47
6.9 FirewaterCirculationPumps 48
6.10 FoamPumps 49
6.11 PackagedAndSkidUnits 50
6.12 RetrofitImprovementsToExistingFirewaterPumps 51
6.13 FutureExpansion 52
6.14 RelianceOnMobileFirewaterPumpingApparatus 53
6.15 PortablePumps 53
6.16 NFPA20VersusAPI610AndOtherPumpTypes 53
7. PumpInstallation,PipingArrangementsandAccessories 55
7.1 Introduction 55
7.2 CodeRequirements 55
7.3 ListingRequirements 57
7.4 TypicalInstallation 58
7.5 LocationandSeparationfromProcessAreas 60
7.6 PumpSeparation 62
7.7 PumpRoomorBuildingConstruction 63
7.8 SpecialLocations 63
7.9 MultiplePumpInstallations 66
7.10 PumpRotation 66
7.11 ReliefValves 66
7.12 CirculationReliefValyes 68
7.13 PressureandFlowControlValves 69
7.14 IsolationValves 69
Contents ix
7.15 BypassCapability 69
7.16 PressureGages 70
7.17 PressureRecorders 71
7.18 FlowMeasurementCapability 71
7.19 CheckValves 72
7.20 AirReleaseValves 73
7.21 SupervisionofIsolationValves 73
7.22 InletScreens,StrainerandFilters 74
7.23 SubmergedPumpIntakeOpenings 75
7.24 Cavitation,NetPositiveSuctionHeadandVortices 76
7.25 WaterHammerorSurge 77
7.26 PumpingSystemHydraulicDesign 78
7.27 VibrationLimitation 79
7.28 BackflowPrevention 80
7.29 AreaandTaskLighting 80
7.30 Ventilation 81
7.31 FireSprinklerProtection 81
7.32 UtilityServices 81
7.33 Drainage 82
7.34 OutsideInstallations 82
8. MaterialsofConstruction 83
8.1 Introduction 83
8.2 Durability 83
8.3 CorrosionConsiderations 84
8.4 CathodicProtection 85
8.5 Coatings 85
8.6 FiberglassMaterials 85
8.7 FreshWaterConcerns 86
8.8 CommonPumpMaterials 86
9. PumpDriversandPowerTransmission 89
9.1 Introduction 89
9.2 ElectricMotors 89
9.3 GasolineEngines 91
9.4 DieselEngines 92
9.5 AirSuppliesandVentilation 99
9.6 InstrumentPanel 99
9.7 SteamTurbine 100
9.8 PowerTransmissionOptions 101
9.9 Lineshafts 106
9.10 IndirectHydraulicDrive 107
9.11 AcousticalConcerns 111
9.12 MaintenanceAccess 111
10. FirewaterPumpControllers 113
10.1 Introduction 113
10.2 FirewaterPumpControllers 113
10.3 ControllerPowerSupplies 115
x Contents
10.4 DualPowerSourceControllers 115
10.5 AutomaticTransferSwitches 116
10.6 RemoteAlarmandShutdownPanels 116
10.7 LowSuctionPressureCut-Off 116
10.8 JockeyPumpControllers 116
10.9 FoamPumpControllers 117
10.10 ControllerListingorApproval 117
10.11 MultipleFirewaterPumpInstallations 117
10.12 FirewaterPumpStartup 117
10.13 ColorCodingofPanelIndicators 119
10.14 ElectronicReadoutDisplays 119
10.15 PipingandIntrumentationDiagrams 119
10.16 ControllerIndicators 120
10.17 First-UpFaultFeature 121
10.18 CauseandEffectsCharts 121
10.19 FirewaterPumpShutdown 123
10.20 SpecialisedInstallations 124
10.21 ControllerLocationandAccessRequirements 124
11. Reliability 125
11.1 Introduction 125
11.2 FailureCategories 126
11.3 InsuranceIndustryExperience 126
11.4 FaultTreeAnalysis 126
11.5 SinglePointFailures 126
11.6 NumberofFirewaterPumps 128
11.7 PumpOperationalFailures 128
11.8 ElectricalMotorFailures 128
11.9 DieselEngineFailures 129
11.10 GearboxFailures 129
11.11 ControllerFaults 129
11.12 PlantPerilsandPumpingSystemExposure 130
12. ClassifiedAreaPumpInstallations 131
12.1 Introduction 131
12.2 DieselEngineIgnitionHazards 132
12.3 HotSurfaces 133
12.4 HotExhaustGases 133
12.5 ExhaustSystem(Muffler) 133
12.6 ExhaustSystemSparkorFlameDischarge 134
12.7 EngineOverspeeding 134
12.8 FlashbackinAirIntake 135
12.9 MaterialSelection 135
12.10 RatedInstrumentationandElectricalHardware 135
12.11 DecompressionPorts 135
12.12 ElectricMotors 136
12.13 Controllers 136