LNG peak-shaving stations have many safety hazards, mainly including the following aspects:
Unsafe human behavior:
Improper operation: Operators fail to wear protective equipment before unloading, fail to check the integrity of process equipment, fail to connect static grounding wires, etc., which may lead to frostbite, LNG leakage, static discharge and fire accidents.
Equipment damage: Operators fail to strictly abide by operating procedures, which may cause equipment damage, LNG leakage and fire and explosion accidents.
Illegal operation: The car is not turned off during gas filling, the gas gun is improperly connected to the vehicle, and the cylinder angle valve is opened when the gas gun is in the empty state, which may lead to leakage and fire.
Risks of LNG's own characteristics:
Low-temperature characteristics: LNG has an extremely low temperature and will evaporate quickly after leakage, causing material performance to deteriorate, which may lead to more serious accidents.
Inflammable and explosive: After LNG is mixed with air, it is easy to ignite and detonate when the volume ratio is between 5% and 15%, and it is very easy to cause fire and explosion when exposed to open flames.
Toxicity: Methane is the main component in LNG. Leakage will reduce the volume of oxygen in the air, which may cause human hypoxia and suffocation.
Equipment leakage:
Aging of storage tanks: There is an insulation layer between the inner and outer tanks of the LNG storage tank and a vacuum is drawn. The vacuum damage will cause the storage tank to burst, causing leakage and explosion.
Seal failure: Failure of the inlet and outlet seals of the submersible pump and the booster liquefier may cause LNG leakage.
Management defects:
Inadequate training: Inadequate business skills training for operators leads to the inability to systematically identify dangerous and harmful factors.
Ineffective safety hazard investigation: Inadequate safety hazard investigation and management, formal safety inspections, and no technical and management measures are taken to eliminate hazards in a timely manner.
Countermeasures:
Technical measures: A safety relief valve is installed on the top of the storage tank, which automatically releases when the pressure rises to a certain value to prevent excessive pressure.
Management measures: Strengthen safety education and training to ensure that operators have the necessary safety knowledge and are familiar with safety production rules and regulations and operating procedures. Equipment maintenance: Check the equipment sealing regularly and replace damaged seals in time to prevent leakage.