MARINE TERMINAL. FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEMS FOR A MARINE BERTHING / MOORING COMPLEX, STU FOR FIRE SAFETY

The technological processes of storage and transshipment of petroleum products in a seaport are associated with an increased risk of spillage of flammable and combustible liquids. Requirements for fire extinguishing systems of berthing / mooring complexes, as well as fire extinguishing systems of a number of other hazardous facilities, are laid down in special technical conditions (STU), and are also included in the MOPB section of project documentation.

The Pozhneftehim, a Russian manufacturer of firefighting equipment and foam concentrates, has been developing concepts, design solutions and fire safety management systems since 2006. The company's specialists advise on design solutions and supply a set of equipment and foam concentrates that are suitable for the berthing / mooring complex (loading/unloading berths and piers) with the customer specified characteristics.

ORDER TYPICAL DESIGN SOLUTION

Legislation and regulatory requirements for fire extinguishing systems for marine terminal

Requirements for automatic foam fire extinguishing installations, which can be used for fire protection of a sea pier, port, and mooring complex are contained in VSN 12-87 of the USSR Ministry of the Marine Fleet “Mooring complexes for transshipment of oil and oil products. Fire protection. Design Standards".

This regulatory document has an unclear legal status and applies only to mooring facilities for transshipment of oil and oil products in the seaports of the USSR Ministry of the Marine Fleet.

The standard provides for the following provisions in fire safety of seaport mooring complexes:

• air-mechanical medium expansion foam (80-100) should be provided as the main means of extinguishing with a foam concentrate based on sea or fresh water (clause 3.1);
• AFPS (automatic fire protection system) of the mooring complex should provide the extinguishing of the calculated fire at the technological site or tanker at the highest flow rate required to extinguish (clause 3.2);
• on the berth technological site, it is necessary to provide for the installation of stationary foam generators that apply foam to the entire area of the technological platform, but not less than 500 m² (clause 3.3);
• the installation of water fire extinguishing should ensure the application of a foam concentrate solution with an intensity of at least 0.08 l/s per 1 m² (clause 3.4);
• permanently installed foam generators of the GPS type should be used for AFPS with their connection to the foam concentrate solution distribution pipeline using threaded connections (clause 3.6);
• foam generators shall be installed evenly around the perimeter of the site in such a way that the foam is fed primarily to hose devices (standpipes), valves, product pipelines and other oil product transportation facilities (clause 3.7);
• the estimated time of operation of the fire extinguishing installation should be taken equal to 10 minutes, and the application of foam and water for the preparation of the foam concentrate solution should be taken based on the condition of ensuring a triple flow rate of the solution. In this case, one should take into account the need for an additional amount of a foam concentrate solution for filling dry solution-foam pipelines and creating its stock of at least 10 tons (clause 3.8).
• the percentage (concentration) of the foam concentrate in the solution is set depending on the type of foam concentrate and the water used (fresh or sea) in accordance with Appendix 4. In order to increase the resistance of air-mechanical medium expansion foam (80-100) to the influence of sea water on it, the content of the foam concentrate in the solution must be taken at least 12% (clause 3.9).

VSN 12-87 (Soviet norms) is a document written taking into account fire extinguishing technologies used in the USSR in the 1980s. At the same time, some of its provisions are practically unfeasible, such as applying medium expansion foam to the entire platform and to the standpipes in connection with the technical characteristics of the GPS. From the passport GPS-600 of the medium expansion foam generator follows that according to its characteristics it cannot be located in close proximity to the fire source and has a small jet range. This technical contradiction does not allow the use of GPS in foam fire extinguishing installations at mooring facilities.

Fire extinguishing systems for the mooring complex for oil products transshipment

Sea pier, port, mooring complex for transshipment of petroleum products is an object of increased fire hazard. The fire extinguishing system of such an industrial facility should include high-quality foam generators, proportioning systems and efficient modern foam concentrates. In addition, when designing a fire extinguishing system, proven solutions must be applied that have been approved in developed countries and have received approval under international fire safety standards and norms.

Schematic diagram of the "traditional" integrated system of foam fire extinguishing and water cooling

1 – manifold for connecting fire engines or watercraft; 2 - fire hydrants or distribution manifolds on the inlet solution pipe; 3 – solution supply; 4 - fire hydrants or distribution manifolds on the water supply; 5 - water supply; 6 - control unit; 7 – drain valve; 8 - supply pipe; 9 - water curtain; 10 - foam generators

Schematic diagram of a pumping station for a fire extinguishing system of automatic fire protection with a water curtain

1 - proportioning pump; 2 - pump for a foam concentrate solution; 3 - water tank; 4 - foam concentrate tank; 5 – proportioning washer for Q1 flow rate; 6 - proportioning washer for Q2 flow rate; 7 - electrically driven valve; 8 - control panel; 9 - control and automation cabinet; 10 - water-air tank; 11 - pump to replenish water-air tank with a foam concentrate solution.

Advantages of the fire extinguishing system of the sea pier (mooring complex):

• simplicity.

Disadvantages of the fire extinguishing system of the sea pier (mooring complex):

• low efficiency;
• GPS are not capable of supplying foam to standpipes and all required equipment;
• a large number of technical contradictions with the norms;
• huge foam concentrate consumptions.

Schematic diagram of a modern integrated system of foam firefighting and water cooling

Advantages of a modern integrated fire extinguishing system for a sea pier (mooring complex):

• simplicity;
• high efficiency of low expansion foam based on AFFF;
• UVPN cover with foam the entire area of the technological site, the fire monitors on the PVU protect standpipes;
• modern foam concentrates make it possible to obtain foam from a 1% solution instead of 12% according to VSN 12-87. This allows to significantly reduce the cost of the proportioning system;
• the proportioning system is much more compact and cheaper.

Requirements for fire equipment and foam concentrates for the mooring complex

The Pozhneftehim produces AQUAFOM firefighting equipment and foam concentrates for fire extinguishing systems of mooring complexes and sea ports for transshipment of petroleum products:

• foam concentrates;
• foam generators;
• fire monitors;
• auxiliary equipment;
• foam concentrate storage and proportioning systems;
• modular buildings with proportioning systems and pumping stations.

Domestic legislation lacks national standards for many types of foam generators. When choosing a supplier of equipment, a quality and performance guarantee of firefighting equipment is considered to be the availability at the Equipment Manufacturer of an accredited stand for hydraulic testing of equipment, as well as the provision of documents:

• license of the Ministry of Emergencies of the Russian Federation for installation, maintenance and repair of fire safety equipment for buildings and structures (for modular buildings);
• SRO certificate of admission to the preparation of draft measures to ensure fire safety of capital construction facilities, including especially hazardous and technically complex facilities (for modular buildings);
• certificate of quality system GOST ISO 9001;
• inclusion of a fire equipment manufacturer in the register of the National Welding Control Agency (NAKS);
• certificate of conformity issued by an accredited body of EMERCOM of Russia;
• manufacturer written confirmation for the Customer representative production inspection to take part in acceptance tests;
• certificate (declaration) for compliance with TR TS 032/2013 for the bladder tank;
• safety justification (OB) specified in clause 45 of the TR TS 032/2013 for the bladder tank;
• certificate of compliance with the requirements of GOST 30546.1-98, GOST 30546.2-98, GOST 30546.2-98 (earthquake resistance 9 points on the MSK-64 scale) for a bladder tank (if necessary);
• justifying calculation of the corrosion rate of the bladder tanks inner surface, issued by an accredited organization (for bladder tanks).

Design of fire extinguishing systems for a marine terminal. Interaction of the Pozhneftehim Group with the design organization (STU, MOPB)

The Pozhneftehim develops design documentation in fire safety of industrial and production facilities:

1. assessment of compliance of project documentation (including projects developed by foreign companies) with the current standards of the Russian regulatory framework;
2. development of fire protection concepts;
3. development of Special technical conditions for fire safety (STU);
4. development of the section "Fire Safety Measures" of the design documentation;
5. calculations and fire risk assessment.

Contact information to order Pozhneftehim complex supplies

Questions concerning the choice of foam concentrates for fire extinguishing

Tatyana Potapenko, foam project manager +7 (499) 703 01 32, ext.172

Questions concerning the choice of firefighting equipment

Sergey Vypritsky, Project Manager +7 (499) 703 01 32, ext.153

Questions on documentation regarding Fire safety measures (MOPB) and Special technical conditions (STU)

Sergey Titenkov, Head of Regulatory and Technical Department +7 (499) 703 01 32, ext.159