Protecting steel plants from flashbacks

Replacing non-return valves, a combination of a gas filter, non-return valve and flashback arrestor can protect steel plants from production failures.

A combination of a gas filter, non-return valve and flashback arrestor from Witt Gas Techniques, the Warrington, UK based gas safety, control, mixing and analysis equipment supplier can help protect steelworks from production failures during the refining process.

Oxygen and natural gas are mixed to supply a highly flammable mixture to the burner during refining.

Reverse gas flows and flashbacks could occur leading to the shut down of production.

Until now the only safety devices available were non-return valves, which are not sufficient enough for flashbacks.

The Witt Gas Techniques solution for the protection of the natural gas pipeline comprises a Gas Filter 625, to reduce contamination using nickel chromium steel filter inserts, a Gas Non-return Valve 339 with test ports to prevent the formation of explosive mixtures in the pipeline and a parallel connection of five Flashback Arrestors 623 to guarantee the required high gas flow and stop flashbacks in the pipeline.

A feature of this solution is that because of the test ports on the 339 the non return valves, they do not need dismantling during annual inspections.

A steelworks, which recently had Witt Gas equipment installed has a natural gas flow of 350m/h and a low gas pressure of 3 bar and requires a minimum pressure loss for all devices installed.

A high capacity gas filter, a non-return valve and a parallel connection of 5 flashback arrestors were used.

The total pressure loss was around 500mbar.

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