This midwestern energy producer burns agricultural residuals at its combined heat and power plant to generate electricity and steam. In 2013, deflagration (an explosion and fire of combustible material) destroyed the plant’s fuel-handling system and shut down production. To quickly restore operations and improve safety, the client turned to Barr to perform an options study with a fire/explosion protection analysis.
We evaluated three options for rebuilding the facility. Our work involved an on-site document review of the fuel system, developing fire detection/protection system upgrades for both the existing and proposed systems, developing a design basis for a new fuel-delivery system, presenting risk-analysis findings for the options, and preparing a report describing each option so the client could move ahead with the project—all within 24 days.
The client ultimately selected an option that incorporated the most robust hazard protection with a fuel barn and new fuel-handling system including conveyors, a fabric filter, and day storage bins. Barr completed detailed design of the new fuel-receiving, -storage, and -handling facilities by the fall of 2013, working with the client’s construction management firm to expedite the engineering and fast-track construction. The facility has been back in production since early 2014.