Abu Qir Fertilizers Company

Ammonia Plant 1

ABSTRACT
Boiler Feed Water main
control valve took the failure
position during normal
operation of the plant in full
load.

AFC 1
Case Study

ABU QIR FERTILIZERS

Failure of BFW main control valve

Ahmed Aly
Mohamed Kamal
Maged Elkomy
 ABU QIR FERTILIZERS

No 002

Date December 2017

Plant code Ammonia 1

Incident code INST

Technology Ammonia

Plant section Steam System

Main equipment FV 52-101

Sub- main equipment Valve actuator and connection cable

Operation phase (during event) Normal operation

Operating parameters 340 m3/hr. 140 bar. 120 °C

Medium Boiler Feed Water

Risk category Operational

Hazard type Equipment failure

Failure cause Instrumentation connections of control valve

Failure mode Cable

Hours of operation unknown

No of failures last 6 months 0

No of failures last 12 months 0

No of failures last 24 months 0

Warning sign
Event description
Immediate response action
Finding
Consequence primary
FAL 52-101, abnormal sound in site due to sudden closing
During normal operation, alarm signal of low feed water to Steam Drum
appeared with high sound heard by the field operator towards the valve so at
once check the indicator of opening found completely close.
 At once the DCS operator opened the bypass control valve.
 The plant was down loaded to compensate the lack of feed water to
boiler.
 Urea plant was downloaded.
 Cascade mode was released the control valve manually to control the
level of Steam Drum (the lowest level reached 24 %) but the valve was
in complete failure.
 Instrumentation engineer was informed.
 The valve was isolated by closing u/s and d/s manual valves.
 Cable was repaired by instrumentation group.
Cable which responsible of signal to open and close the valve was broken, so
failure mode of valve occurred.
Disturbance of the plant conditions with little loss of production

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 ABU QIR FERTILIZERS

Consequence primary cost unknown

Consequence secondary unknown

Consequence secondary cost unknown

Consequence details Inspect the all connections of valve

Comment
Consequence Minor

Likelihood Unlikely

Risk level 4
Periodically check all connections of critical control valves by instrumentation
Prevention safeguards
group
Mitigation safeguards Repair the cable
 Check all cables of critical valves by preventive schedule plan
Corrective recommendation
 Change the manual bypass of control valve by automatic valve
 Implement the procedures and checklist to critical equipment
 Good monitoring of plant by operator lead to take the right decision
Lesson leaned in the right time to save the plant from shut down
 Good communications between production group and
instrumentation group lead to good results
Additional documents

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