A Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit turns heavy hydrocarbon residue into gasoline. The riser runs at 520 °C, the regenerator at 720 °C and 4–5 bar. The 2005 Texas City explosion killed 15 people. NFPA 30, API 2510 and API RP 752 cover FCC fire protection.
FCC Process
- Feed: Vacuum gas oil (VGO) at 350 °C
- Catalyst: Zeolite, 5–100 micron particles
- Riser: 520 °C, 2–3 s contact time
- Regenerator: 720 °C, coke burned off the catalyst
- Capacity: 40,000–100,000 bpd
Riser and Catalyst Risk
- Erosion: Catalyst wears the metal, especially at elbows
- Feed pipe hot spot: Locally up to 750 °C, damaging the internal lining
- Expander: Turbine driven by 720 °C flue gas
- Slurry pump: Seal leaks are a classic fire source
- Hot rotating equipment: Steam curtain around it
Water Spray NFPA 15
- Vessel exposure: 10.2 L/min/m²
- Riser: 20.4 L/min/m² (special zone)
- Structural steel: 4.1 L/min/m² for columns
- Monitor nozzle: 20 L/s, 45 m range
- Duration: 4 hours
Texas City 2005 Lessons
- Incident: Vapor cloud explosion after a column overfill in the isomerization unit
- Dead: 15, injured 180
- Cause: Trailer siting
- CSB report: Safety culture
- MOC: Management of Change mandatory
Turkish Refinery FCC
- A refinery: FCC, 40,000 bpd
- Another refinery: Gasoline production via Unit 2
- A new refinery: Commissioned in recent years
- BYKHY Annex 12: Storage of flammable and combustible liquids, with minimum safety distances for above-ground (12/C) and underground (12/Ç) tanks; refineries are industrial occupancies under Article 14
- SEVESO III: Refineries with FCC units are upper-tier establishments
MEP Calc — 110+ Engineering Calculators
MEP Calc bundles 110+ engineering modules in one iOS app: 21 fire calculations (sprinkler, fire pump, FM-200 clean agent) plus heating, cooling, HVAC, plumbing, steam and natural gas. Download it on the App Store.
Download MEP Calc on the App Store
SprinkCalc — Fire Sprinkler Design Across Three Standards
SprinkCalc covers hazard classification, design density and area, K-factor selection, water demand and hydraulic calculations for NFPA 13, FM Global and BS EN 12845 in a single iOS app, and exports a professional PDF report. One of the few tools that unifies all three major fire protection standards.
Download SprinkCalc on the App StoreNFPA 30, NFPA 15, API 2510, API RP 752, CSB Texas City. NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids.