Breaking: Explosion At Connecticut Power Plant

[WillyT]

MIDDLETOWN, Conn., Feb. 7, 2010
Gas Explosion, Fire Reported in Conn.
Reports Suggest Many Injuries, Possible Deaths at Industrial Facility

<snip>

CBS/AP) Police are reporting a gas explosion and fire at a power plant in Middletown.

Several ambulances and fire trucks responded to the explosion on River Road Sunday and witnesses say black smoke was visible for miles.

CBS News reports the explosion occurred at the Kleen Energy Plant. Initial reports from police scanners suggest many injuries and possibly deaths.

All three district fire stations have responded, and urban search and rescue is being dispatched.

The Connecticut State Police is also sending detectives.

No details were immediately available, but police advised people to avoid the area

<snip>

Link: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/07/national/main6183458.shtml

Google Links: http://news.google.com/news/story?cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&source=hp&ncl=d8cIFHBKDmaN_fMv1VOpIyOB5d6aM&scoring=n

[FreakinDJ]

1. Gas Fired Power Plant ????

Cold days allows NG to collect very concentrated low to the ground

[Cirque du So-What]

5. Actually, natural gas is lighter than air and always rises

Propane is heavier than air, but this plant used natural gas.

[FreakinDJ]

8. The compress and condense the Gas prior to the Turbine

to a state the engineers call a "Heavy Vapor" (600psi @ 100 Deg F.)

This is called the Fuel Filter and it has Level controls the regulate the amount of "Actual Liquid" in it. It also has a pressure relief valve which is used should they "scram" the plant.

This pressure relief activating under Emergency Shut Down conditions on a Cold Calm day is the exact reason for the explosion at "Fox Haven Power Plant" just outside of Fairfield California

I only know this because I've overseen the construction of 6 NG Fired Power Plants ranging in size from 50 Megawatts to 500 Megawatts

But don't trust me - I don't know any thing

[Cirque du So-What]

10. I didn't know that

My previous experience - including over 30 years of experience with natural gas and firefighting - has been limited to much lower pressures. I had never been schooled in the characteristics of LNG or the pressures created prior to injection into the turbine. I offer my apologies for speaking out of turn.

[spanone]

2. Kleen Energy Plant.....irony alert

[FarCenter]

3. 620 Megawatt gas turbine plant also capable of running on No. 2 diesel.

Presumably "Kleen" because it burns mostly CH4 instead of C.

It is not clear whether it is fully in operation or just being completed.

[Cirque du So-What]

6. As energy sources go, natural gas is the cleanest-burning

of petroleum fuels.

[Cirque du So-What]

4. Found this:

http://www.preseis.com/Yankeegas_KleenEnergy.html

In preparation of extensive blasting operations for the KLEEN Energy Plant Project, PreSeis, Inc provided advanced technical consultation and comprehensive seismographic monitoring services to monitor blast induced ground vibration levels associated with close-in blasting operations proximal to existing high pressure Yankee Gas Line Services.

[cali]

7. two confirmed dead.

[Duckhunter935]

9. post # 34 same subject