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Boiler room explosion

SlamDunk
SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,670
in Strictly Steam
https://abc7ny.com/explosion-reported-at-university-of-nevada-reno-dorm/5380649/

Comments

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,510
    just saw that on the internet but the just said "mechanical room utilities" or something like that but with what happened it must be a gas explosion.

    Good thing campus was mostely empty due to the holiday, could have been much worse.
  • RayWohlfarth
    RayWohlfarth Member Posts: 1,656
    @SlamDunk I saw that and missed getting the article. Thanks
    Ray Wohlfarth
    Boiler Lessons
  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,670
    edited July 2019
    The latest report is a "mechanical failure" in the boiler room. Technicians were working on boiler. Investigation underway
  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,670
    https://www.rgj.com/story/news/education/2019/07/09/unrs-argenta-hall-boiler-explosion-rare-incident-state-says-dorm-nevada-reno-university/1687675001/
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,611
    SlamDunk said:

    https://www.rgj.com/story/news/education/2019/07/09/unrs-argenta-hall-boiler-explosion-rare-incident-state-says-dorm-nevada-reno-university/1687675001/

    The boiler inspector's comments are hysterical. I am honestly surprised this doesn't happen more often. Yes, boilers by design are very safe. All it takes is a couple safeties to be compromised at the same time and Boom! Hopefully the inspector knows this and is just doing the "remain calm, all is well" routine.
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • retiredguy
    retiredguy Member Posts: 978
    Here in Pennsylvania, I was involved in 2 boiler explosions where I and others were in the boiler room when the explosion happened. The state inspectors I dealt with usually called a fuel explosion a "furnace explosion" and a failure of the pressure vessel a "boiler explosion" Lucky for me, both were furnace explosions and not a catastrophic pressure vessel failure. The occurrence in both instances was a terrifying learning experience. Witnessing just how fast the accident can happen educates a person on how careful and attentive you must be around all these pressure vessels. I rarely allowed anyone in a boiler room on the start-up of a new boiler system unless they were there to assist me or they were well versed in boiler systems. I was also called upon to assist boiler inspectors in trying to determine the causes of other accidents as to whether they were caused by fuel or a vessel failure. One of the worst explosions was a brand new H.B.Smith 4500 hot water boiler firing #2 fuel oil,that had been in service only about 2-3 days when the accident occurred, The boiler literally came apart. The boiler base was blown out from under the boiler, the ID fan blew off, the burner was dislodged from its mount, the 3" gas line separated at the burner, and one of the walls of the boiler room cracked. It is quite an experience to see a screw nipple boiler, a fire tube or water tube boiler come apart.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,510
    The one I remember was a Petro P30 ancient gun burner burning kerosene @30 gph. The safety was a stack switch which was legal when the thing was originally installed, 90 second safety switch. They had been having ignition problems and the boiler and burner were ok but the cinder block wall in the boiler room had a 2" bow in it, a nice curved wall now

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