200 Fire Water System

The fire water system will comprise a 5,000 bbl fire water storage tank, a fire ring main equipped with
13 fire hydrants and 2 spray monitors that service the process area. In addition, there are two take-offs
off of the fire ring main that provide flow to a deluge system installed on the 2 by 2500 bbl oil storage
tanks.
The fire ring main is serviced by two Lowara centrifugal main pumps and there is also a smaller Lowara
centrifugal jockey pump.
The fire ring main is an 8-inch carbon steel pipe and the fire hydrants are isolated from the main via 6-
inch ball valves. There are 4 valve pits associated with the fire ring main for isolating various legs of
the over-all main system.
The fire ring main is kept pressurized at all times by the cyclic operation of the jockey pump. The
control philosophy is such that a slight decrease in pressure will start the jockey pump and kick it off
when the pressure in the main has been re-established at the set point.
Should a fire hydrant be opened, the jockey pump will kick in due to low pressure, but since it cannot
supply the flow needed to maintain pressure, the continued pressure drop will kick in one of the main
Lowara fire pumps and these will provide flow for the hydrants and monitors.
A further decrease in fire ring main header will start the last Lowara fire water pump. The main pumps
are sized that if need be, all fire hydrants, the two monitors and the deluge system can all be in operation
and flow will be sustained to them.
The pumps are electrically driven with 50 h.p. electric motors on the main pumps and 25 h.p. on the
jockey pump. The fire ring main is also equipped with two 4-inch flushing connections connected to the
ring main with above-ground risers.
Commissioning of the fire water system will require the mechanical completion and commissioning of
the fire water storage tank. It will also require the mechanical completion of the inlet piping to the fire
water pumps, the completion of: the electric power system on the fire water pump motors, the control
instrumentation, the deluge system (and foam pourer nozzles) on the oil storage tanks, the fire ring main
piping, the isolation valves and the fire hydrants and the take-off points and piping from the main to the
deluge system.
Once the mechanical completion of the system has been performed, the fire ring main can be filled with
water from the fire water storage tank. The flushing connections can be opened to atmosphere to vent
the air and the effluent from the ring main once it fills with water.
Note that all the hydrants and the monitors and the take-offs for the deluge system should be closed so as
not to admit any debris from construction into them.
Once the fire ring main is full, flush the ring main through the flushing connections for 20 minutes to
remove dust, sand, etc. from the lines that may have entered during the construction phase.
Stop the pumps periodically to let the solids in suspension settle out and then re-instigate flow to the
main again. Continue flushing until the effluent from both flushing connections is clean water only.
Close the flushing connections and pressure up the main, ensuring the pumps shut off at the set point on
the controller.
Now the fire hydrants can be brought into service with the fire ring main. Open each fire hydrant
sequentially by opening the 6-inch ball valve and open the hydrant valves and then flow through the
hydrant for five minutes to ensure proper function.
Once the hydrant has had flow through it, close the hydrant valves but leave the ball valve open which
will leave the hydrant ready for service.
Now repeat the same procedure as with the hydrants on the monitors and the deluge systems on the oil
production tanks. The system should be capable of maintaining pressure on it with periodic cyclic
operations of the jockey pump cutting in and out.
Have the plant operators monitor the fire ring main pressure as part of their daily readings.

Set up scheduled PM routines for the pumps and gather all appurtenant literature such as
operator manuals warranty registration cards, etc. and release the manufacturer's commissioning
representative (if you have used one).

Procure an extra 6-inch ball valve. Hydrants can be removed if they need maintenance – there
is enough coverage and redundancy in the system that spare hydrants do not necessarily need to
be purchased.

Update the oil production plant master equipment register with all information from the all the
components on the system.

Set up a critical spares list pertaining to these components and check with the warehouse
manager that these critical spares are on hand, are entered in the master inventory record and are
stored properly to negate any detrimental effects.