Turbines and fires

According to a 1985 EPRI report, "Turbine Generator Fire Protection by Sprinkler System," by Black and Veatch, a survey of 175 generator related fires and 33 hydrogen explosions from the period 1930 to 1983 indicated that of the 119 fires involving lube oil, 39 fires occurred at the turbine bearings, 16 fires involved lube oil piping, 14 fires occurred below the turbine deck, and seven fires involved the lube oil reservoir. The exciter has also been identified as both a lube oil and an electrical hazard (seven electrical fires and two oil fires).My experience indicates that this statistic is valid even today.
Piping joint leaks, view glass leaks, piping cracks due to vibration etc all cause lube oil to leak, causing fires. These fires can stop production for quite a while as not only equipment but control and electrical cables will also get damaged. A leak of lube oil from a lube oil pump discharge line causes an atomised spray of lube oil and the source of ignition could be an uninsulated steam line. I have witnessed a major fire caused by a lube oil line leak and the damage was enormous. Train your operators to report unusual vibration, minor leaks and ensure your asset integrity program covers the lube oil system.