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Glass Furnace Failure and Transformer PCB Release

During batch operation, the sidewall of a glass furnace ruptured, releasing 400 tons of hot molten glass. The molten glass flowed into the basement of the plant where it came into contact with an electrical transformer. The heat of the surrounding glass caused the transformer to rupture and release PCB-containing oil over a wide area. The plant was down for several months while repairs and PCB cleanup were accomplished. APTECH performed a complete reconstruction of the accident, tracing the sequence of events from the original furnace rupture to the moment the transformer ruptured. A detailed subscale model of the glass furnace facility was constructed to aid in visually depicting the accident scenario.

Satish Almaula		Plant failure and root cause analysis; process and design engineering analysis; process technology development and testing; plant engineering, operations, maintenance and safety management; plant and process control system management.

Kimble Clark, Ph.D.		Failure analysis, heat transfer & thermodynamics, process plant equipment failures & explosions, fuel science, combustion, industrial fires and explosions.

Richard Schreiber, P.E.		Machinery and mechanical device failure analysis, mechanical testing, combustion and heat transfer, industrial fires and explosions, gas appliances.

Eric Sullivan, P.E.		Metallurgy, welding, failure analysis, fire and explosion investigations, equipment, piping.