One of Summit Carbon Solutions’ partners in its proposed land-grabbing carbon dioxide pipeline, Ringneck Energy, had a pretty big oopsie yesterday. The Onida ethanol plant blew up—and since no one was hurt, we’re allowed to invoke the good old SCTV Farm Film Report: yeah, blowed up real good!—requiring a pretty big response from area fire departments:
Hmmm… so if you hook a carbon dioxide pipeline to an ethanol plant and the ethanol plant blows up, how far does the shock wave travel down the pipeline? How much force can the steel of that CO2 pipeline resist?
But hey, at least carbon dioxide isn’t flammable.
The amount of stress created on the pipe fittings down the pipeline due to an explosion at the beginning end would depend on various factors such as the magnitude of the explosion, the distance between the explosion and the pipe fittings, the size and material of the pipe, and the overall structural integrity of the pipeline.
Explosions generate significant forces and pressure waves that can propagate through the pipeline. As the pressure wave travels further down the pipeline, it gradually loses energy due to friction and other factors. The force exerted on the pipe fittings will be influenced by the intensity of the pressure wave, as well as the ability of the fittings to withstand such forces.
To accurately determine the stress created on the pipe fittings, detailed engineering calculations and simulations are typically required, considering the specific parameters of the explosion and the pipeline configuration. It is recommended to consult with a qualified engineer or professional experienced in pipeline design and analysis to assess the potential stress on the fittings in a specific scenario.
Surely this information is available. Hmmm?
Good ol’ SCTV. Was watching Vic Arpeggio, Private Eye, just the other day. Always puts me in a major key.
I loved Farm Field Report. Good to hear that no one was injured!
Likely a leak in a Sieve. I’d say the state’s track record is pretty good considering how much ethanol is being produced in the area. Furnaces that are producing CO2 are usually a distance away from the ethanol processing part. Heat is needed in the ferms at the beginning and natural gas is burned in the dryers to remove the moisture from the distillers grains. Kind of depends on who built the plant and if they started as ethanol plants and not something else.
Time to move on from Ethanol – old out dated, technology that is on life support, Carbon solutions is nothing more than a dangerous expensive life line.
Renewable fuel technology is much safer and more advanced.
“Oopsie” is one of my favorite words.
Walt Wedland, Ringneck CEO, has been one of the most vocal cheerleaders for Summitt’s CO2 pipeline. Whenever the safety isssue is raised, he scoffs at it. We were always told to trust him. This plant is only three years old, and already this major explosion. Had the CO2 pipeline been connected when this happened, there’s a pretty good chance the citizens of Onida and the surrounding area would be euthanized.. There would be no odor to detect a rupture, and the first responders wouldn’t be prepared for what they were going into.
Somebody using a fake name while typing behind a computer connected to Poet Ethanol’s Sioux Falls server submitted a comment (disqualified from publication by the fake name and email address, but still worth mentioning) to tell us to “Get over yourselves and stop trying to create fake drama.”
Drama? What drama? Good grief, I quoted Joe Flaherty and John Candy. ;-)
Seriously, why are we diverting corn to ethanol? All the evidence I have seen suggests that ethanol is not a viable economic alternative to petrol. Add that to the fact that the diversion of corn to ethanol is harmful to several other elements of the economic pie.
I’m not sure how this incident can be tied to the pipeline in any way or how it can even be an indicator of the quality of the line. This could happen at any ethanol plant whether there is a pipeline or not and would likely have zero effect on the pipeline once it is established. There are already natural gas pipelines to these plants and I doubt they were effected at all. Why would you think CO2 would be any different?
Ethanol Enthusiast uses the terms – “not sure” – “how it can even be” – “likely have zero effect “ – “I doubt” – “Why would you think?”.
Really seems confident in his assertion, huh?
ha ha ha 🤣🤣🤣
Could it have been environmental terrorist sympathizers playing with fireworks? Probably.
Ethanol is a bridge, not a destination.
I’m not asserting anything. I’m questioning the basis of your statements while you are providing nothing to back it up. Those statements i made are regarding your supposed correlation. Maybe you should put my comments into context with the previous statements and find some reasonable level of reading comprehension. This explosion didn’t effect other pipelines already going to the plant so what makes you think it will have any effect on the new one?
What makes me think your assertion that an explosion and fire in an ethanol plant, with a CO2 pipeline connected, poses no harm or danger to the public because it didn’t happen this time so it will never happen?
OK.
When an explosion and fire occur on an ethanol plant, it can lead to severe damage and weakening of any CO2 pipelines connected to the plant. This happens due to several factors:
1. Thermal stress: The intense heat generated during a fire can subject the pipelines to high temperatures, causing them to expand and contract rapidly. This thermal stress can weaken the structural integrity of the pipelines, leading to cracks or fractures.
2. Mechanical impact: Explosions produce powerful shockwaves that can propagate through the plant infrastructure, including the CO2 pipelines. These shockwaves can create significant mechanical impacts on the pipelines, causing them to bend, buckle, or rupture.
3. Corrosion: Fires release various corrosive gases and substances that can come into contact with the CO2 pipelines. This exposure to corrosive materials can accelerate the corrosion process, leading to the weakening of the pipelines over time.
Now, the damage to the CO2 pipelines puts nearby individuals at risk of toxic CO2 releases. CO2, when released in high concentrations, can be hazardous and even life-threatening. Here’s how the endangerment occurs:
1. Pipeline rupture: The damage caused by an explosion or fire can result in pipeline rupture. Once the pipeline is breached, the pressurized CO2 within it can escape rapidly, forming a large plume of gas.
2. Toxicity: The released CO2 displaces oxygen from the surrounding air, leading to oxygen deprivation. Breathing air with a reduced oxygen level can cause dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness, and, in extreme cases, asphyxiation. This poses a severe risk to people near the pipeline.
3. Spread and dispersion: The release of CO2 from a ruptured pipeline can disperse over distances, depending on the force of the release and environmental conditions. This means that individuals in the vicinity of the pipeline, even if not directly nearby, may still be exposed to elevated CO2 levels.
In summary, explosions and fires on an ethanol plant can damage and weaken CO2 pipelines, making them prone to rupture. This rupture can result in the release of toxic CO2 gas, endangering individuals in the vicinity of the pipeline with the risk of oxygen deprivation and its associated health hazards.
Ethanol Enthusiast
Worthwhile ignoring the elucubrations from P Aitch [PHL IV] above. Stringing words together as he does (at a 3rd grade level at best) isn’t a rationale of anything but a simulacrum in which he attempts to dress himself.
Your Dad really messed you up, Kurt. Is there anything you need? You don’t seem okay, big guy.
OT Dakota Pheasant Guide sure is advertising heavily for hunters for expensive pheasant hunts on YouTube and other spots.