MAPUA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AT LAGUNA

Academic Year 2015-2016

JOURNAL REPORT: WEEK 6

FIRSTGAS CORPORATION FIELDTRIP (STA. RITA, BATANGAS)
FIRE AND EARTHQUAKE SAFETY TRAINING

Joemer A. Adorna Jr.

A journal report submitted in partial fulfillment
Of the requirements for the course
CHE183F: ChE Field Trips and Seminars

SEMINAR 4

What: Fire and Earthquake Preparedness Safety Training

When: February 9, 2016
Where: Francisco Balagtas Auditorium, Malayan Colleges Laguna, Cabuyao, Laguna
Who: Selected representatives from the Bureau of Fire Protection

Executive Summary

The seminar was conducted by the Administrative Department as an effort in making the
MCL community realize the important of disaster preparedness to sudden breakouts of fire and to
natural calamities such as earthquakes. This is also under the relevance of the Republic Act of
9514, or the Fire Code of the Philippines.
The speakers pointed out that an institution must at least have a fire brigade amongst them,
and a medical team to support the injured, if any. The fire brigade must consist of the following: a
fire marshal, the one that directs all command and is said to be the highest position in the
organization, to be followed by an assistant fire marshal/safety officer, which is commonly found
in industries. Next are the teams, the firefighting team (which corresponds to stopping the fire),
the evacuation team (corresponds to saving living things), the salvage team (corresponds to saving
non-living things, i.e. important documents, etc.) and the first aid team, which corresponds to the
medical team/nurses that the institution/industry has. We are also taught of the triangle of fire
(heat, fuel and oxygen) and the tetrahedron of fire (the former three with the addition of
spontaneous chain reaction). Those 3 (4) are the ones needed in building the basic components of
combustion, or fire. We are also taught of the five classifications of fire starters, to which are:
Class A (ordinary combustible materials such as paper, wood, cloth, etc.), Class B
(flammable/combustible liquids and gases), Class C (electricity energized equipment), Class D
(Combustible metals) and Class K (kitchen materials i.e. boiling oil). We are also taught on how
to manage the fire from spreading out. We can use water, but some cases cannot use water since it
can help spread the fire. Fire extinguishers can be used in stopping the fire. The PASS mechanism
is taught to us in using fire extinguishers (Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep).
After such, tips for earthquake preparedness is taught to us, like going to open spaces,
avoiding debris, going to a table if in an elevated position, etc. After that, fire extinguishers are
demonstrated by the fire brigade using the PASS mechanism. After that, we are said to be wary of
upcoming fire and earthquake drills in the coming days, so we have to be alert and prepared for
such announcements.

PLANT VISIT 1

I. Details
Who: FirstGas Corporation (Power Plant)
When: February 12, 2016
Where: Sta. Rita, Batangas City
Organizers: G5 Abarro, Andrade, Galicia, Hernando, Sta. Isabel

II. Content
Name of Company: FirstGen Corporation
Background:
First Gen Corporation is a 67 hectare plant located between Brgy. Sta Rita and San
Lorenzo, Batangas. It uses renewable energy to supply electricity in households. They use water,
wind, natural gas and geothermal steam as their raw material for their production. It has an installed
capacity of 2,948 MW.
Based on their web page, (http://www.firstgen.com.ph/OurCompany.php), the company's
interests, direct and indirect, consist of the following:

A 100 per cent equity interest in the 1,000-MW Santa Rita natural gas-fired
combined cycle power plant;

A 100 per cent equity interest in the 500-MW San Lorenzo natural gas-fired
combined cycle power plant;

A 70.04 per cent effective economic interest in the 132-MW PantabanganMasiway hydroelectric power plant complex;
A 100 per cent equity interest in the 1.6-MW Agusan mini-hydro;

A 50.06 per cent equity interest in the 12 integrated geothermal power projects and
the Burgos Wind Project owned by the Energy Development Corporation. The
projects have a combined capacity of 1,314 MW.

Organizational Structure:
FirstGen only consists of 10 personnel, with some engineers going over the plant in overhauling
schedules.

Products and Services: Power Plant/Power Generation Company

Processes:
Power Plant Combined Power Plant
It uses the principles of a Rankine engine, which uses steam as fuel, and a Brayton engine, which
uses gas as fuel. The combusted fuel is used for fueling the Brayton engine, and the leftover heat
is regenerated as steam to power the Rankine engine using an HRSG (Heat Recovery Steam
Generator). The steam that was used is cooled using large amounts of seawater pumped from
underground of the plant, and is demineralized to ensure same quality of the water as it is re-used
for stream generation. Both engines are centered into a single turbine shaft, which converts all
mechanical work to electrical energy, to be distributed among homes.

Demineralization - this is needed to maintain the quality of process water all throughout
Goal: To Remove TSS (Total Suspended Solids) and TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)
For TSS removal:
1. Filtration (Mechanical) uses a combination of gravel, anthracite and sand which picks up
most of the floating solids.
2. Reverse Osmosis Uses a membrane of activated carbon to remove very fine suspended
solids.
For TDS removal:
1. Ion exchange uses resins to absorb cations and anions that are dissolved in the process water.
2. Degasifier uses air to blow the water forcefully, to remove dissolved gases.
3. Resin regenerator - the resins used are to be regenerated using a chemical reaction, to which
the cations/anions are to be discharged.

ANNEXES

Poster from Facebook page of MCL

First speaker of the Safety Training, SFO1 Barraquio.

Picture from outside the plant (FirstGen)

Class picture (FirstGen plant visit)