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Aug-2018

Modular compressor package for refiners (TIA)

Volatile spot market prices for crude oil and products, as well as growing stringent legislation requirements for environmentally friendly fuels for all kinds of transportation, including air and sea, force oil companies to invest in hydrotreating and hydrocracking technologies.

Peter Kotzsche
MAN Diesel & Turbo

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Article Summary

With a focus on these technology trends, MAN Diesel & Turbo has engineered a new line of steam turbine driven compressor packages named Refinery Train Package (ReTPac) with the emphasis on hydrotreating, hydrodesulphurisation and hydrocracking processes. After releasing ReTPac in 2014, MAN sold more than 20 units around the world, fulfilling different specification requirements.

The modular compressor package is MAN’s response to the challenging requirements of refiners and EPC contractors, complying with their capex and ROI expectations while ensuring risk minimisation, best efficiency, safety as well as short engineering and delivery times (see Figure 1).

The modular configuration concept allows covering a range of up to 10MW, with pressures up to 250 bara. The pre-engineered train and auxiliary system components (including centrifugal barrel-type compressors, coupling, mechanical drive steam turbine, baseplate, lube and control oil system, dry gas seal conditioning system, and unit control panel) enable quick selection while minimising engineering effort.

Several projects show that this package has successfully entered the market. Refinery operators in six countries ordered MAN’s compressor solution. Meanwhile the first units have been commissioned and put into operation in Asia. The challenging delivery time of less than 12 months including a string test in the workshop has been met. Due to a transport and installation friendly single lift configuration, both transportation and erection time could be minimised, reaching a time of less than six months for the Asian installation.

The most demanding order comprised six ReTPacs for a refinery company in the Middle East commissioned by a European EPC company. The duty of the steam turbine-driven compressor packages is to maintain the pressure of the hydrogen, which is recycled through the process unit. Hydrocracking of heavy distillates is necessary to produce lighter products with enhanced cetane number, density and smoke point. Despite the challenging and time consuming requirements regarding specifications, quality and testing (complete unit test), MAN managed to ship all units within the agreed delivery time of less than 17 months.

These short delivery times reduce the long procurement lead time, giving EPCs and refiners more time to elaborate and optimise the production process parameters. Final documentation required for site planning is available within four weeks, allowing an early and accurate sizing of foundations and utilities. The modular package concept enables replacement of a compressor and/or steam turbine/motor within the modular range, without major changes to peripheral devices.

The modular, flexible and high specification standards complying design of the ReTPac puts MAN in a position to meet challenging delivery times while staying within the budget, according to Peter Klotzsche, Head of Sales & Contracts for ReTPac. Biggest assets are a safe supply chain, backed by frame agreements with suppliers for major components, predesigned components that can be swiftly combined to requirements and a recurrent design that creates a familiarisation effect.

MAN is doing the same modularisation exercise with a motor as driver to extend the range of applications for ReTPac.

This short case study originally appeared in PTQ's Technology In Action feature - Q3 2018 issue.

For more information: peter.klotzsche@man.eu 


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