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Upgrading a vacuum distillation tower (TIA)
Aug-2021
When a major oil refinery in India was constrained by its vacuum tower, it turned to Sulzer Chemtech to find a solution that would not only solve existing ...
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Getting the best out of your hydrocracker unit with new Equiflow® internal reactors (ERTC)
Jan-2019
In today’s complex environment, refineries and petrochemical plants around the world are on the lookout for advanced solutions to help them reach operational ...
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Practical considerations for the design of adsorbent beds
Jul-2023
Refineries have to achieve outstanding reliability and in order to obtain this, they must ensure they optimise the lifetime of molecular sieves. Oil and ...
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Exhaust scrubbers are a viable option for IMO 2020 (ADS)
Dec-2019
With the goal to reduce airborne sulphur emissions, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has mandated that international shippers use fuel with ...
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Baseline scans prove critical in diagnosing any potential future column problems
Sep-2020
A baseline scan establishes a reference point, a historical marker for column performance
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New graphical procedure to design reactor supports used in industry
Aug-2022
Two reactor models used in gas recovery demonstrate a new design strategy that can lead to significant savings in material cost and engineering design ...
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Spherical catalyst carriers with unprecedented size uniformity (ERTC)
Jan-2019
An increased demand for small diameter (less than 4 mm) spherical catalyst carriers led to the development of Saint-Gobain NorPro’s Accu® Spheres.
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Installation of a new flue gas tunnel design concept and resulting operation
Oct-2019
Conventional tunnels incorporate physical features that constrain design efficacy resulting in non-uniform flue gas flow both along the length of the tunnels ...
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Managing vacuum tower wash beds
Sep-2020
ThruVision™ scans monitor the rate of coking in vacuum tower wash beds to get the most out of bed productivity.
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Achieving Fit for 55 emission reduction targets by 2030
Feb-2023
Options available to oil refineries in reducing CO2 emissions while providing a clearer vision on possible roadmaps.
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Detecting leaking PSVs helps a refiner avoid potential emission fines and penalties
Sep-2020
A Tracerco Diagnostics™ Leak study identifies leaks resulting in massive savings from environmental fines, without any interruption to production.
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PackView™ liquid retention scale is a quantitative analysis of packing maldistribution
Sep-2020
PackView™ can be used to compare operational parameters with engineering design
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ThruVision™ scans are the next step to investigate liquid maldistribution
Sep-2020
ThruVision™ technology allows for a complete understanding of liquid distribution, saving days of production losses and massive costs of a unit shut ...
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Pre-turnaround scans enable better critical path planning
Sep-2020
Tru-Scan™ and Tru-Grid™ Scan results help determine whether to enter a particular column during the turnaround outage or remove it from the critical ...
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Increase production rates with Tracerco’s FrothView and Tru-Scan technologies
Sep-2020
How Tru-Scan™ and FrothView™ results help increase production, and remove the debutanizer tower, which seemed to be the bottleneck for the unit.
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Sulzer’s VIEC technology provides the solution with single-stage early separation
Nov-2022
The principle of “easiest first” applies as much in the oil industry as in most other enterprises. This in no more evident than in the state of the ...
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Tru-Scan™ identifies abnormal process conditions and helps optimise vessel efficiencies
Sep-2020
Tru-Scans™ provide valuable data aiding operations in achieving 115% of unit capacity
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High efficiency contaminant removal - Improving new and existing acid gas sweetening processes
Nov-2022
Gas sweetening processes using amine solvents are often challenged to meet productivity and reliability targets due to the impact of solid and liquid contamination. ...
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Optimising fouled distillation units
Nov-2023
Case studies discuss optimisation strategies and enhanced distillation unit performance against fouled conditions.
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Eight critical process vessel, tower and column corrosion mitigation projects
Feb-2024
Integrated Global Services (IGS) discusses eight global process vessel, column, and tower corrosion mitigation projects. This paper explores innovative ...
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Feb-2024
A new approach to the costly problem of biofilm formation in refinery and petrochemical operations.
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Tru-Grid™ scans detect solids build-up to assist in determining the appropriate maintenance path
Sep-2020
PackView™ liquid retention scale included on Tru-Grid™ Scan results provide customers the amount of build-up, relative density and growth patterns ...
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Sep-2020
Tracerco technology can see inside the very heart of operations to determine why processes are not operating as expected.
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Energy saving with tube inserts for heat exchangers
Apr-2023
When it comes to fouling in crude oil preheat trains, tube inserts can maximise heat transfer and reduce heat exchanger fouling, with an average six-month ...
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Benefits of spiral and welded plate heat exchangers (RI 2023)
Nov-2023
Nexson is a French company based in Garchizy in the Nièvre region. Aware of environmental issues, the company helps manufacturers optimise their manufacturing ...
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Steady-state simulators are developing a dynamic personality
Mar-2006
Process simulators have been used for years to design and model actual operation of all types of different plant processes.
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Jan-2007
Gamma scanning is a powerful tool that can be used to determine the cause of flooding and regain column efficiency. Debutaniser capacity and performance ...
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Identifying very small 
equipment leaks
Jan-2008
Very small leaks in feed/effluent exchangers can be identified using chemical tracing. This online technique can detect leaks as low as 5.0 ppm, avoiding ...
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Improving crude vacuum 
unit performance
Mar-2008
When simulating or designing an unconventional heavy oil/bitumen vacuum crude unit, the sharing of operating data on cracked gas make, stripping section ...
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Industrial design and optimisation of CO2 capture, dehydration and compression facilities
Mar-2009
On an industrial-scale process, a comprehensive engineering design and optimisation study was conducted for CO2 capture, dehydration and compression facilities ...
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Demystifying the zero entrainment myth for vacuum column flash zones
Apr-2009
One of the recurring questions about refinery vacuum tower operation is the issue of flash zone entrainment and the operation of the wash section.
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Analysis of hydrate conditions and property predictions in acid gas injection systems
Oct-2009
This paper will focus on the hydrate formation conditions for acid gas mixtures commonly found in acid gas injection systems. Many studies have analysed ...
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Designing trays for selective gas treating
Oct-2010
Field data from eight gas treating plants show how tray design parameters can be selected to improve contactor performances
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Jan-2011
A process review, including the improvement of atmospheric and vacuum distillation columns, for the reformulation of the diesel pool
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Mar-2011
Developments in catalyst and internals technologies exploit the flexibility of
the ULSD unit. The economic incentive to produce diesel is substantial ... -
Choosing tower internals for LNG, shale gas and tail gas treating
Mar-2013
It is well known that for best performance, tail gas treating requires the utmost in selectivity. Shale gas often contains a small amount of H2S in a much ...
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Selective control for a total reflux column
Jul-2014
Operating problems with a de-ethaniser column led to the development of a new strategy for an advanced process control system
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Wastewater stripper fouling cured
Jul-2014
Sulzer was contacted by two separate refiners who noted a continued fouling problem and short run lengths on their wastewater strippers. The configuration ...
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Zeolite membranes for xylenes separation
Jan-2015
Zeolite membrane separation in p-xylene production exhibits low energy demand, low capital cost and compact unit size
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Optimising preflash for light tight oil processing
Jul-2015
For a crude unit handling light tight oil feedstock, a semi-preflash column can deliver significant advantages in energy saving, capacity gain and revamp ...
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Managing heat efficiently - The manufacture of plate-fin heat exchangers
Jun-2017
The most complex task for manufacturers of plate-fin heat exchangers is the process of brazing. Millions of brazing joints are required to ensure that ...
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Enhanced energy recovery for 
crude preheating
Jun-2018
Replacing shell and tube heat exchangers with a compact welded exchanger increased heat transfer efficiency and reduced fouling issues in a crude unit ...
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Improving the flow, installation experience with a new reformer flue gas tunnel system
Jul-2019
For decades, down-fired steam methane reformer furnaces have used flue gas tunnels (or ‘coffins’) along the radiant section floor to collect and improve ...
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Preventing yellow metal corrosion
Dec-2019
A novel corrosion inhibitor for yellow metal meets corrosion and environmental targets under halogen control.
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Exhaust scrubbers are a viable option for IMO 2020 (ADS)
Dec-2019
With the goal to reduce airborne sulphur emissions, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has mandated that international shippers use fuel with ...
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Stahl Columns: An alternative to molecular sieves?
Jun-2022
Case study and independent cost estimations lay out what may someday become the standard way to achieve deep dehydration of produced gas streams.
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DWC technology for improved separation and reduced CO2 emissions
Oct-2022
The two most important challenges today’s refinery and petrochemical industries are facing from a sustainability point of view are reducing carbon footprints ...
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Enhancing profitability using high-efficiency heat exchangers (RI 2023)
Nov-2023
Alfa Laval has been in the refinery industry for more than 40 years, with more than 3,000 high-efficiency heat exchangers installed worldwide. The company’s ...
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Comparison of ideal stage and mass transfer models for separation processes
Apr-2012
The design and optimisation of separation processes is carried out using process simulators that utilise various calculation approaches. Two techniques ...
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Dividing wall column technology as a way of removing benzene from refinery gasoline streams
May-2011
The primary separation method in the petrochemical industry is distillation, or fractionation, which is an energy-intensive process.
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Improving crude vacuum 
unit performance
Mar-2008
When simulating or designing an unconventional heavy oil/bitumen vacuum crude unit, the sharing of operating data on cracked gas make, stripping section ...
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A comparison of physical solvents for acid gas removal
Mar-2008
Physical solvents such as DEPG (Selexol or Coastal AGR), NMP or N-Methyl-2- Pyrrolidone (Purisol), Methanol (Rectisol), Propylene Carbonate (Fluor Solvent) ...
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Identifying very small 
equipment leaks
Jan-2008
Very small leaks in feed/effluent exchangers can be identified using chemical tracing. This online technique can detect leaks as low as 5.0 ppm, avoiding ...
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Tray technology 
enhances extraction
Oct-2007
A case study involving the revamp of two rotating disc contactors in aromatics service highlights the most important design considerations for enhancing ...
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Key factors in selecting refractories for the hydrocarbon processing industry
Mar-2007
Longer campaigns, higher temperatures, and more oxygen all add up to increased wear and tear on process vessels and equipment and make proper material ...
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Mar-2007
In amine sweetening units, the heat of absorption and VOC and BTEX solubility have been found to vary significantly with acid gas loading, as well as with ...
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Feb-2007
Why there is no excuse for operating a dirty amine system. The benefits of reclaiming amine systems are trumpeted by many and doubted by others.
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Jan-2007
Gamma scanning is a powerful tool that can be used to determine the cause of flooding and regain column efficiency. Debutaniser capacity and performance ...
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Increasing deisobutaniser capacity
Oct-2006
Insight into procedures and details involving a distillation revamp can be gained by looking at a project carried out on a deisobutaniser unit separating ...
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Distributor design and testing
Oct-2006
A new main fractionator designed to separate a range of feed streams incorporates multiple layers of structured packing and a slurry section. Flow testing ...
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Apr-2006
The recovery of pure aromatics feedstocks such as reformate or pyrolysis gasoline through solvent-based extractive distillation. The efficiency, purities ...
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Comparing packing efficiencies
Apr-2006
In mechanically demanding applications, grid packing can help control costs and product degradation. Important parameters such as grid surface area and ...
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Proper interpretation of freezing and hydrate prediction results from process simulation
Mar-2006
This paper focuses on the modelling of solid phase behaviour in systems that are frequently encountered in natural gas processing. The ability to perform ...
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Steady-state simulators are developing a dynamic personality
Mar-2006
Process simulators have been used for years to design and model actual operation of all types of different plant processes.
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Analysis and prediction of hydrocarbon dew points and liquids in gas transmission lines
Mar-2006
The occurrence of liquid hydrocarbons in natural gas transmission lines has increased in recent years as a result of the shrinking price spread between ...
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Hydrocarbon removal from amines demonstrated experience
Mar-2006
Bringing amine system contaminants down to low levels has reduced operational problems. Several large operating facilities are now using the latest technology ...
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Using process simulators will make your plant more productive and efficient
Mar-2005
The use of process simulators to model plant operations can provide a plant hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in increased production and lower ...
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Increasing vacuum tower performance
Oct-2004
Advantages of using gravity flow liquid distributors in services where, historically, spray nozzles have been used, specifically in refinery vacuum tower ...
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Further advances in light hydrocarbon fractionation
Jul-2004
Recent developments in high capacity distillation trays focus on increasing capacity in fixed tower sizes in refineries and chemical plants. C2 and C3 ...
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ULSD production: improved feed stream quality
Apr-2003
Much of hydrotreater revamp investment costs in future will be in dealing with the most difficult-to-remove sulphur species, because of their low reaction ...
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Specifications — importance of getting them right
Mar-2003
Faulty equipment specifications sometimes carry unforeseen penalties, with loss of performance. It is the process design engineer’s responsibility to ...
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Column design using mass transfer rate simulation
Apr-2002
This article looks at examples of commercial columns used in CO2 removal and selective H2S treating, comparing performance test data to demonstrate benefits ...
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Crude unit revamp to increase diesel yield
Apr-2002
Account of a crude vacuum unit revamp where detailed calculation of the true performance of existing equipment raised diesel production by 14.5 vol% on ...
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High capacity distillation revamps
Oct-2001
Understanding how high-capacity trays work assists in the selection and design process and can also help in the avoidance of failures
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Working with an extractive distillation process
Jul-2001
A cost comparison between progressive extractive distillation of aromatics versus a more conventional technology has shown there can be considerable savings ...