ARTICLES
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Sour water strippers: design and operation
Apr-2013
Simpler, more cost-effective sour water stripper designs can outperform more generally accepted designs in the refining industry
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Oct-2011
Ring distributors are a simple yet effective means of improving air/steam distribution within the FCC unit
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Flue gas heat recovery through the acid dew point
Jul-2019
Polymer based heat exchange technology enables more heat recovery from flue gas by addressing acid corrosion issues.
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Tray design for high load applications
Jul-2014
Distillation is an essential separation technology in refineries, gas processing, and the chemical industries. Internals for distillation columns can be ...
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Feb-2016
An understanding of process basics and fouling mechanisms enables increased run length in problem columns.
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Removing salts and contaminants in glycol regeneration
Apr-2014
A new process combining candle filters and pressure plate filters enables more glycol to be safely recovered from natural gas than by conventional met ...
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Oct-2010
Separation technology is not complex, but separators deliver a range of benefits in ethylene cracking
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Entrainment issues in vacuum column flash zones
Jan-2010
For a vacuum tower to operate effectively, the flash zone and the wash section must work together to provide the best possible feed quality to the sections ...
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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 ...
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Foaming in fractionation columns
Oct-2015
By understanding the foaming process and its root causes, steps can be taken to eliminate or minimise the formation of foaming.
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Practical hydrocarbon dew point specification for natural gas transmission lines
Mar-2011
Hydrocarbon liquid dropout can cause a number of problems in gas transmission lines, including increased pressure drop, reduced line capacity and equipment ...
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Catalyst filling in a fixed bed tubular reactor
Apr-2017
A reactor filling methodology ensures even reactant distribution and pressure drop
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Bulk separation of gas-liquid mixtures
Apr-2011
Effective gas-liquid separation is increasingly important to produce high-quality products from feedstocks of decreasing quality
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Improvements in random packing performance
Oct-2010
Developments in random packing design aim for increased efficiency 
and capacity. Random packing is used extensively in gas processing 
and ...
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Divided-wall columns — a novel distillation concept
Oct-2000
The technology of divided-wall columns using a single distillation tower, described in this article, is claimed to have investment and operating advantages ...
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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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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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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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Tray hydraulic operating regimes 
and selectivity
Apr-2010
Tray hydraulics is discussed in terms of froth and spray operating regimes, and possible impacts on selectivity are pointed out by reference to performance ...
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Revamp process design — optimum crude unit product yields
Jul-1997
Designing a new crude unit is an unconstrained process, limited only by capital
investment targets, while revamping an existing unit to optimise ... -
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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Troubleshooting a C3 splitter tower Part 1: evaluation
Oct-2014
Distillation trays are prone to channelling and multi-pass maldistribution in large diameter towers. Multichordal gamma scanning is key for solving such ...
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High-performance trays alone do not guarantee performance improvements
Apr-2012
A high-performance tray does not determine the effectiveness of the whole column. Other distillation equipment plays a vital role in a column revamp
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Analysis method for determining bound and free alkanolamines in HSS contaminated solutions
Jul-1990
A conductometric titration method has been developed to determine the true available alkanolamine in solutions used for H2S and CO2 removal from refinery ...
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Refining/petrochemical integration: a new paradigm
Sep-2013
The global trend in motor fuel consumption favours diesel over gasoline. There is a simultaneous increase in demand for various petrochemicals such as ...
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Slug catcher debottleneck protects downstream processing (TIA)
Aug-2020
Effective separation of oil and gas from different impurities in upstream operations is a matter of paramount importance. All downstream activities and ...
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Savings using divided wall columns
Jan-2019
Divided wall columns can provide substantial energy and capital cost savings compared to conventional distillation methods.
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Improving turnarounds and operations with online cleaning
Sep-2020
Case histories illustrate the financial and operational gains achieved by replacing mechanical cleaning with online, closed-loop operations. The conventional ...
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Flue gas heat recovery through the acid dew point
Jul-2019
Polymer based heat exchange technology enables more heat recovery from flue gas by addressing acid corrosion issues.
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Sour water strippers: design and operation
Apr-2013
Simpler, more cost-effective sour water stripper designs can outperform more generally accepted designs in the refining industry
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Process safety time for fired heaters
Dec-2020
Cases illustrate the actions needed to avoid hazards occurring when the supply to a fired heater is disturbed.
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High capacity valves for distillation towers
Nov-2021
Advanced valves deliver higher column capacity while meeting process requirements such as wider operating range and higher fouling resistance
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Revamp of a methanol wash column
Jun-2022
Installation of high performance trays and internals enabled a successful revamp for a syngas purification process.
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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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Troubleshooting instability in a debutaniser tower
Dec-2019
Successful diagnosis and remediation of premature flood in a debutaniser tower demonstrate the value of good diagnosis for solving tower problems econ ...
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Boosting tube-side heat transfer
Jun-2021
Tube insert technologies can improve heat exchanger performance by enhancing tube-side heat transfer coefficients in two-phase applications.
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Premature foam-flood in an amine absorber: Part 1
Nov-2021
Troubleshooting and hydraulic analysis identified vapour channelling in fixed valve trays as the root cause of premature foam-flooding in a high pressure ...
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Oct-2011
Ring distributors are a simple yet effective means of improving air/steam distribution within the FCC unit
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Heat exchanger fouling analytics
Sep-2020
Modelling the effects of fouling on the performance of heat exchangers and its impact on product values as well as energy losses
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Dec-2016
Feed containing fines, in-organic matter, sludge, rust etc. can cause excessive pressure drop build-up issues in hydroprocessing reactors.
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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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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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Foaming in fractionation columns
Oct-2015
By understanding the foaming process and its root causes, steps can be taken to eliminate or minimise the formation of foaming.
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Feb-2016
An understanding of process basics and fouling mechanisms enables increased run length in problem columns.
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Refining/petrochemical integration: a new paradigm
Sep-2013
The global trend in motor fuel consumption favours diesel over gasoline. There is a simultaneous increase in demand for various petrochemicals such as ...
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Reliability vs recovery for delayed coking fractionators
Apr-2009
When selecting tower internals, numerous choices are available for coker main fractionator configurations, each offering benefits and trade-offs. Some ...
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Improved distillation efficiency
Dec-2016
Dividing wall column technology applied to a xylenes separation project delivered superior energy efficiency compared to a two-column arrangement.
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Improved stripper efficiency raises upgrader production
Jun-2016
Revamping a heavy oil upgrader’s steam stripping tower increased tray efficiency and achieved record throughput.
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Get 20% more hydrogen than nameplate in your next turnaround
May-2020
A foil-supported catalyst meets increased hydrogen demand within a 
normal turnaround.
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Optimising heat recovery in a heat exchanger network
Apr-2022
Maintaining equal heat capacity flow rates for heat sink and source provides maximum heat recovery from an exchanger network.
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Debottlenecking product recovery using product pair distillation: Part I
Apr-2023
Advantages of using a thermodynamically efficient method to debottleneck existing distillation trains using fewer new columns than traditional methods ...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Revamp of a methanol wash column
Jun-2022
Installation of high performance trays and internals enabled a successful revamp for a syngas purification process.
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Optimising heat recovery in a heat exchanger network
Apr-2022
Maintaining equal heat capacity flow rates for heat sink and source provides maximum heat recovery from an exchanger network.
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Premature foam-flood in an amine absorber: Part 1
Nov-2021
Troubleshooting and hydraulic analysis identified vapour channelling in fixed valve trays as the root cause of premature foam-flooding in a high pressure ...
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High capacity valves for distillation towers
Nov-2021
Advanced valves deliver higher column capacity while meeting process requirements such as wider operating range and higher fouling resistance
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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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Boosting tube-side heat transfer
Jun-2021
Tube insert technologies can improve heat exchanger performance by enhancing tube-side heat transfer coefficients in two-phase applications.
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Getting the most out of syngas
May-2021
Optimise production and effectively remove CO2 from syngas with the right separation equipment.
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Using continuous helical flow to reduce fouling
Mar-2021
It would not be an understatement to say that fouling is one of the most costly recurring problems in hydrocarbon processing, and that it hits process ...
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Upgrading a vacuum distillation tower (TIA)
Feb-2021
Reliable and efficient vacuum towers are key to ensuring optimal performance and yield.
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Process safety time for fired heaters
Dec-2020
Cases illustrate the actions needed to avoid hazards occurring when the supply to a fired heater is disturbed.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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