ARTICLES
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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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Retrofitting a glycol contactor to prevent carryover
Oct-2013
A revamp of glycol contactor column internals, following CFD studies, resolved problems with gas production caused by glycol carryover
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Silencing hammering in a condenser system
Dec-2017
Detailed analysis leading to correct diagnosis meant that only minor equipment changes were needed to cure severe hammering in a naphtha splitter.
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Combination mechanical slurry conditioning and filtration
Apr-2012
A novel definition of combination filtration provides process engineers with a framework for analysing operating bottlenecks
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Risks of accumulated sulphur in sulphur recovery unit
Aug-1998
Follow-up data to an October 1997 article proves with refinery experience that caustic neutralisation does not improve system operations
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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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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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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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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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Structured packing in a CO2 absorber
Oct-2014
Solvent regeneration is the biggest energy consumer in an amine treating unit but efforts to minimise energy consumption should be made cautiously
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Cleaning heater convection tubes
Feb-2020
Fired heater tubes are difficult to clean, but a sequence of operations can remove unwanted material from the tubes’ external surfaces and raise the ...
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Post-combustion capture of CO2
Apr-2009
Case study of a generic amine-based absorption process. A lifecycle cost analysis for a power plant over a 40-year span clearly shows the advantages of ...
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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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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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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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Balanced distillation equipment design
Feb-2017
Fouling resistance and efficiency requirements for distillation equipment are balanced and optimised for reliable unit performance.
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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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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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Composition variety complicates processing plans for US shale gas
Oct-2008
This article reviews which gas processing technologies are appropriate for the variety of US shale gas qualities being produced and planned to be prod ...
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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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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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How dynamic pressure can affect vacuum column readings
Jun-2016
Computational fluid dynamics confirmed field measurements to explain a vacuum unit’s poor quality HVGO and was used to redesign the tower internals
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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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Enhancing fractionator efficiency
Jul-2016
Properly designed vapour and liquid distribution devices enable more effective distillation column efficiency.
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Troubleshooting vacuum unit revamps
Jul-1998
While vacuum unit revamps increase gasoil yield, management is pushing the intervals between turnarounds to four or five years
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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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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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Replacing a corroded column with packing internals
Jul-2018
A corroded column was replaced with a new column equipped with high capacity packing. The cross sectional area is less than half that of the original.
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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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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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Advanced thermoplastic polymer supports processing of harsh chemicals
Jul-2023
The proprietary NeXRing in VICTREX PEEK polymer from Sulzer Chemtech is ideal for supporting the processing of harsh chemicals, thanks to its high temperature ...
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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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Balanced distillation equipment design
Feb-2017
Fouling resistance and efficiency requirements for distillation equipment are balanced and optimised for reliable unit performance.
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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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Improving reaction furnace performance with the Blasch VectorWall mixing checkerwall
Sep-2013
Operators of large refractory lined combustion chambers, whether used as primary reaction furnaces, thermal oxidisers in tail gas units or miscellaneous ...
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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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Tray revamp for demethaniser ethane recovery
Oct-2011
As a first step in an ethane extraction plant’s operational improvement plan, a tray revamp was performed to improve both tray efficiency and ethane ...
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Retrofitting a glycol contactor to prevent carryover
Oct-2013
A revamp of glycol contactor column internals, following CFD studies, resolved problems with gas production caused by glycol carryover
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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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Apr-2016
A sandwich catalyst system has given the additional activity needed to process difficult feed in a hydrotreater.
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Converting two columns into one
Nov-2017
Dividing wall column technology can be tailor-made to meet specifications for product quality with less utility consumption and lower capital costs
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Gas chromatography trends and troubleshooting in petrochemical analysis (part 1)
Mar-2014
Gas chromatography (GC) is at the fore in the petrochemical sector as an analytical method that can be applied across a broad range of applications.
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Less is more: how a dividing wall column maximises LPG recovery
Oct-2014
Maximising LPG recovery from fuel gas using a dividing wall column. Refiners have a challenge to recover LPG from mixed fuel gas streams due to the difficulty ...
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High performance trays for a fractionator in an aromatics plant
May-2015
Distillation is a very important separation technology in refineries and downstream chemical processing. Mass transfer internals in distillation columns ...
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Dividing wall technology in distillation columns
Feb-2020
Increased throughput required the revamp of a gasoline unit. Space constraints and strict product requirements led to dividing wall column technology as ...
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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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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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Debottlenecking product recovery using product pair distillation: Part II
Jul-2023
Advantages of using a thermodynamically efficient method to debottleneck existing distillation trains using fewer columns than traditional methods.
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A balanced approach to vacuum tower flash zone/wash section design
Sep-2010
Revamping an existing vacuum column to operate at a higher feed rate, higher flash zone temperature, lower pressure, and different feed stock characterisation ...
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Enhancing fractionator efficiency
Jul-2016
Properly designed vapour and liquid distribution devices enable more effective distillation column efficiency.
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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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Increase duty in tube side condensers
Jul-2020
A retrofit is shown to improve several aspects of tube side condensation processes.
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Heat storage in solar power plants
Jun-2020
Avoiding freezing and leakage: optimal thermal management for the use of molten salt in solar thermal power plants with concentrated radiation
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How to replace sensors on process heaters
Jun-2020
Process heaters, such as immersion heaters, use a range of sensor options to accurately measure and adjust the heat of a manufacturing process.
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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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How watt density specifications may be holding back optimal electric heat exchanger design
Mar-2020
Typical customer specifications for a direct electric heat exchanger (DEHE) in forced convection gas applications aim for efficiency and safety given the ...
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Cleaning heater convection tubes
Feb-2020
Fired heater tubes are difficult to clean, but a sequence of operations can remove unwanted material from the tubes’ external surfaces and raise the ...
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High octane isomerates from light naphtha
Feb-2020
Dividing wall column distillation is an energy efficient, cost effective alternative to conventional distillation for delivering high octane products from ...
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Dividing wall technology in distillation columns
Feb-2020
Increased throughput required the revamp of a gasoline unit. Space constraints and strict product requirements led to dividing wall column technology as ...
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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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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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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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Flow maldistribution in shell and tube heat exchangers
Dec-2019
Old designs of shell and tube heat exchangers need to be revamped to develop uniform flow distribution in the inlet header and mitigate tube-side foul ...
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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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Sustainable technology for cleaning a crude preheat exchanger network
Aug-2019
Mitigating environmental impacts, saving time and reducing costs: cleaning a heat exchanger network using a renewable cleaning agent.
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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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Jul-2019
The availability of devices capable of creating an image of the infrared radiation emitted by an item of process equipment such as the CO2 absorber in ...
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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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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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Analysis, active filtration unlock guard vessel stability (ERTC)
Jan-2019
For the first time in years, they did not need jackhammers to unload the guard vessel. It was another short cycle, and there was another crust layer.
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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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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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Dynamic simulation to estimate tower relief
Jan-2019
When applied in the correct circumstances, dynamic analysis can help avoid unnecessary scope and project delays.
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Tray revamp restores crude column performance
Jan-2019
Retrofitting the packed top section of a crude atmospheric tower with high capacity trays improved separation efficiency
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Some myths about mechanical cleaning
Aug-2018
Because it has long been the only option when unit cleaning becomes unavoidable, the true cost of mechanical cleaning has been overlooked.
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Axens SAF Solutions
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Vacuum Systems
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Flow control solutions for refining and chemicals
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Custom catalysts from Evonik
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Refining Process Solutions
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BASF Refinery Catalyst Publication Library
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RVP in process
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Becht fired heaters services
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AMETEK Process Instruments Refinery Solutions
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Level and density in resid hydrocracking processes
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