On budget, on time, offline

Flawless project execution will not prevent a unit shutdown due to selecting the wrong metallurgy for a challenging crude slate. No matter how well it is fabricated and installed, a shell and tube exchanger with cold, high viscosity vacuum resid on the tube side will have poor heat transfer performance. On-time shipping and installation of a too-small desalter will not prevent crude column overhead corrosion if the centerline velocity is overly optimistic for the design crude. A ...

On-line heater and boiler chemical cleaning technology

GTC’s fired heater cleaning solves common process feed heater problems. With rising pressure to reduce energy costs, GTC’s advanced fired heater/boiler chemical cleaning technology is an effective way to improve heater efficiency without shutting down plant operations. Our technology is designed to quickly remove deposits such as slag and other fouling materials that build up over time on tube fire side surfaces. Fouling in the convection section caused by condensed ...

Opportunity knocks

A group of interesting articles* deals with opportunity crudes, a mixed breed that includes very heavy, sour and high total acid number types as well as those with unexceptional naphthenic acid content but which do have significant concentrations of aliphatic acids or possess the ability to generate them during processing. They all sell at substantial discounts that give refiners who can process them the opportunity to reap higher profits. Hence their name. Note that phrase ...

Optimise your alkylation process and take control with the Profiler™ TGA

The Challenge. Alkylation processes present some of the more challenging applications for interface measurement and control in refinery operations. It is important for the operator to have confidence in the process to optimise alkylate production, while ensuring safe operation and environmental compliance. In a settler, not knowing the levels of hydrocarbon, emulsion and alkylate with confidence can cause problems, including increased polymer formation and combined fluorides, ...

PackView™ - quantitative analysis of packing mal-distribution

The last issue of Tracerco Insight (Vol 6 Ed 1) featured our patent pending FrothView™ technology illustrating how using Tracerco’s new measurement detector technology and analysis of gamma scan data provides quantitative information about the useful capacity of trayed towers. In this article you will learn how applying this technology to packed towers can determine the % liquid fraction providing a measure of the maximum useful capacity of the packing. Enhanced ...

Processing heavy Canadian crude

Reducing crude oil cost is the major incentive driving crude and vacuum unit projects to handle heavy Canadian crudes. But such crudes–Albian Heavy, Christina Lake, MacKay River and others derived from oil sands–today present refiners with a unique set of problems not just because of extra-low API gravity, but also because of asphaltenes, vanadium and nickel, high solids content and extremely high viscosity vacuum residues. To process such crudes reliably over a 4-5 ...

Profiler™ TGA

The Profiler™ TGA provides extremely reliable liquid level and interface measurements for alkylation units and other harsh service environments. The Profiler™ TGA is specifically designed to measure the vertical distribution of multiple interfaces in real time and at high resolution. Key features - Extremely reliable - Low maintenance Benefits - Reduces possibility of acid runaway - Increases production throughput - Optimises acid recirculation - Provides real-time ...

Proper design of mass transfer internals in the FCC flue gas scrubber can help reduce PM emissions

The EPA’s New Source Performance Standards (40 C.F.R. §60.100-1-0, subpart Ja) regulates refinery particulate emissions, including the discharge of catalyst fines from the FCCU flue gas scrubber stack. Because refiners have traditionally correlated particulate matter (PM) emissions with FCCU cokeburn, high flue gas stack PM can result in reducing severity or throughput in the FCCU at a potentially huge economic cost. The proper selection of mass transfer internals in ...

Safeguard packed column efficiency with proper liquid distribution

Initial liquid distribution directly affects the efficiency of structured and random packing beds. As such, some form of flow test should be conducted to validate distributor performance prior to column startup. Steady state water flow testing is the most common method of testing distributors. It can be conducted in the shop or in the field to verify the design, manufacture and installation. Three Common Types of Liquid Distributor Flow Tests • Liquid Range Test with ...

Separator technology reduces refinery operating costs and downtime

A US refining company contacted us to discuss a separation problem in the feed to an alkylation process. Caustic entrainment from their selective hydrogenation unit was poisoning the hydrofluoric acid catalyst in the alkylation unit. The continuous phase feed to the alkylation unit consisted of ~180m3/hr of mixed C4 hydrocarbons, mainly butanes and butylenes, with varying levels of 10 – 20% caustic solution entrained as a dispersed aqueous phase. Sulzer was commissioned ...

Seven reasons why maintenance managers choose HVTS vs HVOF

1. Market Recognition - 2. Porosity & Oxides Level - 3. Production Rate - 4. Variable Thickness - 5. Refurbishability - 6. On-site Safety, Quality, and Environment Protection - 7. Project Management.

Tracerco Diagnostics™

Providing real time measurement technologies to assist with critical decision making. Tracerco Scanning Services TRU-SCAN® Application. Do you have problems with the operation of your stripper/absorber or fractionation tower? Is this limiting production? Do you want to reduce your operating costs? Do you want to reduce your shutdown time? Tracerco’s Tru-Scan™ technology, utilizing FrothView™, is used to evaluate the mechanical integrity and hydraulic performance ...

Tracerco Diagnostics™ FCCU Study

The Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) is the economic heart of a modern refinery. Even small increases in its yield can bring about significant overall gains in productivity and revenue. Tracerco is a world leading industrial technology company providing unique and specialized detection, diagnostic and measurement solutions. A Tracerco Diagnostics™ FCCU Study will provide you with the information you need to optimize or troubleshoot your specific process: - All ...

Tracerco Profiler™ HMI

A Windows based application offering dynamic displays, diagnostics, trending, control and historical logging. The Profiler™HMI, is a ready-made graphical user interface that provides clear insight into your separation process while enabling efficient operation and control of the Profiler™GPS and the Profiler™TGA. The displays available from the Profiler™HMI provide a ‘window’ into the vessel, allowing operators to visualize the process density ...

Tray design features that reduce turnaround maintenance time

Column shutdowns can be costly. Production is halted and maintenance expenses accumulate without any offsetting revenue. Maintenance crews need to isolate, open, inspect, modify, repair, and close columns, all under pressure to complete work as expeditiously as possible. Minimization of shutdown costs begins during the equipment design phase. Sulzer incorporates several features into our tray designs that can reduce column shutdown time. Tray Replacement and Installation Tray ...

Turnaround services and replacement equipment for mass transfer components

Sulzer Chemtech has over 50 years of experience in providing outstanding mass transfer technology, process engineering and equipment. Our global coverage allows us to bring our services to you, day or night, in almost every country of the world. Our employees are ready with the conviction, enthusiasm and attitude to offer not only quality products, but excellent service. Our goal is to meet your requirements and challenges while providing the most cost effective solutions with ...

When reliable operation and easy inspection is key

Topsoe’s outlet collector is easy to install and inspect and help ensure even flow distribution in the bottom of the reactor. It is important to have the best catalyst to ensure optimal performance of your hydroprocessing unit. However, it is equally important to have the best reactor internals to ensure the optimal flow conditions for the catalytic reactions in your reactor. Topsoe’s outlet collector ensures even flow distribution in the bottom bed thereby maximizing ...

Why do many crude/vacuum units perform poorly?

In many cases it’s because the original design was based more on virtual than actual reality. There is no question: computer simulations have a key role to play but it’s equally true that process design needs to be based on what works in the field and not on the ideals of the process simulator. Nor should the designer simply base the equipment selection on vendor-stated performance. The design engineer needs to have actual refinery process engineering experience, not ...

Why produce diesel from the vacuum unit?

Look ahead five years. The economy is likely to keep tightening and the rush to control pollution will inevitably be accompanied by demands for greater energy conservation. Consequence? A growing market for diesel which yields more energy per unit volume. Yet many continue to believe that producing diesel from the vacuum unit is poor design—that it should be produced only from the atmospheric column. Hence many refiners feed 20-30% diesel boiling range material to their ...

XRG Technologies, Services and Solutions

XRG Technologies is an innovative engineering and procurement firm focused on fired and unfired heat transfer equipment for the refining, petrochemical, and power markets. We collaborate with our partners to solve complex problems and manage projects from concept to completion. We have brought together a team of fired heater, burner, boiler, flare, and thermal oxidizer experts to create one centralized, go-to engineering firm for all your process equipment needs.