LITERATURE
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4 simple ways to convert turnarounds into profitable tower upgrade opportunities
With planned outages commonly occurring at intervals of 2-5 years, a refinery turnaround is a prime opportunity to replace column and separator internals with the newest available technology. Planning for an outage with a “replacement-in-kind” strategy will address lost performance from refinery equipment due to normal wear and tear. However, most column internals can be upgraded for higher capacity, more flexibility, or greater efficiency at close to the same cost ...
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Axens is a group providing a complete range of solutions for the conversion of oil and biomass to cleaner fuels, the production and purification of major petrochemical intermediates as well as all of natural gas' treatment and conversion options. The offer includes technologies, equipment, furnaces, modular units, catalysts, adsorbents and related services. Axens is ideally positioned to cover the entire value chain, from feasibility study to unit start-up and follow-up throughout ...
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Anti-fouling trays maximize coker main fractionator profitability
The Coker Main Fractionator is systematically subjected to harsh operating conditions that can lead to deteriorating efficiency and performance due to coking and fouling. Poor reliability results in loss of profitable coking margins for the refinery. The main fractionator vapor feed from the coke drum overhead is characterized by a tendency for further cracking, as well as the presence of fine coke particles carried from the drums. The hottest zones of the column (bottom quench, ...
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Avoid unnecessary costs by understanding process problems before taking action
When a piece of process equipment starts experiencing problems and producing off-spec product, every engineer’s reaction is to make a change to “fix” the problem and get it back on-spec. yet, many plants lack adequate instrumentation to completely diagnose the cause of the poor performance. Without a more complete understanding of the root cause of the problem, “corrective action” could have little effect or make the problem worse. Gathering supplemental ...
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Axens is a group providing a complete range of solutions for the conversion of oil and biomass to cleaner fuels, the production and purification of major petrochemical intermediates as well as all of natural gas' treatment and conversion options. The offer includes technologies, equipment, furnaces, modular units, catalysts, adsorbents and related services. Axens is ideally positioned to cover the entire value chain, from feasibility study to unit start-up and follow-up ...
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New bypass line between diesel draw-off line to side stripper, new bypass valve, incl. update of P&ID, piping isometrics and pipe
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A customer contacted Sulzer to increase capacity while improving the CO2 removal in the existing CO2 absorption column of their ethylene plant. This was the third revamp for this particular column and continued improvements can be hard to find. A proper caustic tower design requires a proper understanding of CO2 absorption with caustic. CO2 + 2NaOH Na2CO3 + H2O Sulzer replaced the conventional random packing with NeXRing and modified the operating parameters to match the ...
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Channel baffles: improving efficiency on trays with low vapor loading
Sour water strippers, wastewater benzene strippers, or any other column that operates with low vapor rates often have active areas that are easily oversized for the actual operating vapor traffic. For optimum tray efficiency, good contacting of the liquid flowing across the tray deck with the vapor flowing up through the tray orifices is critical. Channel baffles are a very straight-forward design modification that improve vapor/liquid contact, increasing tray efficiency in low ...
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For many decades, VFF droplet separators have been successfully used in a large variety of applications and design forms — up to 18 m in diameter. Wire mesh droplet separators (Demister) are used for the removal of small liquid droplets (aerosols) from exhaust gases, exhaust air and steam. VFF’s portfolio includes a wide range of practical experience in the following applications and devices: - Absorbers - Seawater desalination equipment - Washers - Sulphuric acid plants - ...
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DURANIT® Maximum compression strength for maximum operational safety
When using catalyst supports, a high degree of operational safety through stability and homogeneity of the support material is an important factor for the customer. The specially developed manufacturing process from VFF means that the compression strength of the Duranit® X500 inert balls is significantly higher than that of comparable products. The mean compression strength of the 1“ balls is well above 1000 kg, guaranteeing VFF customers an unsurpassed level of operational ...
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DuraTop® Covering layers for catalyst beds for more efficiency.
DuraTop® special reformed packings are used among other things for covering catalyst beds. DuraTop® special reformed packings can be added onto the top ball layer or even replace the top ball layer. As the top layers on the catalyst beds DuraTop® special reformed packings offer the following advantages: - low pressure drop because of large free-gap volume - good pre-distribution of the liquid and gaseous media, even before they reach the catalyst bed, due to open internal ...
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Effective water removal creates extra capacity in your absorber-stripper
Free or soluble water carrying over from the FCC or Coker Main Fractionator overhead systems can cause foaming problems and flooding in the Absorber-Stripper columns. Column designs that incorporate effective water removal can free-up capacity for valuable naphtha or LPG production. The Problem Even with bulk water removal in the overhead knockout drums or high pressure receivers, water carryover can go hand-in-hand with capacity creep. Higher charge rates can create superficial ...
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Expertise beyond the column LPG Treating
DC Coalescer™. Composite two-material design with very different surface free energies — typically metal and plastic. This simple principle offers notable advantages over conventional, single medium alternatives. The combination of both high and low surface energies gives effective separation irrespective of which phase is dispersed. The rate of coalescence is significantly increased.
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One common cause for coking is poor vapor distribution. Packing selection in the Slurry P/A section is critical to ensure good distribution and reliable performance. Mellagrid™ combines the performance of Mellapak™ with the robustness of traditional grid. Resists coking and fouling due to its smooth surface and geometrical. Better de-entrainment and separation efficiency than traditional grid. Efficient dissipation of temperature. Excellent mechanical strength.
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FCC stripper - distribution studies
A Tracerco Diagnostics™ Distribution study can be performed to identify catalyst and vapor distribution in the stripper. Uniform distribution of catalyst and steam in the stripper is critical to achieve high stripping efficiency (less carry-down of the hydrocarbon products from reactor to regenerator). A failure to effectively remove the hydrocarbon from the catalyst will result in a loss of product, loss of throughput, and lowered catalyst activity due to increased regenerator ...
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Why crystallization? Why Sulzer? Driven by the need to reduce energy consumption and to cope with new feedstocks, the chemical industry is striving to more and more improve process efficiency. Whether it’s oil-based, bio-based or from recycling streams, Sulzer develops the right purification solutions to address the market requirements. Why use crystallization? - It makes the purification of close boilers possible when other technologies fail — therefore allowing ultra-high ...
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Gain 5-10% efficiency with this simple 4-pass tray revamp
The design of 4-pass trays can be complex. It not only requires a close evaluation of the mechanical design but also the process response to that design at various flow rates. The balancing of the fluid flows across the tray can have a substantial effect on the tray performance, namely efficiency. Many existing columns are operating with older 4-pass designs. While some of these are well designed, others could use some improvement. Since 4-pass trays always involve a fairly ...
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Gas/Liquid separation technology
Sulzer is a major player in the field of gas/liquid and liquid/liquid separation technology, offering a full range of innovative products and related services. Our commitment to development of technology, combined with application knowhow and consistent fabrication standards ensures that a well-engineered solution is available for most separation problems. Our expertise gained from hundreds of successful installations in a broad spectrum of applications ensures that the best ...
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Green design practices: focus on efficiency
Green design is more than recycling scrap materials or calculating carbon footprints. It minimizes negative environmental impact through skillful design and operating practices to produce efficient, better-functioning processes. Because green practices reduce resource requirements, in many cases, they can also improve the profitability of the entire process. One of the most effective ways to make a process greener is to focus on column efficiency. Distillation is an energy ...
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GTC Technology - engineered to innovate
GTC Technology is a global licensor of process technologies and mass transfer solutions offering innovative, custom solutions for the refining, chemical, petrochemical and gas processing industries. Refining, petrochemical and chemical companies around the world rely on our advanced technology to optimize production capacity and efficiency, reduce operating cost and minimize environmental impact. Our broad scope of continually evolving products and services has been proven ...
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High performance packed tower solutions
Engineered to Innovate: GTC Technology is a global licensor of process technologies and mass transfer solutions with the core mission of creating value for our clients. Refining, petrochemical and chemical companies around the world rely on our advanced technology to optimize production capacity and efficiency. We combine unparalleled technical expertise and innovative thinking to solve complex processing problems. GTC has earned a reputation of excellence by designing and delivering ...
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High performance tray tower solutions
Advanced distillation column design. Revamping distillation columns requires a solid process design background, particularly when conducting evaluations of existing equipment and data. GTC advises clients to understand where they are on the reflux to theoretical stage curve prior to setting the design strategy for a column. The lower the stage count, the higher the reflux rate required. However, the exact sensitivity will affect considerations in the revamp and design of your ...
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Important tray design features that improve column operating reliability
How often does Maintenance personnel open a column during a shutdown and find tray panels fallen without any obvious damage? How about tray valves stuck in the bottoms pump suction? While the initial reaction may be to blame faulty installation where the hardware was not properly tightened, the answer often lies in the design of the tray. Reliable column designs need to produce on-spec products at the design capacity, while operating with energy usage at a minimum. For this to ...
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Improve fouling resistance in your wastewater benzene stripper
Benzene stripper columns, built so that refineries can meet the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), operate with several unique conditions – low vapor rates, high liquid loads, and a high tendency toward fouling make designing well-balanced, effective internals difficult. The Problem: Two Refinery Case Studies Sulzer was contacted by two separate refiners who noted a continued fouling problem and short run lengths on their wastewater strippers. ...
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Improve separation in your column by increasing the number of trays
Refiners often face revamp challenges when trying to improve separation within an existing column. Improving diesel recovery from gas oil, splitting benzene precursors from naphtha reformer charge, or simply minimizing product overlaps after capacity creep can all be difficult when limited by a fi xed existing tower height. For these cases, revamp solutions that increase the number of theoretical stages by adding trays to an existing column or a section of a column pay large dividends. ...
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Improved technology for carbon capture & storage saves capital cost
Total man-made carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the world today amount to approximately 30 Gigatons per year, with fossil fuel-based power stations contributing in excess of 30% of this total. Carbon Capture is an energy intensive process, buy Sulzer’s specialized technology allows the operator to minimize capital expenditures and at the same time, minimize power output losses that can result from poor designs. High Efficiency Mass Transfer Products Reduce Capital Costs ...
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Increase capacity in your column with a tray design revamp
When trying to increase column capacity beyond design rates, an operator may notice loss in separation efficiency or high pressure drop, indicative of either vapor phase or liquid phase hydraulic limitations. An optimized tray design can eliminate hydraulic constraints to provide better column capacity and performance. Common Vapor Constraints to Raising Throughput In systems limited by higher vapor rates (typically lower pressure systems), jet flooding may constrain the column. ...
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Pressure drop is a critical operating parameter for Vacuum Towers. A Lube Oil Vacuum Tower with dislodged floating valves was revamped with Sulzer’s high performance MVG™ fixed valves, reducing column pressure drop 15%. V-Grid™ trays offer reliable performance with substantial energy savings and increased run length. V-Grid tray technology: - Lower pressure drop - High efficiency over a wide operating range - Superior mechanical strength - Excellent fouling resis ...
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Maximizing diesel recovery in your columns
Increased demand for automotive diesel is challenging refiners to adjust operating strategies to maximize middle distillate production. While some refiners choose to alter catalyst formulations or build new cracking units to increase diesel yields, optimizing the separation between gas oil and distillate in existing columns can be an excellent opportunity with little or no investment. Areas of Opportunity to Optimize Diesel Cuts Diesel streams are drawn from the primary fractionators ...
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Maximizing light cycle oil recovery in the FCC main fractionator
Refiners operating FCCU's have adjusted their operating strategies to maximize light cycle oil production to meet the increased demand for automotive diesel. Catalyst formulations and reactor conditions can alter yields, but the refinery cannot take full advantage of the increased LCO recovery without an optimized Main Fractionator operation and design. Sulzer offers several methods of optimizing the separation between light cycle oil and less valuable HCO or slurry with little ...
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Minimize recycle and coke carryover with the coker main fractionator washspray header design
Coker Main Fractionator flash zone design is critical to reliable operation of the column and maintaining product quality. This section commonly experiences problems related to the presence of unstable heavy liquid and carryover of solids. Successful operation often hinges on the design of the wash liquid distributor. Although Sulzer utilizes several styles of wash liquid distributors, this bulletin focuses on the spray header design. The spray distributor design is a careful ...
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Moving gamma scanning forward — quantitative analysis of tray capacity
Improving process operating margins can include maximising production of higher value products and/or minimising production costs. Process plants depend heavily on fractionation towers to produce products meeting customer specifications. Tower gamma scanning is well established in the process industries as a qualitative tool to help troubleshoot fractionation towers. Using new measurement detector technology and innovative analysis of gamma scanning data Tracerco is now able to ...
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New design features enhance separation performance
The Shell Schoepentoeter™ is a vane-type inlet device for feeding high momentum gas-liquid mixtures into separators or distillation columns. The Schoepentoeter has two main functions: separating the liquid from the vapor and evenly distributing the vapor in the gas compartment of the vessel. While Schoepentoeters have been recognized as the primary choice of radial inlet device in many separator vessels, performance in distillation columns has been challenged by proponents ...
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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 ...
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Price differentials between conventional and opportunity crudes compel refiners to process increasing percentages of lower valued opportunity crude. However, as many refiners have learned the hard way, opportunity crudes are tied to unique processing challenges. Furthermore, existing crude unit configurations may limit high profit opportunity crude to a disappointingly small proportion of the total unit blend. Processing a changing slate of opportunity crudes of varying compositions ...
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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 ...
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Sulzer Chemtech is the world‘s most renowned supplier of equipment and related solutions in the field of static mixing. The combination of engineering expertise and many years of application know-how enables Sulzer Chemtech to provide global solutions for improved polymer product quality. All Sulzer Chemtech products and services rely on a successful integration of three main competencies: • Static mixing know-how • Piloting & scale up • Process & ...
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Sulzer Chemtech, a member of the Sulzer Corporation, with headquarters in Winterthur, Switzerland, is active in the field of process engineering, employing 3'000 persons worldwide. Sulzer Chemtech is represented in all important industrial countries setting standards in the fields of mass transfer and static mixing with its advanced and economical solutions. Sulzer Chemtech is organized into four business units, one of which is the Process Technology group. This business unit ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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