p tq

Q4 2019

P E T R OL E U M T E C H NOL OG Y QU A R T E R L Y

R E F I NI NG
G A S P R OC E S S I NG
P E T R OC H E M I C A L S

M O D E L L I NG
CLAUS PERFORMANCE
P R E D I C T I NG
EXCHANGER FOULING

ADDITIVES C O M B A T I NG
F O R S O x R E D U C T IO N COPPER CORROSION

cover q1 copy 3.indd 3 16/09/2019 12:25

 Tomorrow’s refinery is flexible, integrated and connected.
It consumes less energy and produces less waste. It readily responds to market
conditions. Plus, it allows you to analyze plant data with UOP proprietary process
information to achieve peak performance and profitability.
Sound impossible? Not with Honeywell UOP. As an operational partner, we’ll help
you create your tomorrow today.

BE FUTURE FORWARD
www.uop.com
© 2019 by Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved.

honeywell.indd 1 12/09/2019 18:14

 ptq
3 A warning shot
Chris Cunningham

5 ptq&a

15 Fouling and cleaning analysis of a heat exchanger network

Yanling Wu Honeywell Connected Enterprise

PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLY 23 Preventing yellow metal corrosion

Daniel Meier and Renate Ruitenberg
Nalco Champion, an Ecolab Company

27 Addressing the sour gas challenge

Q4 (Oct, Nov, Dec) 2019 Peter Bamforth Outokumpu Europe
w w w . e p t q . c om
33 The digital approach to asset integrity management
Keith Davidson Metegrity

39 Retrofitting selective catalytic NOx reduction for gas turbines

Adrian Jones and Mike Rimmer Costain

51 Vent gas treatment in platforming

Candice Carrington Honeywell UOP

55 Removing acid droplets produced by alkylation reaction

Diwakar Rana, J Randall Peterson and Rob Ewing
DuPont Clean Technologies

61 Simulation of Claus unit performance

Simon Weiland and Ralph Weiland Optimized Gas Treating, Inc.

69 FCC additive technology for SOx reduction

Colin Baillie W. R. Grace & Co.

75 Laser based analysis for thermal incinerators

Stephen Firth Servomex

79 Advances in catalyst testing

Ioan-Teodor Trotuş, Jean-Claude Adelbrecht and Florian Huber
hte GmbH
Nattapong Pongboot and Thanawat Upienpong
PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited

85 Flow maldistribution in shell and tube heat exchangers

Derek Sumsion and Mike Watson
Tube Tech International
Tim Dorau, Richard Schab, Simon Unz, Michael Beckmann and M Reza Malayeri
Technische Universität Dresden

91 Digitalisation is only scratching the surface

Andrew Mcintee and Arjun Balakrishnan KBC (A Yokogawa Company)

99 Sampling system design

Randy Rieken Swagelok Company

105 Digitalisation in refining and petrochemicals

Christopher Joseph and Johnson Dominic Helium Consulting

111 Technology in Action

Cover
BP Whiting in Indiana is the US Midwest’s largest refinery.

Photo: BP

©2019. The entire content of this publication is protected by copyright full details of which are available from the publishers. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
The opinions and views expressed by the authors in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher and while every care
has been taken in the preparation of all material included in Petroleum Technology Quarterly and its supplements the publisher cannot be held
responsible for any statements, opinions or views or for any inaccuracies.

ed com copy 19.indd 1 17/09/2019 13:24

 S:182 mm

S:265 mm
T:297 mm
Meet your
catalyst for growth
Introducing Celestia™ — A new ultra-high activity hydroprocessing
catalyst for increased flexibility and profitability. Through unprecedented
hydrodesulfurization, hydrodenitrogenation and aromatic saturation
activity, this groundbreaking bulk-metal catalyst can provide you
with step-out performance and operational flexibility. Find out how
Celestia can create value beyond the hydroprocessing unit and provide
an exceptional opportunity for growth.

Collaborate with us today. albemarle.com/celestia

©2019 Exxon Mobil Corporation. All rights reserved. ExxonMobil logo, the interlocking “X” device and all product names herein are trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation.
The Albemarle logo is a trademark of Albemarle Corporation.

exxon/albemarle.indd 1 12/09/2019 14:04

 ptqPETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLY
A warning shot

Vol 24 No 5
Q4 (Oct, Nov, Dec) 2019

A
mid-twentieth century prime minister of the UK is perhaps best
remembered for his succinct advice to a colleague on the bear trap awaiting
Editor even the steadiest and most reliable of situations – for government in this
Chris Cunningham case: “Events, dear boy. Events,” he said. Put another way, expect the unexpected.
editor@petroleumtechnology.com A case in point arrived in mid-September, this time for oil refiners in partic-
ular, in the form of a 10-drone attack on the world’s biggest oil refinery, Saudi
Production Editor Arabia’s Abqaiq site, and the kingdom’s second largest oilfield, in Khurais. The
Rachel Storry
production@petroleumtechnology.com
attack on production curtailed some 5.7 million b/d of production from a field
that supplies much of Saudi Arabia’s Arab Light crude, favoured by its biggest
Graphics Editor customers. It also made a very large if temporary hole, around 7 million b/d, in
Rob Fris Saudi Aramco’s output of oil products.
graphics@petroleumtechnology.com The numbers of lost production, however temporary, are huge on a global
supply and represent the biggest disruption to oil markets on record, bigger
Editorial even than the loss of two major producing states when Iraq invaded its neigh-
tel +44 844 5888 773
fax +44 844 5888 667
bour Kuwait back in 1990.
The attacks also raise the issues of how much more serious the attacks could
Business Development Director have been, or indeed might still be.
Paul Mason Market reports said that oil prices suffered their biggest ever intraday rise, to
sales@petroleumtechnology.com more than $71 a barrel. An instantaneous rise of 20% in oil prices has receded
somewhat but the effect is still the biggest rise in more than three years. In the
Advertising Sales Office immediate term, leading refiners of Saudi crude are not facing a crisis of sup-
tel +44 844 5888 771
fax +44 844 5888 662
ply. Saudi Arabia was restoring, and has probably restored, much of its inter-
rupted production during the week after the attack. The rest of the affected out-
Managing Director put would take longer. The kingdom has copious supplies of crude in reserve
Richard Watts and would use these to fulfil contracts to its customers, although force majeure
richard.watts@emap.com might apply to some contracts. That in itself could be seen as a warning sign of
possible future developments.
Consultant
Pending full restoration of supply, Saudi Arabia would make up the gap
Nic Allen
consultant@crambethallen.com
by importing refined products and holding back on the supply of light crude
which could present problems for refiners in Asia’s largest economies. They
Circulation would face difficulties making a switch to heavier grades when they have
Fran Havard largely configured or adapted for lighter material.
circulation@petroleumtechnology.com For their part, Saudi Arabia’s biggest customers, in Asia, hold their own stra-
tegic reserves that would ensure that the region’s expanding refining opera-
emap, 10th Floor, Southern House,
tions could continue for between one and six months, or even more.
Wellesley Grove, Croydon CR0 1XG
tel +44 208 253 8695
China, Saudi Arabia’s biggest customer for crude, reportedly holds 325
million barrels of oil in its strategic petroleum reserves, enough for about a
month’s refining operations.
Register to receive your regular copy of In the US, the White House sanctioned availability of the Strategic Petroleum
PTQ at www.eptq.com/register Reserve, the nation’s emergency supply of oil held underground in Texas and
Louisiana. On the flip side, producers of shale oil were likely to receive enqui-
PTQ (Petroleum Technology Quarterly) (ISSN
No: 1632-363X, USPS No: 014-781) is published ries from Asian refiners about their highly favoured light crude as a stop-gap
quarterly plus annual Catalysis edition by EMAP and
is distributed in the US by SP/Asendia, 17B South
for missing Saudi supply.
Middlesex Avenue, Monroe NJ 08831. Periodicals When diplomacy does not appear to be making any headway in the Middle
postage paid at New Brunswick, NJ. Postmaster:
send address changes to PTQ (Petroleum Technology
East’s latest centre of conflict, it is as well to reflect on the vulnerability of Saudi
Quarterly), 17B South Middlesex Avenue, Monroe NJ Arabia’s oil-producing geography – and much of the world’s refining capacity
08831. Back numbers available from the Publisher
at $30 per copy inc postage. – to the type of attack that hit oil flows so sharply.

CHRIS CUNNINGHAM

PTQ Q4 2019 3

ed com copy 19.indd 2 17/09/2019 12:33

 MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER
Shell Catalysts & Technologies has brought our catalyst, technology licensing and services businesses together.
We’ve combined over 100 years of knowledge to provide integrated and differentiated customer solutions into the
marketplace. As a leading global energy company that owns and operates its own plants and refineries, we are
uniquely positioned to tackle any challenge through the energy transition. Our solutions have been proven, tried,
and repurposed into something better – and provided to our customers to improve their business for years to come.

Learn more about the promise of Shell Catalysts & Technologies at Shell.com/CT

shell.indd 1 12/09/2019 14:50

 ptq&a

Q What are the likely causes of salt deposits in our for this kind of issue, both with continuous low dosage
hydroprocessing unit’s catalyst bed and how do we avoid/ and shock high dosage treatments:
overcome the issue? • Inorganic dispersants for FeS
• Multifunctional products for organic and inorganic
A Akash Moradia, Technical Services Engineer, Advanced fouling in several proportions with or without stabiliser
Refining Technologies, LLC (ART), Akash.Moradia@grace.com active compounds, according to needs
There are a variety of ways in which salt formation • Reactor Plus for online reactor skimming.
occurs in hydroprocessing units. Most salt deposits hap-
pen downstream of the reactor, in the air coolers. In this A Arun Arora, Technology Director, Chevron Lummus
scenario, ammonia reacts with chlorides, H2S, and sim- Global, Arun.Arora@chevron.com
ilar compounds when the reactor e uent is rapidly Potential causes of salt could be a combination of insuf-
cooled. This salt formation can be controlled by injecting ficient desalting capacity, caustic used for corrosion
wash water to bring the salts into solution. In the reac- abatement at the upstream crude unit, and presence of
tor, salt deposits are less common. It can happen, how- salt water in the feed. Na and Ca amounts in the feed
ever, due to cold spots in the reactor as a result of severe should be controlled to <0.5 wppm (or 1 wppm maxi-
maldistribution. Maldistribution can occur when feed mum) through double desalting of the crude. We have
is not being processed at recommended rates, or when seen higher amounts of a in the feed when a refiner
tray internals are not properly installed or need replace- injects caustic at the crude unit while using a single step
ment. In some cases, poor loading can also lead to mal- desalter, or if a double desalter is used it is running at
distribution. To mitigate risk of maldistribution, it is low efficiency. ixing desalter performance is key to
recommended to dense load catalyst beds, and ensure all control Na in the feed.
reactor internals are properly installed and are in good Other contaminants such as Fe (soluble), Si, P, Pb and
shape for proper vapour/liquid distribution. Salt forma- As should also be avoided in the feed. In particular,
tion in reactors can also occur due to feed contaminants. arsenic even in parts per billions (>50 ppb) can cause
If contaminants such as Na and Ca are brought in with severe poisoning of the catalyst. The arsenic source is
the feed, these can precipitate out in the reactor, destroy- typically crude type being processed (West African,
ing catalyst pores, and depositing throughout the reac- Russian, synthetic crudes . If As is present significantly
tor. The best way to mitigate this is to improve desalting higher than 50 ppb, it requires a high Ni catalyst.
upstream of the unit. Proper catalyst guard layers can A combination of fixing the desalter performance,
also be utilised to control salts from active catalyst sites. stopping caustic usage for corrosion abatement and
ensuring there is no salt water in the feed along with
A Francesco Ragone, Product Manager Process Development installing a proper grading system in the reactor will
& Marketing, CHIMEC, fragone@chimec.it help alleviate the situation.
The main causes of salt deposits in hydroprocessing
units are: A Rainer Rakoczy, Global Product Manager, Clariant
• Corrosion by-products such as FeS, carried in the Catalysts, rainer.rakoczy@clariant.com
reactor from units and intermediate tanks upstream With the availability of novel crude processing tech-
• Organometallic compounds, which may form sulphi- nologies, such as hydraulic fracturing, a broader vari-
des and deposit in the reactor ety of crudes is available. Opportunity crudes of low
• Imported streams containing, apart from FeS, sodium quality find application also for budgetary reasons.
salts and even worse silicates arriving with ballast water. Some of these oils are still containing non-fully con-
sually the first cause above mentioned is the most verted ‘biogenic’ molecules. Due to the presence of
likely to happen. Corrosion by-products can be blocked these molecules, the behaviour in desalting units can
by dedicated filters used on the feed side however, be comparatively different and can reduce the efficacy
they can pass across such filters and then deposit on the of applied chemicals. Therefore, salt can be conveyed to
guard bed of the reactor or on the first bed. It must be the processing units. A change in the desalting chemi-
underlined that, especially with reactors working on cals recipe may be helpful.
cracked streams, inorganic fouling can be combined
with gums already present in the stream or developed A Behzad Yasini, Technical Service Engineer, Haldor Topsoe,
in the pre-HEX train. beya@topsoe.com
Without any available sample, only a detailed risk The simple answer is to choose CoMo catalyst rather
based assessment will help to understand why the than NiMo catalyst. This exercise is about avoiding
hydroprocessing beds are fouled. Once the most likely saturation of aromatics, and if you are willing to trade
cause has been found, we can define the best strategy to off some cycle length, product density and yield then
avoid such occurrence. other tricks can be considered as well. You can choose
• Chimec can provide a complete portfolio of solutions a less active catalyst, which is also cheaper, and run at

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 5

Q&A copy 37.indd 1 13/09/2019 17:28

 higher reactor temperature at start-of-run. It favours a A Matthew Yu, Senior Technical Service Engineer, Advanced
lower H2 consumption. You can also choose larger cat- Refining Technologies, LLC (ART), Matthew.Yu@chevron.com
alyst pellets and at the same time get a credit for lower A common use for FCC slurry oil is as a fuel oil blending
power consumption. component, which provides minimal incremental value
to the refiner. In addition, slurry oil often contains
inorganic fines, which can limit the amount that can be
Q Can you suggest a process scheme to obtain more blended while conforming to the S specifications of
valuable products from our FCC slurry oil? the fuel oil. For improved economics, FCC slurry oil can
be blended with vacuum resid and fed to a coker or ebul-
A Matthew Clingerman, Director, FCC Technology, KBR, lated bed resid hydrocracker (for instance, LC-Fining)
matthew.clingerman@kbr.com for refiners with heavy oil upgrading units. The highly
There are a few options available to refiners for extract- aromatic nature of FCC slurry oil makes for a very good
ing value from FCC slurry oil. Historically, one primary diluent to be injected to an ebullated bed resid hydroc-
outlet for slurry oil has been in marine bunker fuel, but racker to suppress sediment formation and allow the
the pending IMO 0 0 specifications will limit the via- unit to operate at higher severity, thereby increasing liq-
bility of this option due to the restrictions on sulphur uid yields. Slurry oil with low sulphur content can be
content. Slurry oil can be routed to a delayed coker processed in a dedicated coker to produce needle coke.
for producing a higher quality grade of petroleum FCC slurry oil is also sold for carbon black manufacture,
coke, or converted in a hydrocracker into lighter prod- where its value is higher than blending into fuel oil.
ucts. Alternatively, refiners should consider further pro-
cessing the slurry oil in the FCC where it was originally
produced. Q If we feed FCC naphtha to our hydrotreater to reduce
K R Maxdiesel is an innovative technology sulphur, how can we minimise olefin saturation?
based on K R’s dual-riser configuration that can be
retrofitted into an existing with simple mod- A Chuck Olsen, Global Technology Manager, Distillate
ifications to the process at modest capital invest- Hydrotreating, Advanced Refining Technologies, LLC (ART),
ment. The features of K R Maxdiesel technology are Chuck.Olsen@grace.com
higher- cetane light cycle oil (LCO) product, enhanced Adding FCC naphtha to a conventional naphtha hydro-
flexibility, low production cost and low invest- treating unit will result in olefin saturation octane
ment cost, using a proven, safe and environmentally loss) in addition to sulphur and nitrogen removal.
friendly process. Conventional hydrotreating units for naphtha tend to
Based on conventional, commercially proven tech- operate at higher temperatures and hydrogen pres-
nology, the K R Maxdiesel process features a pri- sures, and under these conditions olefin saturation
mary riser to convert fresh feed and heavy cycle oil reactions readily occur. Nonetheless, there are some
O , a second riser for slurry recycle, Atomax injec- catalyst options which will help to reduce the level of
tion no les and an optional quench to adjust tem- olefin saturation in your conventional naphtha hydro-
perature and feed vaporisation. These features allow treater. Selecting a CoMo catalyst over a NiMo catalyst
controlling of the catalytic cracking reaction severity, will reduce the rate of olefins saturation at these con-
yielding high-cetane L O, with enhanced flexibility ditions as oMo catalyst are less efficient at promot-
to meet changing refinery diesel/gasoline demand. ing these reactions. In addition, using a lower activity
hile this process maximises cetane barrels, it retains CoMo catalyst, often referred to as Type I catalysts, will
the flexibility to revert to maximum octane barrels or help to reduce the amount of olefins saturation which
maximum liquefied petroleum gas L operation will occur in the hydrotreater. Of course, you also need
at will. Application of Maxdiesel technology offers to make sure there is sufficient activity to meet the sul-
advantages that include: phur and nitrogen targets on the treated naphtha. You
• reater control of reaction severity can work with your catalyst supplier to help make the
• Energy efficient fractionation proper catalyst selection in these cases.
• Selective stream recycling There are also things you can do with fractionation
• Optimisation of LCO hydrotreating. of the naphtha to help preserve olefins. The ole-
Maxdiesel is a low capital investment option for fins tend to be concentrated in the lighter fraction of the
maximum distillates production. It can be imple- FCC naphtha, while the sulphur tends to be concentrated
mented in existing units to increase L O yield in the heavier fraction. Depending on the properties of
at the expense of slurry and can be retrofitted during the FCC naphtha, you may be able to meet your overall
an FCC turnaround. The fast implementation sched- naphtha sulphur targets by treating only the heavy por-
ule allows capturing of the current market premium tion of the FCC naphtha. This option preserves the ole-
for diesel, while maintaining the flexibility to adjust fins in the light cut naphtha and removes most of the
yields and operation to meet future market require- sulphur which is present in the heavy cut naphtha. Note
ments. A typical fuels refinery case study for a 0 000 that these options will still result in more olefin satura-
b/d unit revamp to K R Maxdiesel technology tion than selective HDS technologies that are available
indicates a simple payback of less than a year with an for licence, but have the benefit of using existing equip-
IRR above 50%. ment and require no additional capital investments.

6 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

Q&A copy 37.indd 2 13/09/2019 17:28

 END-TO-END SOLUTIONS
FOR MAXIMIZING THE PRODUCTION OF
PETROCHEMICALS FROM CRUDE OIL
a joint venture between Chevron and McDermott

Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) is leading the development of

novel solutions for maximizing the conversion of crude oil to
petrochemicals, leveraging the extensive technology portfolios
of both CLG and McDermott’s Lummus Technology. To get the
performance and flexibility needed to keep pace with changing A Chevron and McDermott Joint Venture
market dynamics, start by visiting www.chevronlummus.com

CLG_PTQ_02M092019H_R2.indd
clg.indd 1 1 9/10/19 3:55
16/09/2019 PM
09:04
 A Rainer Rakoczy, Global Product Manager, Clariant teristics for vacuum residue will depend on the refin-
Catalysts, rainer.rakoczy@clariant.com er’s process configuration. In general, specific gravity,
roviders such as Axens, O and Sinopec are offer- viscosity, metals content, M R, sulphur, nitrogen, 7
ing very efficient process technologies for optimum and 5, toluene insolubles, SARA, and 1000 mate-
desulphurisation of gasoline fractions. Some of rial is very useful analysis to determine its appli-
them can be included in existing process equipment, cation for further processing. Refiners who have
and some can even overcome a shortage of hydrogen. ebullated bed resid hydrocrackers, fixed-bed resid
Moreover, adsorptive sulphur reduction measures can hydrotreaters, AO units, or visbreaking units can use
save all olefins. these analyses to determine the best processing condi-
tions to maximise the value from processing vacuum
residue.
Q What should we be looking for in an analysis of vacuum hen processing vacuum residue in an ebullated bed
residue to obtain best value from processing it? resid hydrocracker, product stability sediment con-
centration is a key limiting factor in unit operation.
A Arun Arora, Technology Director, Chevron Lummus Experience has shown that vacuum residues with high
Global, Arun.Arora@chevron.com sulphur and low nitrogen generally produce low sedi-
Obtaining best value depends upon the vacuum resi- ment, allowing for increased operating severity, thereby
due R upgrading options suitable for the location maximising liquid yields. igher severity operation
and crude slate of the refinery. Most of the bulk prop- also increases R removal which is particularly valu-
erties such as A I, S, , and metals such as nickel and able for units with downstream or coker units.
vanadium can be obtained from the crude assay. ulk acuum residues with high metals nickel and vana-
properties along with R and viscosity at two tem- dium as well as trace metals such as a, a, and e
peratures will be needed even for traditional R pro- content require higher catalyst replacement rates which
cessing routes to coker or visbreaker to make S O. increases operating expense. nlike a downflow fixed-
esides bulk properties, analysing R properties such bed resid hydrotreater, an ebullated bed resid hydro-
as 7 insolubles or hevron Lummus lobal’s L ’s cracker has regular catalyst addition and withdrawal
proprietary five solvent asphaltenes analysis to differ- and a back-mixed reactor, enabling unit run length to be
entiate between easy to hard asphaltenes , a, a, l independent of the metals content of the feed. In addi-
and any other contaminants such as Si, arsenic, total tion, aromatic vs asphaltene content are indicators of
solids ash is recommended for designing R upgrad- feedstock quality. inally, for stable operation, it is rec-
ing units. ommended to avoid processing extremely viscous vac-
or maximising the benefit from upgrading R, most uum residue in an ebullated bed resid hydrocracker
refiners today are evaluating crude to chemicals routes unless a sufficient volume of diluents is blended with
to maximise petrochemicals production upwards of the feed.
50 of the crude. An integrated complex refinery with
the capability to make petrochemical products such as
ethylene, propylene, butadiene, paraxylene, and other Q We are getting poor performance in pressure drop and
specialty chemicals requires R upgrading in units like heat transfer in our steam reformer. How can we improve
L ’s R S residue hydrotreating in combination with performance?
Mc ermott’s Indmax maximum propylene or
L - ining, L -Max or L -Slurry, in combination with A Stefan Gebert, Global Product Manager Syngas, Clariant
Isotreating and/or Isocracking units. aving units such Catalysts, stefan.gebert@clariant.com
as L - ining, L -Max or L -Slurry with a mixed feed
ethylene cracker and provides an attractive solu- Reduce carbon formation
tion where no stream in the refinery is homeless. or arbon deposits can block holes in the catalyst parti-
example, pyrolysis oil from the cracker and slurry oil cles and the spaces between them. This may be due to a
from the can be easily processed in L - ining/ very low S/ ratio, a sudden increase in higher hydro-
L -Max/L -Slurry units. carbon content, overheating or poor catalyst perfor-
If multiple crudes are being processed, ensuring com- mance. To remove moderate coke deposition, perform
patibility of the crudes is recommended. L has a the standard steam regeneration procedure.
large crude database and over 0 years of experience reventive measures are to optimise the S/ ratio,
in licensing and designing R upgrading units, and can reset low S/ alarm and trip points, control feed com-
design units if a crude source is available without any position, adjust burner settings, and regularly monitor
need for detailed analysis of R. tube wall temperatures. Advanced technical services
like thermal scans provide more conclusive measure-
A Balbir Lakhanpal, Global Technology Manager, Ebullated ments than standard pyrometer technology.
Bed Resid Hydrocracking, Advanced Refining Technologies, LLC
(ART), Balbir.Lakhanpal@grace.com Prevent catalyst poisoning
The range and complexity of compounds in vacuum Sulphur, chloride or heavy metals can block active sur-
residue makes optimising crude selection a constant face sites and change the atomic surface structure in a
challenge for refiners. The most important charac- way that considerably reduces catalytic activity.

8 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

Q&A copy 37.indd 3 13/09/2019 17:28

 Best of Both Worlds

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Thanks to our world-class R&D, manufacturing, and processing
advances, we created an advanced matrix binding system with Increased metals trapping
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Grace has already excelled in with traditional catalysts.
More value for moderate and
Pushing operating constraints heavy metals applications
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Take full advantage of opportunity crudes. Process heavier
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grace.indd 1 12/09/2019 14:11

 Therefore, high impurity levels must be prevented tion with contaminants like oxygen, sulphur dioxide,
by effective feed purification. If the catalyst is poisoned cyanides, organic acids, or other acid precursors. Such
by sulphur, a proper steam-air regeneration procedure degradation products can lead to operational problems
(provided that oxygen concentration and tempera- like increased corrosion rates with fouling and erosion.
ture are carefully controlled) could be tried for catalyst What can be done to reduce the corrosion and ero-
regeneration. sion potential? Several methods are available depend-
ing on the type of contaminants. Filtration of insoluble
Improve catalytic performance particulates such as iron sulphides, metals from equip-
Shape-optimised steam reforming catalysts, like ment corrosion, or catalyst fines from upstream units
lariant’s latest development, the unique flower-like can help reduce corrosion and fouling. Fouling and cor-
eight-hole shaped ReforMax series LDP PLUS, pro- rosion caused by heat stable salts (HSS) are severe prob-
vide lower pressure drop and better heat transfer while lems in amine units. Amine units often suffer with SS
retaining high activity and selectivity. which stay in amine solution. HSS are the sum of heat
This improved performance enables increased gas stable anion bound salts (HSAS) and heat stable cat-
throughput and/or significant energy savings in hydro- ion bound salts (HSKS). Corrosion and erosion of metal
gen, ammonia and methanol production. components are mainly accelerated by precipitation of
HSAS salts. HSKSs are expected to cause fewer prob-
A Christian Olsen, Technical Service Manager, Haldor lems, which is why some refineries use aO , a2 O3
Topsoe, co@topsoe.com or KO to shift the balance from SAS to SKS.
Before the performance of the reformer can be Disposal and replacement of the amine solution is
improved, it is important to identify the root cause an expensive matter, but sometimes realised when the
of the problems. With the above limited description, amine solution is already very dirty. Electrodialysis,
the most likely culprits are problems with the reform- ion exchange or vacuum distillation reclaiming are
ing catalyst or problems with the firing of the steam methods to clean such dirty amine solutions. Antifoam
reformer furnace; however, other explanations are chemicals or corrosion inhibitors from upstream pipe-
also possible. line operations may concentrate in the amine solu-
In time, the reforming catalyst will slowly lose some tion. Good amine service management can help to
catalytic activity due to ageing and sulphur poisoning reduce accumulation of such surface active products.
of the catalyst. This will restrict the allowable heat input Following the general rule ‘less is more’ will help to
to the reforming process, as the mechanical design tem- control the formation of contaminants when suitable
perature of the reformer tubes should not be exceeded. products like the antifoam Kurita FC-6702 or water sol-
Furthermore, the reformer catalyst will slowly set- uble corrosion inhibitor Kurita CI-6303 are added.
tle and after many temperature cycles it will also start
crushing due to mechanical expansion/contraction A Christiane Lederer, Business Development Manager,
of the reformer tubes. Both settling and crushing of Emerson Automation Solutions, Business Development
catalyst will lead to increased pressure drop over the Manager, Christiane.Lederer@Emerson.com
steam reformer. In refineries specifically, amine systems suffer from cor-
Alternatively, the poor heat transfer can be attributed rosion by several components not generally found in nat-
to incorrect firing of the reformer. Too high air/fuel ural and synthesis gases, such as ammonia, hydrogen
ratio will lead to a lower furnace box temperature, mak- cyanide, and organic acids, some of which will accumu-
ing it less efficient, and a too low air/fuel ratio will late at various points around the refinery amine system.
lead to non-stoichiometric combustion and possible There are several key variables for assessing the
post-combustion in the flue gas section. potential for amine unit corrosion and erosion, which
In order to identify which of the above problems you makes corrosion predictions without online monitoring
are facing or whether it is a completely different prob- very difficult selection of amine, process temperature,
lem, it is suggested to conduct a detailed reformer velocity and wall shear stress, O2 to H2S ratio, acid gas
assessment; in a reformer assessment, the mass and loading, impurities, and heat stable amine salts.
heat balance of the steam reformer is mapped and Sediments like iron based corrosion products in the
the operation of the reformer is evaluated by process process stream then erode the inlet nozzles and can
experts. Several companies offer this kind of service to increase the risk of under deposit corrosion when accu-
customers not having this expertise in house. mulating in the flash tank. Shear rates, turbulence, and
steam velocities are also key for corrosion and erosion
control in the overhead condenser and accumulator sec-
Q Our amine system is suffering corrosion and erosion tion. Vapours impinging onto downstream metal sur-
issues caused by solids. How can we resolve this? faces can result in erosion of the equipment wall, and any
iron sulphide passivation layer can be easily removed,
A Berthold Otzisk, Senior Product Manager – Process, Kurita leaving surfaces bare for further corrosion attack.
Europe, berthold.otzisk@kurita.eu There is also potential for corrosion caused by
Amine solvents are used to remove acidic components heat-stable salts, the reaction products of the amine
such as H2S and O2 from gas streams. During opera- with strong acid compounds like O2. These are usu-
tion, degradation of the amine may occur due to reac- ally introduced with make-up water and the feed gas

10 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

Q&A copy 37.indd 4 13/09/2019 17:28

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 stream or generated within the unit by chemical reac- with strong acids or its salts. The ACF reacts imme-
tion with other contaminants, such as O2, CO, cya- diately with hydrochloric acid (HCl) or ammonium
nides, and SO2. Heat stable salts are non-regenerable at chloride (NH4Cl) by forming liquid ACF salts. Such
the process conditions used in the regenerator tower, formed ACF salts have a neutral pH of 7 with a very
so they accumulate in the amine throughout the plant, low corrosion potential. Because of their hygroscopic
causing significant corrosion. The corrosion prod- nature, ACF salts are able to absorb the humidity and
ucts themselves, iron sulphide and iron carbonate are will stay in the liquid phase without precipitation.
entrained in the circulating amine as solid particles, When water is present in the system, the salts will
which can cause other operational difficulties such as leave the system with the sour water. This will signifi-
foaming, fouling, and emulsions. This impedes the reli- cantly reduce fouling and corrosion in the FCC main
ability of the amine unit in terms of operation, through- fractionator top section.
put, treatment capacity, and absorption capability.
Continuous corrosion monitoring systems enable A Celso Pajaro, Head of Refinery Systems Business AME,
corrosion prevention and mitigation strategies, as well Sulzer, Celso.Pajaro@Sulzer.com
as delivering data to enable justification of metallurgy Some FCC main fractionators experience ammonium
upgrade decisions to corrosion resistant alloys. This chloride salt deposition and corrosion in their top
data collected from online measurements is particu- section.
larly valuable in understanding the correlation between Ammonia is a product of VGO and residue cracking;
corrosion rates and changes in feedstock and process chloride sources vary. RFCC units will produce chlo-
conditions, particularly due to short term upsets, mini- rides due to decomposition of sodium and other chlo-
mises the risk of leaks and enables better forecasting of ride salts present in the residue at the riser temperature
equipment retirement. Continuous wall thickness mea- (>900°F).
surement sensors are designed to be robust to all indus- Conventional FCC units which process VGO can
trial environments and ideally suited to monitoring have chlorides due to the presence of organic chlo-
corrosion in the highest risk areas of amine units, com- rides in the feed. Some units may use make-up water
municating and delivering the data directly to the desk that contains chlorides. A portion of the water returns
of the integrity or operations engineer. The monitoring to the column with the reflux 1 vol , bringing chlo-
data enables engineers to effectively determine if corro- rides to the top tray.
sion is taking place within the equipment, supporting Another source of chlorides is the catalyst, although
the management of the unit integrity between planned the contribution is small.
turnarounds and inspections. The sole presence of chlorides does not mean ammo-
nium chloride salt is going to deposit in the top sec-
tion. A calculation needs to be performed to determine
Q What is the likely cause of fouling and corrosion in our the deposition temperature of ammonium chloride salt
FCC main fractionator top sections? which is a function of the chloride and ammonia con-
centration in the top vapour. If the calculated value is
A Berthold Otzisk, Senior Product Manager – Process, Kurita 0 11 above the top temperature, salt deposition
Europe, berthold.otzisk@kurita.eu may not occur.
Ammonium salt fouling and corrosion is often observed Some FCC columns operate with relatively low top
in FCC main fractionator columns when the top tem- temperature because they either have a heavy naphtha
perature has been lowered to produce more low sul- side cut, or they have reduced the naphtha end point
phur gasoline. Increased pressure drop, plugged trays to maximise distillate. These columns will face foul-
and product draws, flooding of the main fractionator ing and corrosion. Using fouling resistance trays can
top section, or increased corrosion rates are good indi- mitigate the effect along with alloys that are resistant
cators of ammonium salt fouling. Washing the main to ammonium chloride salts. In some cases, a continu-
fractionator top section with water will dissolve such ous or semi-continuous water wash has been success-
ammonium salts, but this method has some draw- fully implemented which allows the unit to operate for
backs. The dissolved ammonium salts have a high extended periods.
corrosion potential and often result in off-spec produc- It should be noted that cold reflux can promote local
tion, which is why water washing is not the method of salt deposition. As reflux is dumped into the tray or liq-
choice. Another alternative for ammonium salt removal uid distributor (for packed columns), the metal tem-
is oil soluble antifoulants with dispersant properties. perature is much lower than that of the vapour, creating
They mobilise ammonium salts to another location, condensation that may allow local salt deposition.
reducing the pressure drop of the main fractionator.
The inorganic salts are transported with the hydrocar- A Francesco Ragone, Product Manager Process Development
bon product stream. Oil soluble antifoulants are formu- & Marketing, CHIMEC, fragone@chimec.it
lations with surface active components that can harm The deposition of inorganic salts in the overhead top
downstream processes. pumparounds in the top trays of the main fractionator
Kurita´s patented ACF technology takes another and HCN section of a FCC unit is a common cause of
approach. ACF products are based on a very strong inorganic fouling. These salt deposits are mainly ammo-
aqueous organic amine base which will directly react nium chloride and/or ammonium bisulphide.

12 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

Q&A copy 37.indd 5 13/09/2019 17:28

 and prescriptive
cyclohexane. maintenance
Remarkably, the techniques.
selectivity ratio This is are
of mono- key was not enough
tionAmmonium
process alongside chloride anyandother ammonium flagged bisulphidemaintenance
because
borylated these versus technologies
diborylated
formed after the reaction between ammonia and hydro- havemethanehuge potential
products across
is 15:1 system. In the n
activities.
the
gen withsector,
the offering
heterogeneous a bettercatalyst. alternative In to the traditional
comparison, the a 20% higher h
The chloride,
fifth stepand adds ammoniapredictive andanalytics
hydrogen to sulphide,
predict
calendar
homogeneous
respectively. based approach
catalyst
Ammonia to
gives
and asset
a maintenance.
monoborylated
hydrogen sulphide methane are outlet oil tempe
the evolution of fouling in future, and thus indicate
yield
With of
byproducts this only
of the 5.6%.
approach, cracking Thus, the
the reactions
focus heterogeneous
is thatanalysing
occur catalyst
inissues
the in the previous
upcoming requirements for cleaning. redictive ana-
exhibits
known
upstream to both
causehigher awhile
problem yield and
such asselectivity
vibration for amono-
infeed pump nisms were ins
lytics turns reactor,
a lagging indicatorall the chlorides
into a leading in the indicator are
or borylated
compressor.
converted to methane
Sonic
hydrochloric than
monitors acid. the can
Thehomogeneous
be added
reactions to the
are: catalyst.
device process safety.
and Importantly,
allows actionthe to be team taken before
found thatlosses MOF areUiO-67-Mix
incurred.
and when vibration exceeds a certain level, alerts can be The system is
The final
without step
iridium is adding AI or knowledge based ana-
sent to advise +had
operators no thateffect on
remedial methane
action borylation.
is needed. and, because of
lytics
NH3 (g)+that HClcan
teamgenerate
(g) → NH4 Cl (s)correct advice taking in all ele-
-

The
Prescriptive also carried
analytics addsout a new detailed layeroptimisation
of sophisti- oil supply and
ments of of
the thecatalytic
situationreaction and thenconditions provide clear using actions to
cation to the methodology, moving it from a UiO-67-
product in different mod
resolve
NH3 (g) +it.H2ThisS (g) →action NH4 HSmay (s) require human intervention
+ -

Mix-Ir
based to as the catalyst
a broader process by based screening approach.severalIndifferent deliver- • High tempera
or, where
C-H the process
inert solvents. isUsing
trusted, C6D thenasautomated,
thebesolvent auto-
led to furnaces run pa
ing
These prescriptive
reactionsrequests. analytics, there
are exothermic and heterogeneous has
12 to a recognition
matic maintenance
bis(pinacolborane) conversion of 19% and a much ble of supplyin
that
(reactantsprocesses,areprocess activities
gaseousadds and
and products systems used
are solids). in the plant
When
Thislower work yield of 3.3% fora monoborylated
large amount of data
methane. system could s
are interconnected.
the temperature Prescriptive
defined asand analytics
salt generates looks
point is areached, at data
processing
Conversely,
streams
and when
across
calculations,
these, the
and common
pinpoints solvent
sophisticatedtetrahydrofu- large
signa- ing three bitum
pushed of
amount especially by the NH3 partial pressure, salts can
ran and
tures was additional
employed,
patterns information.
98%that
ofseveral
data conversion
are happening owever,
of the in it does
borylation
advance duction lines, tw
form
notofreagentand
increase deposit
the achieved;in
number of locations
K Is for in the main frac-
an event. was however, thefrontline
major product staff. heater in winte
tionator,
This process typically
is entirely in the overhead,and
automated, in the the top
data pump-
and
was borylated
Critically, tetrahydrofuran, with only 3.8% yield • Normal temp
around,
model hencetoo,
performance in the theK
approach also tells the operator
depropaniser/debutaniser
Is only need to be addressed HEX,
of
the root monoborylated
cause oftothe methane. Among the solvents tem is capable
bywheretested, they
exception. lead
The
dodecane an problem.
frontline
gave overall
thestaff best
It canofinform
effect
areto presented
results: losing
a also
them
distilla-
with
conversion
not
aits
only
tion that the compressor is going fail but that required for the
simple ofefficiency.
dashboard
>99%,
impending
Another
turnover
failure thatis in has factor
number
directly
has
extremely of to
linked
be
67,toclear pointed
athe actions
monoborylated
leakage
outsee the
of liq- heater
salts are
methane almost
3). theyield dry the top section of the column;
Figure
uid
when into
they reach gas of lines
the
19.5%, and
at astrippers,
side certain no concentration
detectable amount
they become ormoreeven of • The furnace
Thisdiborylated
requires
just a slowsince methane
no
change expert
in are or
the wet borylated
training
pressure or dodecane
implicit
recorded. acidic (<1%),
knowl-
That effec- as long as the
aggressive
edge which amountsThis
to interpret. theyto an andwork
extraordinarily
automated undergo high selectivity
process lever- dis-
tively
sociation. is the prescriptive
Indeed, such element
salt depositsof the approach.
add to It not
fouling between the fur
ages ofmany
>99%aspects for theof monoborylated product.
only highlights thedigitalisation
impending problem,pressure it also drop high- Hot oil heate
•issues
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lights
heat
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actions
transfer
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structure to corrosion
with
aggregated metal-organic
together issues; salt deposits,
framework allows
infancy today, but over the course of 2019 we expect to One of th
•inFirst
see
fact,principles
the
promote process
bis(pinacolborane)
level of
under-deposit
interest
and digital
and
methane
excitement
corrosion.
twin molecules
reconciles
around
Traditional
to the
it
react
gather-
methods
data, inside of thesalts pores removal to yield involve the injection
monoborylated ofvalue
themethane wash
ing simulates
water pace
into allthe thethe time.
heat
scenarios,
exchangers.
and calculates
If these methods are and notab
while
of cleaning preventing the formation of the thermodynam-
effective
ically
• Scoping in
more
ata analytics removing favoured water soluble
diborylated salts,
methane.on the In otherthe
hand wash the predicts
out water results
implies
the future and changes the
operating costs and opera-
redesigne
processnext phase
from reactive of our research, the team plans to activate
Ultimately, though,toprescriptive proactive analytics is just one
•tional
Dashboards
example,
difficulties.
methane with
albeitare the same
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visualise one,the of
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Chimec
Earth-abundant
accessible has
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metals a
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cobalt, nickel which and
across thefor oiliridium,
and gaswhich sector. In terms ofdeposits
outcomes,and we
are
see
able
copper
e three
believe to
keythis
remove
trends type the
playing
ammonium
is rare
of digitalisation and
out across the
expensive.
will sector greatlyas the inlet and
therebythesolve
reduce number online of through
K pace.Is. Since shock treatment issues
decisions
march to digital gathers First, the naturewill of work be
of plugging,
Platinum-containing
increasingly made recovering
by catalyst
artificial heat transfer
for efficiency
functionalisation
intelligence, and execu- and
will change. As refinery and asset tasks become more
reduced
tion
of under
nitro-aromatics
of those decisions deposit corrosion. With continuous low
autonomous
Catalysis with and AI will
hydrogen assisted, be automated,
significant there
(hydrogenation)
is no
isproductivity
aavoided;
key pro- collector and th
dosage
longer treatment,
any need such
to provide occurrences
decision support will be K Is for
gain
cesscan be expected.
in refining, among Individuals
other industries. and the Inthe businesses
particular, tank coils, pro
furthermore,
routine operation. it allowsInstead refineries
there to optimise
will be K Is amount
monitor-
they
the work for need toofunderstand
hydrogenation functionalised that the requirement
nitro-aromatics heaters.
of the
ing wash water used,
performance of the thereby
analytics reducing
and data relatedto ensure costs
foris workers
employed willtoevolve. manufacture Organisations aromatic and aminespeople will
(ani-
and
theneed issues.
system is operating correctly.
to retrain
lines), which themselves.
are important to the agrochemical, pig- Orifice design
Because of their full organic formulation, they will
We also
ment, and expect to see 2019 witness
pharmaceutical industries. the continuing
Nitro-aromatic roll- Previously, at p
have no impact on downstream units.
out
Conclusion of a new consist
compounds trend which of at we term
least one here: group
nitro ‘networks (NO of) oil flow result
The
K industry
Is are usea of Chimec
key element salt
to dispersant
decision gives the
support in following
the refin- 2
attached co-opetition’.
to an aromatic The ring.opportunity
Typically, to their seamlessly
hydro- the storage tan
advantages:
ing and chemicals
connect
• Thegenation elements
product hasis industries.
of the value
required
oil soluble use
and
igitalisation
chainofwater
will give
catalysts cancompetitive
dispersible,
address
containing thus
tomers. As the
many of
advantage
precious the issues
to
metals companiesthat
such have which compromised
as platinum, recognise
palladium, K
that I and
effec-
or rho- can the furnaces i
injected
tiveness inin the
the oil
past. or water
e see stream
a future it is homogenously
evolving where
take advantage
dium. Other of the
researchers opportunity
have to
reported build business
that changing alli- flowing throug
dispersed
routine in the oil/water matrix, reaching all areas
the operation
ances across the has
supported value
Pt sitesverychain. few
from Knanoparticles
Much Is asdue to theto
Amazon highly
has done
highly ally decreases.
where
autonomous deposits nature can take
of place.
operations. Instead K Is will be a
with consumer goods shipping
dispersed clusters or single-atom catalytic sites in and delivery supply furnace outlet,
• Afteron
focused reaction
identifying with salts, exceptions the molecule and becomes Kpolar,
anomalies. Is
chains, process manufacturers
Pt catalyst with iron oxide (FeOx) support resulted will do to react to market the required h
thusbecarrying
will smart, and the
with deposit
targets toward
adapting the water to variablephase where situ-
opportunity
in unprecedented manufacturing
reactivity andandenhanced
pricing challenges.
selectivity diameter of the
removal
ations can take place in the first downstream oil/
Theoptimised
for final key by
hydrogenation trend rigorous
ofacross modelling.
this sectortoK
nitro-aromatics willtheIsbe willaround
aromatic be 100mm. Then, o
water
increasingly separator. future facing, leveraging predictive ana-
organisational
amines. However, change. the low Knowledge
surface area automating
of this system and throughout the
• The
lytics product
rather than is very effectivemeasuring
retrospectively in salts removal, what refining went and
powerful
limits theprovision
number of dataaccessible and models catalyticacross surface sites. fice diameters
therebyThis
wrong. a significant
willwill require reduction
changes ininthe culturewashand water used
A promising
organisations alternative
democratise would the be to use a organ-
decision-making support pro- pressure. In thi
can
isation be obtained.
to get the most
material
cess. The composed
people whoout of aofhigh-surface
embrace thethis new will information,
area oxide,
make themselvesand
such system, even th
• Salt
rigorous dispersant
and instead
as silica, robust can ofbeiron
technology partoxide. oftoa calculate
multifunctional
The problem the correct istreat-
that
more employable while the organisations who embrace effectively. In a
ment
course and combined with film forming corrosion
interaction,inhib-
willofbe
it because action.of itsable
most lowtoacidity achieveand weak
digital transformation SiO
in a tion thickness o
itor in case the corrosivity of the system requires this2 from 50mm to 1
meaningful way and compete in 2019 and beyond.
approach
Duncan Micklem as well.
is Executive Vice President, Strategy and Marketing
with www.eptq.com
KBC (A Yokogawa Company).
www.eptq.com 88 PTQ Q2 2019 PTQ Q1 2019 13
www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 13
www.eptq.com PTQ Q3 2019 27

q4 argonne.indd 3 14/09/2018 09:35

outlook .indd 7 q2 tupras.indd 2 17/12/2018 13:12

Q&A copy 37.indd 6 13/09/2019 17:28
q3 kbc.indd 4 15/06/2019 07:36
Process Notes

Projects must ultimately meet process goals.

On Budget, On Time, Offline

Flawless project execution will not prevent a unit shut- agement to seem an end in itself. However, the suc-
down due to selecting the wrong metallurgy for a chal- cess of a project rests upon the foundation that is built
lenging crude slate. during conceptual design and front-end engineering.

No matter how well it is fabricated and installed, a shell With surprising regularity, a unit’s failure to meet per-
and tube exchanger with cold, high viscosity vacuum formance expectations does not stem from the de-
resid on the tube side will have poor heat transfer per- tailed engineering and construction phases or faulty
formance. equipment manufacturing. Instead, project failure is
often the result of poor front-end flow scheme design
On-time shipping and installation of a too-small de- and initial process equipment specification.
salter will not prevent crude column overhead corro-
sion if the centerline velocity is overly optimistic for the A well-defined, early phase activity that consumes
design crude. only a few percent of the overall project budget may
seem trivial. In reality, solid front-end flow scheme de-
A high labor efficiency factor for installation of tower velopment and equipment design are prerequisites for
internals will not increase vacuum resid cut point, but successful project execution. Rework and late stage
properly designed stripping trays will. process modifications usually reside at the top of the
list of post-audit culprits in late and over budget proj-
Managing major projects such as grassroots crude, ects.
coker, and FCC unit construction is hard work. Large
revamps are even harder. In projects costing tens of Unit startup can quickly re-designate a project from
millions to billions of dollars, detailed engineering and shining success to haunting failure. Selecting a part-
construction are monumental tasks that consume ner with an extensive experience list and a specialized
most of the overall project budget and schedule. As a understanding of the unit at hand can ensure startup
project advances from a design on paper to steel on the goals are met while minimally impacting the overall
ground, success requires relentless focus on meeting project budget.
cost and schedule expectations, leading project man-

3400 Bissonnet St. +1 (713) 665-7046

Suite 130 info@revamps.com
Houston, TX 77005, USA www.revamps.com
 Fouling and cleaning analysis of a heat
exchanger network
Analysis of a complex heat exchanger network employs a digital twin model to
establish a programme for fouling and cleaning

YANLING WU
Honeywell Connected Enterprise

M
aintaining good perfor-
mance in a heat exchanger
network is a major part of Total cost
any energy efficiency programme. Fouling cost
This article presents a fouling and Cleaning cost
cleaning analysis of a complex heat
exchanger network in a crude pre-
heat train, mitigating fouling effects
through improved cleaning sched-
ules. arious fouling conditions are
simulated in Honeywell’s UniSim
Design software to account for heat
Cost

exchanger interactions and identify

critical fouling effects that need to be
monitored effectively. In addition, Cleaning period
the simulation results are paired
with economic factors, other asset Figure 1 Trade-off between heat exchanger fouling costs and cleaning costs
conditions and operational scenarios
to optimise cleaning schedules that from service and cleaned if bypass Many refineries conduct heat
can result in overall economic sav- valves are available. requent clean- exchanger cleaning on a pre-
ings. The findings from this analysis ing substantially increases cleaning determined schedule. Some only
also provide valuable insights for expenditures. owever, cleaning perform cleaning when operat-
maintenance scheduling, turnaround too infrequently has the potential ing problems, such as hydraulic
planning, and process improvement. to increase energy consumption restrictions or unacceptably high
or improved process energy effi- rundown temperatures, become
ciency, it is imperative to recover Heat exchanger apparent. Others do periodic mon-
as much heat as possible from the itoring of individual heat exchanger
product stream back into the feed fouling has a performance to identify the worst
stream to minimise the use of fresh fouled heat exchangers. owever,
energy. owever, heat exchangers direct impact on plant a heat exchanger is not necessar-
in oil refineries are at high risk of ily worth cleaning simply because
fouling, which significantly reduces profitability and is it is heavily fouled. In the case of a
their thermal performance over crude unit, heat exchangers at the
time. ouling in oil and refinery
one of the costliest front end of the preheat train have
plants consumes an extra 0. quad problems facing the very limited impact on the temper-
0. x 1015 T of energy annu- ature of the crude oil by the time
ally.1 The annual loss attributable refining and chemical it reaches the atmospheric heater,
to heat exchanger fouling in the as a loss of heat recovery in an
S and K together is 1 .5 bil- industries today upstream heat exchanger is usually
lion. , Heat exchanger fouling has a offset by increases in heat recovery
direct impact on plant profitability due to the limited heat transfer in downstream heat exchangers.
and is one of the costliest problems capabilities of fouled heat exchang- In a complex heat exchanger net-
facing the refining and chemical ers. In both cases, operating costs work, the criticality of individual
industries today. rise. Therefore, there is a trade-off heat exchanger fouling depends
To combat fouling, heat exchang- between heat exchanger cleaning on the arrangement of the heat
ers must be periodically removed costs and fouling costs (see Figure 1 . exchanger network, the size of a

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 15

q4 honeywell.indd 1 13/09/2019 17:44

 through fouling analysis and opti-
mal cleaning schedules.
PFD Quantified The most effective cleaning pro-
P&ID
UniSim fouling gramme for a heat exchanger net-
datasheet effect
HEX work is based on identifying and
network
digital twin
Total cost monitoring critical fouling heat
Quantified comparison
Performance model
cleaning exchangers, coupled with mod-
monitoring
and prediction benefit els that account for heat exchanger
Optimum interactions, energy and cleaning
cleaning
Economic
cycle costs to obtain overall savings. This
factors
analysis helps a refiner to make an
Efficiency informed decision about which heat
exchanger to clean and when is the
best time to perform cleaning oper-
Figure 2 Solution workflow ations. It provides solutions to iden-
tify critical heat exchange in terms
heat exchanger, and the available Methodology of fouling impact, cleaning priori-
heat transfer driving force, which Management of heat exchanger tisation and developing long-term
is best understood through sim- fouling consists of three elements: optimal cleaning cycles.
ulation and analysis at a network fouling prevention through modi- Figure 2 is a block flow diagram
level. Thus, in addition to indi- fication of the process stream and of a solution workflow of this anal-
vidual heat exchanger monitor- a heat exchanger’s surface proper- ysis. UniSim Design simulates a
ing, it is also necessary to analyse ties during the design stage; fouling rigorous digital twin model of a
knock-on effects throughout the detection through effective on-line heat exchanger network and serves
heat exchanger network. monitoring; and fouling mitigation as the main calculation engine at
the back end to account for interac-
tions in the heat exchanger network.
6 The grey boxes represent inputs
50% fouling required for constructing a digital
Increase in furnace power,

80% fouling
5 twin model and performing sce-
nario analysis, which include a heat
4
exchanger network process flow
diagram (PFD), a piping and instru-
3
mentation diagram (P&ID), heat
2
exchanger datasheets, performance
monitoring, and prediction. Yellow
1 boxes represent the various anal-
ysis outputs that help operators to
MW

0 make informed decisions about heat

exchanger cleaning.
1

2
10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

11

11

11

This solution does not require

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

investment in new equipment. It is

7 a software analysis using existing
50% fouling design data for a heat exchanger
6 80% fouling network and historical process
data and focuses on improving
5 decisions on cleaning schedules
Reduction in furnace inlet

through rigorous simulation of

4
the heat exchanger network, foul-
ing effect analysis, cleaning bene-
3
temperature, ºC

fit analysis, fouling predictions, a

2
what-if analysis for different oper-
ational constraints and scenarios,
1 and a comprehensive economic
analysis.
0 The crude unit preheat train
is a major factor in a refinery’s
1

2
10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

11

11

11

business operation and is used

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

as an example of a complex heat

Figure 3 Heat exchanger fouling effect analysis in terms of furnace coil inlet temperature exchanger network in the following
reduction (bottom) and increase in required furnace heat duty (top) discussion.

16 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 honeywell.indd 2 13/09/2019 17:44

 Results and discussion
0.8
Fouling effect analysis
In the crude preheat train, as
0.7
heat exchangers foul over time
the furnace coil inlet temperature
0.6
decreases due to inefficient heat
recovery from fouled heat exchang-
0.5
ers. To maintain a constant furnace

Furnace duty reduction,

outlet temperature, the required 0.4
furnace duty increases. However,
the loss of heat recovery that has to 0.3
be made up by the furnace is often
less than 100% for most of the heat 0.2
exchangers in the network. Loss
of heat recovery in upstream heat 0.1
exchangers means higher hot side
MW
temperature, bigger log mean tem- 0
perature difference LMT and

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12
1

1
E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-
more heat transfer driving force
available for subsequent heat 1.0
Furnace coil inlet temperature increase,

exchangers, and thus increases

heat recovery in downstream heat 0.9
exchangers in the network. 0.8
In the fouling effect analysis, the
0.7
fouling condition of heat exchang-
ers in the network is compared at a 0.6
fouling percentage of 50% and 80%,
0.5
respectively. The fouling percentage
is defined by Equation 1: 0.4

𝑈𝑈./01.2 [1] 0.3

𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 % = 1 − × 100
𝑈𝑈345678 0.2

Where: 0.1
Uactual = Actual overall heat transfer
ºC

0
coefficient
1

2
10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

11

11

11
Udesign esign overall heat transfer
E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-

E-
coefficient
Figure 4 Heat exchanger cleaning benefit analysis in terms of increase in furnace coil
In Figure 3, the X-axis represents inlet temperature (bottom) and reduction in required furnace heat duty (top)
a group of 12 heat exchangers in a
crude preheat train network, and In this example, among the 12 heat Honeywell Forge Asset Performance
the Y-axis represents the reduc- exchangers analysed, the fouling Monitoring A M .
tion in furnace inlet temperature of E-108 has the greatest impact on
below and increase in required the furnace inlet temperature and Cleaning benefit analysis
furnace duty top because of indi- energy requirements. Although foul- A cleaning benefit analysis of a
vidual heat exchanger fouling. Even ing itself is widespread among all of heat exchanger network lever-
when heat exchangers have fouled the heat exchangers, fouling penalty ages online heat exchanger per-
to the same extent, either at 50% is often concentrated in a few heat formance monitoring to prioritise
blue bar or 0 pink bar , their exchangers, which depends on the heat exchanger cleaning based
effects on furnace operations are arrangement of the heat exchanger on data-driven cleaning benefits.
quite different. The higher the bar, network, heat exchanger sizes and There are several commercially
the more negative the impact heat available driving forces. This anal- available software packages, such
exchanger fouling has on furnace ysis identified the critical heat as oneywell orge A M, which
operations, and the more critical the exchangers in a complex network provides real-time monitoring of
heat exchanger is in terms of fouling in terms of data-driven quantified individual heat exchanger perfor-
effect. The effect of individual heat fouling penalty. The performance mance and generates performance
exchanger fouling on the furnace of these critical heat exchangers K Is, such as LMT , fouling per-
coil inlet temperature and furnace needs to be tracked closely and effec- centage or fouling factor, and heat
energy requirements are quantified tively with a real-time performance duty. These KPIs are monitored
in this fouling effect analysis. monitoring programme such as over time and role based alerts are

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 17

q4 honeywell.indd 3 17/09/2019 13:58

 ated in terms of increases in furnace
coil inlet temperatures and reduc-
tion in furnace duty requirements.

MMBTU/h
In the cleaning benefit analysis,
real-time performance KPIs are
used as inputs to represent current
Plant runtime,
Cleaning months
Schedule #1: Plant runtime, months heat exchanger fouling conditions.
Then, the quantified cleaning bene-
fit is generated in terms of increases
in furnace coil inlet temperature
MMBTU/h

and reduction in furnace heat duty

requirements assuming overall
heat transfer coefficient actual is the
Plant runtime,
Cleaning months
Schedule #2: Plant runtime, months same as design (zero fouling %) after
cleaning.
Figure 5 Furnace duty vs length of plant run at two different cleaning frequencies In Figure 4, the -axis represents a
group of 12 heat exchangers in the
sent to recipients based on heuris- due to more efficient heat recovery crude preheat train network, and the
tic rules, first principle models and from the cleaned heat exchanger. To Y-axis represents the increase in fur-
data-driven models. achieve constant furnace outlet tem- nace inlet temperature (bottom) and
In the crude unit, after a heat perature, the required furnace duty reduction in required furnace heat
exchanger is cleaned and put back decreases. The effect is the opposite duty (top) after a heat exchanger is
into service in the network, the fur- of heat exchanger fouling effects. cleaned. The difference is obtained
nace coil inlet temperature increases Thus the cleaning benefit is evalu- by running two cases, one at the
current fouling condition and the
other at zero fouling percentage. The
higher the bar, the higher the bene-
Cleaning cost fit if this heat exchanger is cleaned.
Fouling cost The benefits of cleaning each heat
exchanger are quantified in this
cleaning benefit analysis by the
amount of increase in furnace coil
Cleaning cycle cost

inlet temperature and reduction in

furnace energy requirements.
A crude preheat network can
often have 50+ heat exchangers.
Prioritisation of heat exchanger
cleaning is critical to minimise fur-
nace heat duty and maintain nor-
Plan 1 Plan 2
mal plant operation. Even during an
annual planned turnaround, there is
Figure 6 Comparison of total heat exchanger operating cost at two different cleaning usually not enough time or resources
frequencies. Cleaning plan #1 is less frequent than cleaning plan #2 to clean all of the heat exchangers
in the preheat train network. This
analysis provides data-driven quan-
290.0 tified cleaning benefits for each heat
exchanger in the network based on
their current fouling conditions and
interactions in the heat exchanger
287.5
network and helps operators to
make an informed decision about
prioritising heat exchanger cleaning.
285.0
Cleaning cycle analysis
The third analysis focuses on the
CIT, ºC

optimal cleaning cycle for a criti-

282.5 cal heat exchanger in the network.
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
In a crude preheat train, as a heat
Plant runtime, days
exchanger fouls, the loss of heatre-
covery from fouled heat exchangers
Figure 7 Furnace coil inlet temperature decreases over time is made up by additional furnace

18 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 honeywell.indd 4 13/09/2019 17:44

 Process Notes

Modular units can have modern technology

Modern Crude Distillation,

Modularized With the right expertise, it is possible to design indus-
trially proven, reliable equipment to be easily modular-
Global interest in modular refinery construction is surg- ized.
ing. Small modular refineries are attractive to investors
for several important reasons: Process Consulting Services has engineered over 100
crude/vacuum unit revamps and over 4 MMBPD of
SPEED grassroots crude unit capacity. We have drawn on all
Project time from contract execution to start-up can of this experience to develop a unique flow scheme
be as short as 18-24 months. for modular crude/vacuum units. Our modular crude
distillation process is fully modern, incorporating
LOGISTICAL ADVANTAGES time-tested technologies to eliminate common reli-
Modular refineries can be built in remote locations ability issues. Some of these features, developed in
to realize efficiencies in supply and transportation of much larger units, have been re-thought to be afford-
raw crude and refined products. able on a modular scale.

LOW INITIAL COST No matter how low the initial cost of a crude unit is,
Small relative size makes initial capital cost more the investment will not pay off if the unit is plagued by
manageable. Modules can be constructed in the avoidable problems. Poor desalting (corrosion), pre-
shop with nearly 100% productive time, and turnkey flash tower foaming (off-spec naphtha), tray plugging
fabrication and construction services lower the like- (poor fractionation and product quality), etc. can all be
lihood of project delays or cost overruns. mitigated by thoughtful front-end design.

For a project to realize the benefits listed above, it has Through creative flowsheet and equipment design,
to start up and run reliably. Saving initial capital by cut- PCS is able to significantly reduce the number of mod-
ting corners is a doomed strategy. Cost savings should ules required to build a modern crude distillation unit
result from clever flow schemes that minimize equip- that maximizes valuable product yield, energy efficien-
ment and module count without sacrificing product cy, and reliability.
yields or unit reliability.
Photo Credit: Honeywell UOP

3400 Bissonnet St. +1 (713) 665-7046

Suite 130 info@revamps.com
Houston, TX 77005, USA www.revamps.com

pcs.indd 1 09/06/2017 12:47

 ent cleaning frequencies. Cleaning
80.0 schedule #2 is more frequent
than cleaning schedule #1. As the
length of plant run increases, heat
exchanger fouling increases and so
required furnace duty increases.
When the heat exchanger is taken
Furnace duty, MW

77.5 o ine and cleaned, there is a tem-

porary peak in the required furnace
heat duty because of the loss of an
entire heat exchanger duty dur-
ing off-line cleaning. After the heat
exchanger is cleaned and put back
75.0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 into service, the required furnace
Plant runtime, days duty drops to the lowest value.
Then, furnace duty increases again
Figure 8 Furnace heat duty increases over time as the heat exchanger fouls over
time. This pattern continues in each
cycle of heat exchanger fouling
200k and cleaning.
Figure 6 shows a comparison of
Cumulative fouling cost, $

the total operating cost of a heat

exchanger at two different clean-
ing frequencies. Blue represents
100k
additional fouling cost and orange
represents cleaning cost. Cleaning
cost is a function of fixed clean-
ing cost, length of off-line cleaning,
and additional furnace fuel cost to
achieve required peak duty during
0 the cleaning period. In this example,
0 14 28 42 56 70 84 98 112 126 140 154 168 182
although the infrequent cleaning
Plant runtime, days schedule #1 has less cleaning cost,
it has a higher total cost because of
Figure 9 Cumulative fouling cost over length of plant run higher fouling cost.
In addition to a comparison of
various cleaning frequencies, the
optimal cleaning cycle providing
the lowest total operating cost is
also determined. Based on histor-
ical fouling rates, a digital twin
model of the heat exchanger net-
work simulates the fouling effect
on the preheat train network and
generates the trends of decrease
Annual Opex

in furnace coil inlet temperature

(CIT) over time (see Figure 7) and
increase in furnace heat duty over
time (see Figure 8). With economic
0 50 100 150 200 and cleaning data, such as fuel cost,
Cleaning cycle, days furnace efficiency, days of heat
exchanger cleaning and fixed clean-
Figure 10 Total operating cost over length of cleaning cycle ing cost, the cumulative fouling
cost over the length of the plant run
duty if the furnace duty has not ciency and fuel cost. Cumulative (see Figure 9) and total operating
reached its maximum. In this sce- fouling cost is a function of the cost over the length of the clean-
nario, the cost of heat exchanger length of the plant run, furnace effi- ing cycle (see Figure 10) are gener-
fouling is defined as additional ciency, additional furnace duty due ated. The lowest total exchanger/
furnace operating cost, which is a to fouling, and fuel cost. furnace operating cost determines
function of additional furnace heat Figure 5 shows furnace duty vs the optimal cleaning cycle. In this
duty due to fouling, furnace effi- length of plant run at two differ- example, 115 to 120 days are the

20 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 honeywell.indd 5 13/09/2019 17:44

 analysis, fouling effects can be miti-
In a typical crude gated. The solutions can also help to
3 Müller-Steinhagen H, Fouling of heat
exchanger surfaces, Chem. Ind. 5, 1995, 171-

unit of 150 000 b/d enhance plant turnaround planning, 175.

maintenance scheduling and oppor-
capacity, an optimised tunities for process improvement. Yanling Wu is the Global Industrial Data
Analytics Leader with Honeywell Connected

heat exchanger References

1 Zhu F, Energy and Process Optimization for
Enterprise, Industrial, Houston, TX. She has
worked at Honeywell in engineering, operations,

cleaning cycle can process industries, New Jersey, John Wiley &
Sons, 2016, 112.
consulting and analytics, and is the author/
coauthor of a number of presentations and

yield annual savings 2 Yeap B L, Wilson D I, Polley G T, Pugh S J,

Retrofitting crude oil refinery heat exchanger
patents. She holds a PhD from the University of
Cincinnati and a master of science degree from

of over $1 million networks to minimize fouling while maximizing

heat recovery, ECI Conference 2003, Berkeley
Colorado State University, both in chemical
engineering, and a BS degree in biochemical
Electronic Press, 2004. engineering from Tianjin University, China.
optimum cleaning cycle for critical
heat exchanger E-10 .
In a typical crude unit of 150 000
b/d capacity, an optimised heat
exchanger cleaning cycle can
yield annual savings of more than
1 million.

What-if analysis
The above analysis assumes that
loss in heat recovery due to heat
exchanger fouling can be compen-
sated by additional furnace heat
duty. owever, each furnace has a
maximum design heat duty. Once
the maximum furnace heat duty is Network Monitoring and Fouling Management
reached, the loss of heat recovery
from fouled heat exchangers cannot
Using HTRI’s Digital Twin Technology
be made up by additional furnace
duty, and plant throughput should
be reduced to maintain the desired
furnace outlet temperature. This is a
less desirable operating scenario and
often means more economic penalty.
In this case, fouling cost is analysed
as loss of profit through reduced
throughput, which can also be ana- Performance monitoring and predictive maintenance
lysed by this heat exchanger fouling software for shell-and-tube heat exchanger networks
and cleaning solution but is not cov-
ered in this article. HTRI SmartPM allows engineers to
analyze heat exchanger networks by
Conclusion • implementing HTRI heat transfer
When you need
This analysis examined a complex the advanced
and pressure drop methods to
heat exchanger network using a monitoring and
advance calculation reliability
niSim esign heat exchanger net- predictive
work digital twin model to account • exchanging data with Xist® cases for capabilities of a
for heat exchanger interactions cou- rapid network modeling and analysis digital twin, you
pled with real-time performance • estimating exchanger cleaning can count on HTRI.
monitoring, economic factors and schedules to improve energy
practical operating scenarios to efficiency, reduce fuel consumption,
identify heat exchanger fouling and
and manage fouling
cleaning solutions. y identifying
critical heat exchangers in the net- • connecting to OSIsoft® PI System®
work in terms of fouling penalty, for two-way data transfer www.htri.net
prioritising heat exchanger cleaning,
and optimising the heat exchanger
cleaning cycle using data-driven

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 21

q4 honeywell.indd 6 13/09/2019 17:44

sinopec.indd 1 12/09/2019 14:52
 Preventing yellow metal corrosion
A novel corrosion inhibitor for yellow metal meets corrosion and
environmental targets under halogen control

DANIEL MEIER and RENATE RUITENBERG

Nalco Champion, an Ecolab Company

Y
ellow metal heat exchangers that could meet the need of a hal-
48-hour bench Gamry corrosion
are widely used in the most ogenation stable inhibitor which
test results
critical unit operations of could be classified non-toxic to
refineries and petrochemical plants aquatic organisms. Over 400 mole-
Brass, Copper, Loss in
due to their high thermal conduc- mpy mpy solution cules were synthesised in the search
tivity and antifouling properties. TT 0.04 0.05 26% for a feasible solution. The top can-
However, copper and its alloys such BZT 0.6 0.9 12% didates were produced in small vol-
as admiralty brass suffer from corro- 3DT397 0.02 0.08 10% umes to allow evaluation on bench
sion in acidic to neutral and highly top and advanced laboratory pilot
halogenated environments that are Table 1 cooling tower testing. These samples
common in cooling water systems. were sent to various corporate R&D
This may result in reduced life and attack. Particularly in poor water labs around the globe, enabling eval-
subsequent failure of heat exchang- conditions, chemical corrosion in uation in tandem at pilot scale. The
ers resulting in loss of production highly halogenated environments best performing inhibitor was one
and downtime for replacement. is common in cooling water sys- named 3DT397; for this, the manu-
In the last few decades, different tems.2 This may result in high main- facturing route was refined.
triazole chemistries were used as a tenance costs due to retubing or
protective filming inhibitor for yel- replacement of heat exchangers and Laboratory evaluation
low metal.1 These chemistries have consequent loss of production and Initial laboratory corrosion screen-
their limitations, including poor sta- downtime for replacement. ing tests were conducted using a
bility in halogenated environments, The main corrosion stress factors Gamry electrochemical system to
high consumption rates, and high for yellow metal are: detect the corrosion rate of copper
aquatic toxicity. This article presents • Halogenation for biofouling control and brass coupons based on linear
an innovative non-triazole based yel- • Process control causing pH dips polarisation resistance.3 All of the
low metal corrosion inhibitor with • High chloride and sulphate levels 48-hour tests were carried out in a
improved halogen stability, lower • Ammonia from recycled munici- set water chemistry condition, with
consumption rates, and reduced pal e uent 2.5 ppm active inhibitor dosage
aquatic toxicity compared to tradi- • High holding time index. (3DT397, TT = Tolyltriazole, BZT =
tional triazole compounds. These stress factors are becoming Benzotriazole). The pH, tempera-
The patent-pending chemistry has more prevalent, with the challenges ture, and oxidation reduction poten-
been evaluated for its performance of global water scarcity driving the tial were controlled, the latter to 0.6
in electrochemical tests, pilot cooling industry towards cooling tower +/-0.15 ppm free residual chlorine.
tower tests, and customer field trials. operation at minimal water foot- An average corrosion rate of 24-48
The results from both lab and field print. Running at high cycles and hours was calculated at the end of
trial are discussed in detail. using recycle water increases corro- the test. The test results are summa-
sion stress in yellow metal. rised in Table 1.
Yellow metal corrosion The challenge is to develop a Pilot cooling tower trials were run
Refineries and petrochemical plants protective filming inhibitor for yel- in Nalco’s R&D laboratories. The
utilise yellow metal heat exchang- low metal that is stable under the trials involved 90l system volume
ers in their most critical unit oper- aggressive cooling water conditions and 50 hours holding time index,
ations due to their high thermal encountered in industry, without operated under 3D TRASAR con-
conductivity. While the antifouling being harmful or toxic to aquatic trol at 0.5 mg/l free residual chlo-
properties tend to limit microbial life, a problem raised by traditional rine. Corrosion was measured by
under-deposit corrosion, copper triazoles. weighing the heat transfer tubes and
and alloys such as admiralty brass unheated coupons as well as online
are still vulnerable to corrosion due Development process using corrosion probes. Figure 1
to the chemical composition of cool- Rigorous literature study identified shows the pilot cooling tower results
ing water and excessive halogen the potential group of chemistries generated for admiralty brass.

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 23

q4 nalco.indd 1 13/09/2019 18:48

 than was to be expected from bench
3DT397 top and pilot cooling tower trials.
Tube Robust performance was the most
Coupon
critical factor in performance, as cor-
Probe
1.39 rosion stress is higher in industrial
systems. One chemical plant was
running at 15 days’ holding time,
1 while the other used soft water at
up to 10 cycles of concentration. The
Corrosion rate

0.62
0.56 refineries faced challenges due to
highly variable chlorination control
0.27 0.29
0.18
0.26 (see Table 2).
0.14
0.04 Regulatory testing confirmed
0
TT BZT 3DT397 that, in contrast to triazoles, the new
chemical is not classified as toxic to
Figure 1 Pilot cooling tower trial results for admiralty brass corrosion the aquatic environment. No chlorin-
ated compounds were found in recir-
culating cooling water due to low
3DT397
Tube
reactivity with the bleach or chlorine
Coupon gas typically used to disinfect cool-
Probe ing towers.

Conclusion
1 0.94
A newly developed yellow metal
corrosion inhibitor meets both the
Corrosion rate

0.64 corrosion targets as well as the

0.46 0.47 environmental targets required for
0.35 sustainable petrochemical plant
0.24 0.25
0.16 operation. 3DT397 was developed to
0.06
0 bring the benefits of increased asset
TT BZT 3DT397 protection to refineries and petro-
chemical plants around the globe.
Figure 2 Pilot cooling tower trial corrosion results for copper
References
1 Inhibitor effects of Tolyltriazole on zinc,
The corrosion results show that the challenging make-up water chem-
copper and brass surfaces to corrosion effect of
new 3DT397 is delivering improved istries. Therefore, performance in environment, J. Int. Environmental Application
yellow metal corrosion protection. industrial cooling towers would vali- & Science. Vol. 2, 26-32, 2007.
The different corrosion evaluation date the efficacy of the new inhibitor. 2 Hsieh M, Dzombak D A, Vidic R D, Effect of
methods show different corrosion Nalco Champion’s manufactur- Tolyltriazole on the corrosion protection of
values. The new inhibitor shows ing plants produced sufficient vol- copper against ammonia and disinfectants in
consistent low corrosion rates for umes to introduce 3DT397 to four cooling systems, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 49, 7313-
copper as well (see Figure 2). refineries and chemical plants for 7322, 2010.
industrial cooling trials. All of these 3 Xie Y et al., New yellow metal corrosion
Industrial cooling results trials were in challenging systems inhibitor with better performance, improved
stability, and lower toxicity, Cooling Tower
Industrial cooling system dynamics with high corrosion stress, look-
Institute Conference, Houston, 6 Feb 2018.
increase the stresses associated with ing for improved yellow corrosion
corrosion inhibition, for instance long inhibition.
holding time indexes, variable pH, Interestingly, the industrial perfor- Daniel Meier is an Industry Fellow in the
and free residual chlorine control, or mance of the novel inhibitor is better Global Cooling Water R&D group with Nalco
Champion.With 38 years of experience focusing
on the development of novel chemistries and
Industrial cooling tower applications
application technologies for the prevention of
corrosion, scale (fouling) and microbial growth
Column 1 Cooling Biocontrol FRC ppm Benchmark mpy year 3DT397 mpy, in industrial cooling water systems, he holds
water inhibitor previous coupon five patents in cooling water treatment and a
Refinery 1 River Bleach 0.8 TT 0.46 0.1
BS in chemical engineering.
Refinery 2 River Chlorine gas 0.6 TT 0.5 0.1
Chemical 1 Lake Bleach 0.2-0.4 TT + BZT 0.35* 0.1* Renate Ruitenberg is a Senior Marketing
Chemical 2 Soft water Bleach 0.4 BZT 0.6 0.1 Manager with Nalco Champion, focusing on
global water treatment innovation. She worked
*Coupon and 80% of plant Heat exchangers are copper, other coupons are brass as a process engineer before joining Nalco
Water R&D and holds a MSc in engineering
Table 2 from Delft University of Technology.

24 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 nalco.indd 2 13/09/2019 18:48

air liquide.indd 1 12/09/2019 14:48
 Water and Process Treatment
SUPERIOR SERVICE AND CHEMICAL APPLICATION
EXPERTISE TO MAXIMIZE ASSET VALUE
Our experienced team provides customized water and process
treatments, dedicated engineering, and expert technical support to
refineries worldwide.

We can help you improve reliability, increase throughput, and enhance

the efficiency and flexibility of your operating units. We have a proven
history of working with refiners to identify, deliver, and document
process improvements and cost avoidance.

athlonsolutions.com
© 2019 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.

athlon.indd 1 11/03/2019 16:03

 Addressing the sour gas challenge
Recent developments in corrosion resistant alloys help operators to overcome the
challenges of hydrogen sulphide induced cracking in pipelines and key components

PETER BAMFORTH
Outokumpu Europe

N
atural gas is experiencing a Sour environments are a bigger Sulphide stress cracking
major upturn. As a fossil fuel, challenge as they contain signifi- orrosion is a complex topic and
it offers control and resilience cant amounts of H2S and sometimes the form of corrosion depends on
to the energy mix, but when burned also CO2. The main concern is that, many variables, such as the pres-
it produces a lot less carbon dioxide under certain conditions, 2S can ence of chemical agents or micro-
(CO2) than oil or coal. As a result, embrittle metals and thereby cause biological content. However, when
gas has become an important part of sulphide stress cracking SS , working with sour gas in the oil and
the energy mix, and demand is set especially in pipelines. However, a gas industry, the presence of 2S
to continue to grow by 2% annually further issue is that H2S is also flam- means that SS is the most likely
until 2030. mable and toxic, which creates a type of corrosion.
owever, according to the challenge during processing. Although its mechanism is not
International Energy Agency (IEA), To avoid embrittlement of pipe- fully understood, SS takes place
more than 0 of the world’s gas lines and process equipment, engi- at a metal’s surface when sul-
reserves are sour, containing sig- neers have turned to materials that phides act as a catalyst for a metal
nificant levels of acidic compounds provide the combination of high to absorb hydrogen atoms. As a
such as CO2 and hydrogen sulphide strength and high corrosion resist- result, the metal becomes brittle and
(H2S). This presents a major chal- ance, especially resistance to the vulnerable to hydrogen-induced
lenge to the lifetime and integrity of corrosion mechanism of SSC. In cracking I , especially at low
drilling equipment, pipeline compo- temperatures.
nents, and equipment, especially as Corrosion is a complex A further challenge is that hydro-
temperatures and pressures in pro- gen absorption can happen at the
duction environments can reach as topic and the form same time as chloride stress cor-
high as 0 and 1700 bar. rosion cracking S , which is
Sour gas is a particular issue for of corrosion depends another corrosion mechanism that is
operators in the Middle East, where common at elevated temperatures.
0 of gas reserves are sour, and
on many variables, This increases the overall risk of
also in Russia, which is the world’s environmentally induced cracking.
largest producer of natural gas and
such as the presence That said, when 2S is present
where sour gas accounts for more of chemical agents at low levels, the system will have
than a third of reserves. a low redox potential a measure
or microbiological of the ease with which a molecule
Sweet and sour will accept electrons), which in
All production fluids and gases in content fact reduces the risk of chloride-
the oil and gas industry can be classi- induced corrosion such as S and
fied as being either sweet’ or sour’, turn, they can expect reliable ser- crevice corrosion.
depending on the content of acidic vice over a 0-year service life, and In practice, operators experi-
compounds such as 2S and O2. can optimise the total cost of own- ence most risk of environmentally
While sweet environments contain ership and reduce maintenance and induced cracking of austenitic and
little or no H2S, they may contain replacement costs. duplex stainless steels due to 2S
high levels of O2, which can acceler- Over the years, engineers have and chlorides at intermediate tem-
ate the corrosion of carbon steels. It specified carbon steel and duplex peratures, approximately in the
is also undesirable as it decreases the (austenitic-ferritic) stainless steel range 0-100 .
amount of energy yielded from gas. grades. owever, nickel alloys such
Another concern is that CO2 freezes as Outokumpu’s ltra Alloy 5 Indirect effects of CO2
at low temperatures, which creates also offer high performance when As the other main acidic compound
problems for flow lines carrying managing production from sour in sour gas, it is also worth consid-
L , which can operate at -1 0 . gas reserves. ering the impact of CO2. Carbon

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 27

q4 outokumpu.indd 1 13/09/2019 18:02

 benefits
steels arein susceptible
catalytic performance
to uniform or for grades
tic economic residuum
offer hydrocrack-
only limited resist- Classic
v an den Bergaustenitic
F G A, Grossstainless
L, Heavy oilsteels
based
mitigation of sediment
CO2 corrosion in sweet and sour formation. ing. Catalysis and process research
ance to chloride-induced pitting and are also sometimes used in oil and
mixtures of different origins and treatments
This supports the
environments, butconcept
stainlessthat asteel
sta- and development
crevice corrosion. Aseff
a orts byferritic
result, L studied by AFM, Energy & Fuels, 31 (7), 6856-
gas. They are less prone to SSC than
ble and fully formed
grades are not and can thereforei-Mo catalytic and ART, coupled with in-depth
stainless steels are rarely used for
6861, 2017.
ferritic and martensitic alloys as long
5 Mukherjee U, Gillis D, Advances in residue
entity longer
ensure is favoured
service over
life. a rapidly analytical
sour effortsenvironments.
production at hevron Energy as they are inPTQ,theQ1annealed condition.
hydrocracking, 2018.
agglomerating singular
owever, as a side effect Moof entity
high Technology Company have, are
Martensitic stainless steels in However, they are not suited to sour
for eff ectiveness in catalytic
CO2 levels, carbonic acid may form. reac- large part, made this possible. gas conditions
ISOSLURRY, LC-SLURRYif components
and LC-FINING have
are
tions such as S,
This reduces pH and increases the and carbon These efforts continue, not only to
When it comes been heavily
trademarks of ARTcold worked as auste-
and CLG.
residue
risk of reduction
hydrogen inbeing addition to the
absorbed produce the cleaner vehicle and nitic grades are susceptibility to SSC
more operationally critical
into the metal. As a result, SSC ability to severe sour
ship fuels of the future, but also to even at ambient temperatures.
to mitigate
may becomesediment
more likely, formation and
especially address the needs for greater petro- ‘Super
Julie Chabotaustenitic’
is Residue grades have
R&D Technical
reliably transport contaminants
when H2S is present at high concen- out environments,
chemicals production. higher levels of chromium
Manager with ART & CLG Applied and
Technology,
of the reaction system without
trations in sour gas environments. foul- Richmond, California. She has 26 years
nickel, and offer high resistance to
ing. This finding is not limited to a laboratory
References testing
1 Ovalles C, Rogel E, Morazan H, Moir M E,
of experience in residue hydroprocessing
pitting and crevice corrosion. As a
specifistainless
c comparisonsteel to Isoslurry
and gascat-
technology development and holds a MSc and
result, they are oftenof Western
used for sea-
Using
alysts we noted the
in oil
comparable
The oil and gas industry has many case indicates stainless
Dickakian G, Method for determining the
effectiveness of asphaltene antifoulants at
a PhD from the University
water piping applications
Ontario,
and in
and a BSChE from Université Laval.
for ebullated bed i-Mo
different applications for different catalyst per- heat exchanger systems where sea-
formance earlier in our discussion steels are susceptible
high temperature: application to residue Email: chbt@chevron.com
types and grades of stainless steel. hydroprocessing and comparison to the water is used
Woody Shifl ett isas a coolant.
Manager, ART & CLG Applied
of the clear benefiarets ofcharacterised
dual catalyst
Stainless steels to SSC and may not
thermal fouling test, Energy Fuels, 29, 4956- As an alternative,
Technology, duplex
Richmond, California. stain-
He has 38
by their microstructure:to ferritic,
performance compared soluble 4965, 2015.
less
years’ steels combine
experience the properties
in catalyst technologies
molybdenum co-catalyst
martensitic, austenitic, and duplex, coupled be suitable
2 Ovalles C, Moir M E, Editors, The Boduszynski
of austeniticandand
and enterprises holdsferritic grades.
a PhD in chemical
with single
which is a catalyst
combination performance.
of ferritic
Continuum: Contributions to the Understanding
They have high resistance
engineering from the University to chlo-
of Wisconsin,
of the Molecular Composition of Petroleum, ACS MBA from Texas A&M University, and BSChE
and austenitic. often
Symposiumadopted
Series, Volin sweet
1282, Chaptersenviron-
1, 2, 4. ride-induced SCC, and as a result
Conclusion
Ferritic stainless steels provide ments
from the University of Akron.
3 Rogelwhen high
E, Witt M, strength
Asphaltene is needed.
characterization many operators have adopted
Signifiresistance
high cant advances in the chem-
to corrosion and
Email: wosh@chevron.com
These
during provide a cost-effective
hydroprocessing way to
by ultrahigh- them in production applications,
ical characterisation of residuum
chloride-induced SCC. However, resist uniform
resolution fourier CO corrosion
transform ion as an
cyclotron where
Additionaltheir high strength allows
contributors
petroleum materials coupled with 2
they can be sensitive to SSC, espe- alternative
resonance mass to spectrometry,
carbon steel. However,
Energy & Fuels, for weightwould
The authors savings. Forto example,
also like thank the
innovation in synthesising and
cially when components have been martensitic stainless
31 (4), 3409–3416, 2017. steels are sus- duplex stainless steel alloys are
following individuals for their contributions
understanding catalysts and cat-
hardened by cold working. A further ceptible to chloride-
4 Schuler B, Fatayer induced
S, Meyer G, Rogel E,local-
Moir regularly
to this article: used in Lakhanpal,
Balbir process ART;piping,
Dan
alyst systems has provided the M, Zhang Y, Harper M R, Pomerantz D, Bake K, Gillis, CLG; Bruce Reynolds, CLG; Cesar Ovalles,
point to consider is that some ferri- ised corrosion as well as SSC. umbilicals, separators, and solid
refiner with a portfolio of solutions Pena D, Kushnerick J D, Mullins O C, Ovalles C, Chevron.

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q4 outokumpu.indd 2 17/09/2019 13:34
 The PIONA characterisation and
kinetic approach used in this work A
allow for the ability to predict the 2.5
or JEAflexible
reactivity
Ease of
stream ebutane buys of petcoke
flow-lines,
a wide
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uipment suchprimarily
as
range well of from
as
as the two areasvac- in when field gas quality differs. as and strength
the other
formation and standard
tensile
ofin aging
insoluble marine
strength insafety
sulphide tem-
mixed
Conditioning Conference case involves
(LRGCC), Norman, Conditioning
Pitting relative Conference
(CPT,equipment to pitting
critical areas (LRGCC), calculated
corrosion
Norman, to that
K, Materials
value calculated
by
threats
increasing by amine the
the non-ideal
units,
destruc-
NACE
Bad
nearby
structural
uum
unit weather/extreme
refineries
residues. componentsThis located
would environmen-
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mean as the
blast
not processing capable Toof requirements
peratures that add rangeto the complexity
from 5 0
4800and b/dthe h drotreater and* ini- salts ofoftoorganic
Wmagnesium and calcium,
Oklahoma, Feb 1995. Oklahoma, Feb 2015. Corrosion Conference & Expo, 2013.
phase discharge, slurry and
oil the product non-ideal 365 by ble theenergy
temperature) idealsources. gascrevice
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corrosion Checking dol- 4isentropic
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Woodson sulphur T S, method.
compounds
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Gulfon
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optimisation
ofcorrosion
thumb may
and require
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studies rapid
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solvent with varying
CDU of
down safety management
cryogenic levels. and In emer-
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= c$in applications
API Recommended Practice 945 (API RP 945 12 Nassef A S, Banazadeh-Neshabouri N, 19 Daughtry J, Teletzke E, Controlling
tiate
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The also both
coefficient i ideal
= chamber andcorrosionnon-ideal
upstream of the isentropic
considered which
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IMechE oil results
integration
Conference in: method
Transactions (Vol
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Reactivity index
critical crevice temperature)
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hen
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it comes
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has good and can
(R2008): Environmental Cracking Formulated
Keller
valuesMfor W, MDEA
Roberts reference
K P, Rybicki Analyser
solvent
E F, Iski E V, 212). corrosion: case studies from amine plant
that
affect
method are
the is known
catal
not st, cause
which
recommended
Simulated problems
results for expansion
gas sector
chamber
Ultra
methods
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825 may
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need
daily to
with-be •
the Reduced
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most heat
conservative transfer
Engineering
in
Publishing,1998.
results heaters,anda
Thus,
procures
ronments,
ent
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and
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conditions,
2008. coals
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up, equipment
Jefftreat
Shirazi Desalter
to Ultra
S some 1.5
count,
A, Comparison
stainless and
Desalter
of steelerosion
grades temperatures
resistance 55facilities.
operational therefore
operation,
Liu Y, Yongzhang be
Laurance (<220°C).
formed
Y, Reid and
Prediction Gas It the
for also
machined has
Conditioning
sealing
in
thisinmorepractice.
case. freOverall,
uent need upset for ends catal
j
st considered
= considered
1 even
chamber
for relief 2 ofcases with causing
may bemore recommendedfuelNorman, consumption for impor- and
cases
U,these examples Motaghi M, Shree K, Krishnamurthy S, Anode
The only meaningful process cost koutiron considering the impact of envi- low pressure drop, which
are
spot
testing
and
4 De
change generally
cargo
so indicate
on),
Waard
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downstream thelayer withThecoke
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Conference
higher
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conventional
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from of piston for
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show
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ronmental close waste to 1.0. and the cost of involving
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choose
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and
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paper
reducing
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no.not
number,
ta the
en
69 calcium carbonate considered 1.0 particles
chamber vs. sand, Society compressor, ment
will
2016.work
2010.
• Hot spots also be
International
in heating addressed
during machining
Compressor
tubes, when
which
plotting
recycle the
flow.
presented at NACE 1993. Forversus this scale,data the could
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from
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Conference, relief
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are
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becle
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and that when
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why
experiments. operated
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operations. Inhull fabrication.
addition, itlife A cat-
is amena-
H2S in treated gas

Elliott J D, Impact of feed properties and

5 type
inside and F,arrangement
distillation betower of andpiston in Safety reduces their operational
be more
flow accurate relative to that 1.0, Analyser
the Indirect Analyser
integration
ASTM to ASTM method
ASTM
Ehmke Erate would
Polysulphide 2 vol%
stops ofFCCU
the gbarrel.
presented = leakage atthe the effort
gap Abu
(m) Dhabi become self- 1986.
International excessive pressure drop can apetcoke
require
continuously
ating
tors
the rings costs.
often
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Simulated to
sEquation
stem very
alternative
bands
do infrequent
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Crude and operation G150 of the FLNG astrophic
ble
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parameters failure
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on delayed requires could
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suita-
3.not replace • educed flow D,rates which over-
G48E G48F
derived
effluent,
corrosion, from or demand
Hydro.
air 100
Proc., b/d.
Jul 1981, At Moreover,
$1.0/
149-155. b/d, and Petroleum the
dsufficient,
oil non-ideal
= diameter 0.5
increased
Exhibition (m) isentropic
and refinery Conference, methodmar- more
Abu 6quality, Ruddy
Robert air
BJames
presentedblower
L, Dowson is the
at duty
Vice Economou
ERTC in
President
2008 the sulphur
Coking The
Global
and
shutdowns.
suchCleco
give
References
the as
need Power’s
nickel
acceptable However,
toversus
costEPF,is: alloys.
remove Brame
leakage an
owever,
thepolysulphide
ma increase
Energy one
perfor-
imum facilities
Ultra Alloy present
825 a set
58 of safety
25 chal-
5 in
ble
loads subsequent
matching
pumping large
filler. units, scale
within making discharge them
plotting
6 this upset starts could eliminate to result
kgins = in
alone
wear about will 1
coefficient not difference
sustain
(m /Nm) the in the
ris- prediction ofOilpressures the ring packs
3
Ehmke, Use ammonium Dhabi, UAE, Nov 2017. Marketing, & Gas/Refining with Pall Canada.
in operational Wash
G lenges Supra 316L/4404
ascontact
below:
20 20 <0 recovery
References
Gasification unit
Conference. (SRU) to maintain
enter’s
important
mance Madison saltinterruptions
aspect nit
to consider should
, located
is paper
that of InLNG into
terms theof sea. I,its This would
metallurgy, be
1 Liang X, over
Yan W,aThomsen
defined K,operating
Kontogeorgis life.
amount
the need of for content
estimating from
n using the discharge
ping cost
=DX of areas.
R,crude 52This
0 refining.
pressure (N/m ) difference
Including oflesslargeeEnergy cient
bore diesel engines, Proceedings of
2
stop corrosion and hydrogen blistering, 13 waterJames Arshad A, High efficiency 71With
Eq. 2over
of 35
API years
520 Part ofAdministration,
experience
Eighth with
Edition, Pall
Dec
be
in Onexpected
real-world
M, Applied oyce,
petroleum to offshore,
Louisiana,
conditions
troublesome
fluid can
characterization and
be SA, this
subtly
compres- withis •
Forta
Potentially
contact 2205
large
40
inventories
20
of flow.
U.S.
followed
ltra Alloy by
Information
a rapid 5 phase
contains transition,
India
around
crude
100 b/d
no.
Equation59, oil
NACE 3, before
at
recycle least
Corrosion/81,it
* in enters
365 some * $1.0/
Ontario,the
cases. crude
Canada, v
b/d = essentially
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relativeinstallation
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Phase hydrocarbon
904L velocity
reduces
removal 58 of
of thetoGES ring
improves against
zero
40 liner
when
to exist-
new 10 and •
the
Blockages
IMechE
Corporation
2008.
VR Ministry
density Journal
in
of Petroleum in
fluid of
tubes
Mechanical
separation
& Natural which
Gas, Oillowers
and Engineering
clarification
& Gas
will
another
different
the
$sors
distillation
6-10 adversely
36Apr500 example
tounit.
it 1981.
PC-SAFT results equation in:impact
laboratory ofof an oroperational
state, open Fluid mar-
theoretical ingUltra
existing 254 (m/s)
refineries B Desalter
SMO
sweetening refrigerants
and 87 control
processes,
those 65
with (such
room 35 as Science,
Laurance
failing which
their
across could
0Eq. 8capacities
nickel
a23(6),
broadAPI295-304,cause
and
range and serious
has
of1981.eI, Eighth
heavy an
ciencies. structural
austenitic
industries,
Edition,heDec has
the non-ideal isentropic method 2
Journal,
Green-
of
FGE.
M, and
520
brownfield
Part
benefits
efficiency.
Equilibria,
7 •NACE
conditions.
ket 2014,
Substantially
PetroPower
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375,
This 254-268.
is
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Corrosion 6). propane)
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(LRGCC), 78damage
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Eweisinvolved
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Reibungs- in offshore
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und
the carbon facility,
Undichtigkeitsverluste
development contentof with
many is
2 The saltCharacterization
content of crude oils var- Optimised desalting processes
mechanical filtration could 2008.
Paraskos J, Scalco V, Optimize value from
Conclusion
Riazi M, and properties of uses the n value 2.5 derived fromeffec- plot- anCompared with aloss.
currently applied
The temperatures
stainless660
Engineers) steels
MWestandard have
plant been
consists
MR-0175/ISO shown of two
15156,to may
CD 1
Norman,
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= Oklahoma,
discharge addingcoefficient
Feb 2017. to safety miti- possible
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3 Kolbenringen,
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bottoms, 4,stability
andby titanium
Forschungshefte
application
5 are
Hydrocarbon Prevention
to
solutions
respectively avoid
des
Processing, to Vereins
Eqs.advance of
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B-13,
Apr
ies
The with
Ignoring
sizing origin, theASTM
calculation the
labour water
results andcontent
for mate-
the tively
ting the increase
isentropic India’s P versus energy sup- are
data Deutscher inevitable
combination of to
catalystguarantee mini-
I,and amine
petroleum fractions, international, 2005, Ingenieure, No. 371, 1935.
• Increased
provide
330
CorrosionMWe
Availability good unit
Sumitomo
Cracking capacity
service
Resistant SHI inamountsour
FW
materials forgas
CFBs CE Fontana
Oil gation
14 = crank
in Mend
terms G, of separation
Greene N D, Corrosion or fire 2013. such
formation
plant and
B-14, an
and occurrence
ofofintergranular
process
C-9 API performance.
520 is
Part amaintenance
key He safety
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Edition,a
in
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Engineering, and is partefficiency
McGraw-Hill,
2.0 of NY, theNY, firm’s 1967. ltra requirement due
bachelor
Dec to chromium
2008. ofin-cylinder
offshore
carbide.degree from designs. McGill
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turbine
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B, Understanding connected Lagad V, Cayard M S, Srinivasan Eq.or C2operators
University. Email:
API 520 of Global sour
robert_h_james@pall.com
Part Eighth gasEdition, Dec

Reactivity index
removed.
crudeThe
Characterizationoils,
ideal Assuming
like
gasof heavy polar
sizing landfill
oils andresins
method is $1.0/
bitumens. and
pro- oil production.
1. estimated
References n value and shows the affected.
Victor M Scalco reciprocating
III is compressors,
Commercial
into account maintaining
Time,
the prediction
highest
minutes
basics of corrosion in sweet and sour gas Prediction and assessment of rich amine 2008; efit from P0 is pressure reduced at theoperating
of costs,
inlet to the nozzle,
to Lb,
vides
the
asphaltenes.the Entergy
treatingessentially
Vapor pressure costand
plants, Laurance
power
is: critical
To prevent
theReid same
grid.
constantcorrosion,
Gas
Behind
relief dis-
Conditioning it carbon
1 Goebelreleases
ronments
content
isentropic
corrosion and
under
where
expansion
D, (both
emulsion
1.5Reciprocating
simulated
itting of refrigerants
profile
refinery
Resistance
properties vides
ties,
verify- International
compressor
conditions, As
Strategic
lower
Ali Arshad
fluid
benefits
the
the main
cost
Business
emissions,
density
in
Compressor
is Senior
at throat
the
advantage
ofDevelopment storage
desalting
improved
Director
where
of
depends
Engineering cryo-
Manager,
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cross
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sectional
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Alloy
Nomenclature
essential possible.
boiler
825 for
toresilience is
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CFB
extremely polishing
the crude this and
Equivalent
Figure
will partially
6 Cleco’s is processed
7 or
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Madison Unitgas 3 is a genic
Alloy
multi-fuel
Conference,
primaril fluids 5 CFB
Purdue as
is
on crude it
its
power retains
good
University, plant
oil its
that
2012. structural
resistance typically
ualitcapacity., refin- to
NACEiffre theuentl fluctuate according
t
method for heavy hydrocarbons, Energy & suction and discharge valve monitoring, Gulftronic Electrostatic Separators with
charge
Conference 2=areas (LRGCC),for gas
Norman, or vapour
Oklahoma, withFeb ing Corrosion path involves
Conference andany Expo, discon-
2010. ability
FTAPis(Fluid
area and
Technologies
minimised. increased and Asset Protection)
may
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Figure
corrosive
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Fuels,
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produces
(J/kg•K)
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2000/ton
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burns LNG)
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sulphurous
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utility’s contact
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it
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ome
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desalt, but
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He has resistance
the steel
worked
maximum ship
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hydrogen
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to
levels
φ 1.0
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Materials
areaspecifications. suitable derived
gas treating:
(Criterion) n value
findings
C-834 is close
laboratory
high to
activity, the ideal
simulations
low
extensive
ital costs
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to
clarification
be lower
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rial for =
changing
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corrosive (m ) of complex
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tions, Control offshore of process
oil and related
gas hazards
pipelines, cheaper
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hydrogen build. sulphide-induced
2
This
modeling
water multi-fuel
of the plant
hydrocracking burns pri- on
slurry the oil,capacity
Oil & Gas of a
Journal,dry-running
4 Oct 2010. hydrogen years in the design and implementation
=from the crude oil, and thus gas such as ene uelan e traundated. heav salt content and lowest cost of desalt-
Tek Sutikno is a Process Engineering Manager
commercially
to Sulphide
Critical to
Stress
achieving available
Cracking
) agas step
in property
Corrosive
change
of richk value.
temperature
amine conditions,
SCOT
Materials
catalyst.
Science and experience
owing to SHI
in
the
gas processing, refinery, and
andsmaller equipment size
p pressure as (N/m
2
compressor, Burckhardt publication, Andreas Brandl is filtration
Engineering Manager with
reserves,
marily
feedstocks,
removingThe many
petcoke
such
annual
the engineers
vacuum
salt. 0
savings , but
areoils, want
also has
Industrial
$3.5 to
mil- (for
equipment
remains instance,
2 Platts, Cleco’s
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in
0.5 petroleum
and most integrity
Specifications refiner-
dispatched of
Guide, of
with hydrocarbon
cracking.
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ing when
Fluor
choosing FW.a He
and
Professional separation
is responsible
theirTexas, crude
Engineer for
crude, A,oba crude and anadian US.oilfor or
Petroleum Refining Environments. Technology, Houston TX, 2010. chemical/petrochemical applications, he has
packages
in ρEngineering
the are
= performance
density used. However,
(kg/m )Research,
3
of$3.2 the even
estab- 3 For
The
Brandl relief
Jefftreat cases
Efficient where
Ultra cooling the
solvent gashas
in Caribbean
cylinder or Hoerbiger
and
systems, reduced
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involved equipment
Inc., Houston, count
&
ensure
the
10lion
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NACE – higher
capability
$0.04 and
standard
Chemistry
resistance
to
million fire
efficiency +
TM0284-2003, to
bituminous the 2007,
corro-
million and
Evaluation 17
Petroleum
46,= process
ies,
unit heating
because
Kittel
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equipment,
J, Bonis
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coils,
of M, its
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registered
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motion
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states
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technical with
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development
papers, over 27 years
strategy,
instructed
for To
lished a increase
gas
= or vapour
isentropic
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has refining
exponentrelief
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factors
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well the
over belowpre-
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the
Bruce
enhanced
Hermonat is Principal Project Engineer
in process.
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and for
Latin air
America, brake compressors,
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sion mechanism
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of$6.7 million/year
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refineries FLNG
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of
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Oklahoma,
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President hazards
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compressors.
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University
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R J, whichJaffe S are blended with important Reactivity
role a in index
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commercial
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harness as wellits
service as intitanium 010 renewa-and of ltra
density
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asphaltenes
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following operations: application that
much
lumping: as 15%oils.
describing larger
the Therefore
relief discharge
chemistry ofthe salt required
complex tion in heat exchanger
discharge 7
area tubes compareddue to teksutikno@aol.com

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108 PTQwww.eptq.com
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38 PTQ Q4 2017 www.eptq.com
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q4
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 separates crude oil into its compo- Looking at specific modes of
Outokumpu Ultra Alloy 825 shows high
nent fractions. corrosion, the high nickel con-
resistance to stress corrosion cracking
In the sour gas world, the supplier tent of ltra Alloy 5 means
of mass transfer, separation, and that the alloy has very high
SCC testing 45% 40% 25%
other specialty plant, Koch- litsch, methods* MgCl2, CaCl2 NaCl,
resistance to S in chloride-
adopted the alloy for its ork- boiling 100°C pH 1.5 induced and alkaline environments.
Evenflow vane inlet device. The 24 hr 500 hr boiling This means that it can withstand
inlet no le is designed to decrease 1000 hr more than hours’ exposure in
Ultra Alloy 825 ■ ■ ■
the momentum of sour gas flows to Ultra 904L ■ ■ ■ the very aggressive ASTM test
allow for the removal of solids and Ultra 254 SMO ■ ■ ■ without cracking. This rigorous test
liquids. It also distributes gas flows Forta DX 2205 ■ ■ ■ includes boiling in a 5 magne-
evenly over downstream equipment sium chloride solution see Table 2 .
■ SCC expected (test speciment failed)
to ensure efficient processing. ■ SCC possible (a few samples failed) ut for operators of sour gas pro-
■ SCC not expected (no test speciments failed) duction facilities, the most impor-
Liner for riser pipes tant aspect of ltra Alloy 5’s
The alloy has also found an appli- Table 2 corrosion performance is its resist-
cation at Sinopec’s uguang gas ance to SS . It is possible to create
field. This is the largest gas field the construction of large vessels or annealed and cold worked compo-
in hina and is located in a hou metallic components such as pipes, nents that will withstand operating
ity, Sichuan province. Since 00 , valves, flanges, connectors, and temperatures of up to in sour
the field has produced more than elbows, as well as pipework assem- environments with no limits on
70 billion cu m of gas that has nat- blies. OEMs can protect an entire chloride concentration.
urally high levels of sulphur and component or restrict its use to high
chloride. This sour production risk areas, for example a valve bore Coil and plate options
meant that Sinopec needed its riser or connector seal, or an area inside a OEMs can choose to buy the mate-
pipes to have inherently high corro- pipeline that experiences unusually rial in both hot and cold rolled
sion resistance and therefore deliver high pressure, such as inside a valve. coils up to 1500 mm wide. ith its
a long service life with low mainte- uring the cladding process, an improved tolerances, the coil format
nance requirements. OEM will typically use a robotic is particularly useful for manufac-
aving discounted ltra Alloy 5 welding solution to achieve a con- turers of pipe and tube products as
as too costly to use as the mate- sistent high quality finish. In this it helps them to improve produc-
rial for the entire pipe, Sinopec case, the company is using a 0.5 mm tivity and minimise the number of
adopted the alloy for a cladding thick weld strip to resist sour gas for manufacturing steps required.
and liner design. As a result, the offshore and onshore pipelines. owever, Outokumpu has
risers have the mechanical proper- responded to industry demand
ties and the cost-effectiveness of a Corrosion resistance by making the alloy available in
carbon steel outer as well as provid- Looking at its corrosion resist- the popular quarto plate format at
ing high corrosion resistance in the ance in different environments, thicknesses of up to 0 mm. This
form of a nickel alloy liner. uring ltra Alloy 5 provides good means that users can secure their
manufacture, lengths of the inner resistance to acids such as sulphu- coil and plate materials from a sin-
ltra Alloy 5 and outer carbon ric acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, gle supplier.
steel pipe were expanded together and organic acids. Molybdenum
by water pressure and welded at and copper also support its resist- Conclusion
the ends to create composite pipes. ance to corrosion in solutions ltra Alloy 5 gives operators of
containing reducing acids. It also sour gas production sites another
Weld overlay cladding provides good resistance to alkaline option to help overcome the cor-
Another company is using thin solutions that contain sodium and rosive effects of S and O.
strips of the alloy in weld overlay potassium hydroxide. owever, when specifying any
cladding. This is a technique where Another positive aspect of the engineering material, it is impor-
a thin layer of corrosion-resistant alloy’s corrosion performance is tant to carry out careful testing
alloy is welded onto components that it offers higher resistance to and analysis of the environmen-
made of carbon steel or another pitting and crevice corrosion than tal conditions. This ensures that
material. It is particularly helpful stainless steel grades such as 1 the design engineer will be able
when an operator wants to achieve see Table 1 . owever, it does not to select the right material for the
high performance from a material’s reach the high levels of performance job, and ensure a cost-effective and
surface without having the long achieved by ltra 5 SMO, which long-lasting solution.
lead time and expense of ordering is a specialist alloy widely used in
special components in a high speci- applications that require long-term Peter Bamforth is Lead Technical Manager
fication material. exposure to seawater, flue gas, and with Outokumpu and is based in Sweden. He
eld overlay cladding is used bleach, such as in the maritime or joined the company in 2011 and holds a MBA
widely in the oil and gas industry in pulp and paper industries. from Sheffield Hallam University.

30 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 outokumpu.indd 4 17/09/2019 13:34

 Water Technologies & Solutions

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 The digital approach to asset
integrity management
Leveraging digital technology for improved profitability in pipelines, refineries,
and petrochemical plant

KEITH DAVIDSON
Metegrity

A
digital era is entering the
oil and gas and petrochem-
ical industries – and with it, 7 AI
rapidly evolving digital technol- 6 APM
ogies. The Internet of things (IoT)
has made it possible to interconnect 5 AIM (IOW analytics)
physical assets like never before,
4 MI (RBI risk based)
with pipelines, plants, facilities,
and equipment types being man- 3 IDMS (time based)
aged by a single digital database.
IoT in this sector refers to the phe- 2 Planned maintenance
nomenon of utilising technology to
1 Run to fail
connect a series of physical assets to
measure and/or enhance industrial
processes. Essentially, it equates to Figure 1 Maintenance journey techniques and technologies
digitalisation. This technology has
a substantial impact on overall prof- nology evolves, these approaches heaters, and so on. urther, assets
itability, risk mitigation, equipment become less effective. The indus- utilised by a pipeline system are not
life, and asset performance – and as try is experiencing a degree of var- one si e fits all. In addition to pipes,
a result, more and more companies iability in the business that’s never other asset types with unique pro-
are forgoing the paper based tech- been seen before. Traditional ERP files must be considered, including
nologies of old for the digital solu- systems can’t handle it.”1 Variables pig launchers and receivers, emer-
tions of tomorrow. gency shutdown devices, motor
In the world of asset integrity operated valves, relief systems,
management (AIM), these solu-
IoT has a substantial chemical injection facilities, corro-
tions translate to intelligent ana- impact on overall sion coupons, upstream equipment
lytics to modernise the plant to an such as wellheads or above ground
asset-control environment, and profitability, risk storage tanks, and downstream
now even the ability to conduct equipment such as basic crude or
and submit asset inspection work mitigation, equipment gas processing facilities.
directly from the field via i- i Petrochemical companies have to
using a mobile tablet. In this article, life, and asset manage reactors, vessels, pumps,
we will examine the challenges that and processors while being adapt-
IoT helps solve, and the new digital performance able to any manufacturing process
solutions available on the market to and configurable according to the
leverage it to the fullest. that affect key business decisions unique properties of each. urther
are no longer changing once every considerations for petrochemical
The challenge 30-90 days. Now, they can change operators include feedstock in to
Traditional processes in this sector in minutes. finished product out. ew indus-
include manually managing opera- The oil and gas and petrochemical tries have to juggle as many mov-
tional maintenance and equipment industries often have a vast array ing parts. Moreover, these assets
integrity safe uptime profitabil- of assets to manage. or example, are part of vast, complex networks
ity) using paper based processes, pipeline systems may include com- of equipment with multiple divi-
Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, time pressor stations, pumping stations sions. Implementing one system
based inspection planning, and with intermediate product storage, for the entire network is crucial to
monthly reporting cycles. As tech- gathering systems, wellheads, inline these industries.

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 33

q4 metegrity.indd 1 13/09/2019 18:19

 hen so many different assets are For petrochemical operations, the
at play, each with its own large set right IDMS will deliver: the ability
of constantly changing data, the tra- Data to handle comprehensively all of
ditional approach makes it impossi- the varying asset types, including
+ smarts
ble to keep up with, or to garner the reactors, vessels, pumps, and pro-
most from, your data. This leads to cessors; a proven track record of
an operational strategy of reactive Information success in all aspects of petrochem-
maintenance – in other words, con- + more smarts ical asset integrity management,
tinuously playing ‘catch up’ as you from feedstock in to finished prod-
slowly become able to aggregate uct out; adaptability to any manu-
Knowledge
enough information to form action- facturing process and configurable
able intelligence. This lag time in + technology according to the unique properties
receiving key information makes of each; comprehensive corrosion
it difficult to predict and prevent and thickness monitoring capabil-
Intelligence
loss of primary containment, which ities to help combat the increased
in turn results in more frequent + smart technology risk of corrosion to assets in this
unplanned outages. This, naturally, industry; integrity operating win-
places the pipeline, plant, or facili- dows (IOW) to best measure oper-
AI
ty’s operational profitability at risk. ating conditions in near real-time,
such as excursions from temper-
Digital solutions for asset integrity Figure 2 Equipment health data capture, ature limits and pressure bound-
management analytics, and management aries, to quickly and immediately
Multiple technologies can be lev- act upon any excess of such limits;
eraged to upgrade inspection data (see Figure 2); capture in-line inspec- seamless regulatory compliance
management from the outdated tion data directly; plot visually sig- to major auditing bodies like API
traditional approaches to modern nificant geographical features or (esp. 580, 581, 579), OSHA, ISO and
digitalisation solutions. It all begins defects, providing a large picture so on, including automatic report
with the health and maintenance view of the pipeline system; plot generation tailored to these stand-
of the assets. To start, visualise the many of the tasks completed on a ards and a continuously populating,
equipment maintenance maturity pipeline segment on a ‘Google style’ transparent audit trail of pertinent
life cycle model. or ArcGIS map to visually represent data; the ability to embed, link, or
activities performed on the pipeline; attach all relevant documents, pho-
Digital solution 1: inspection data tos, and drawings; and seamless
management software integration with the company’s
Embarking on digitalisation and
Data is data: you existing enterprise resource plan-
leveraging IoT begins in the earliest have to apply some ning (ERP) or computerised mainte-
stages of the asset’s lifecycle – spe- nance management system (CMMS)
cifically, how the data is collected, AI to it in order for a ‘closed loop, single version of
and the type of analytics applied to the truth’ and reduced error in data
that data (see Figure 1). By digitalis- to turn it into population across the systems.
ing processes at the inspection data Utilising an IDMS digitalises all
management (IDMS) stage 3, you knowledge and verify processes in their infancy, making
become equipped with the ability to all asset and inspection data digital
garner actionable intelligence from that it is repeatable and setting the stage for all future
data in near real-time. How? All stages. This enables you to apply
legacy data is digitally populated
and scalable sophisticated analytics, which then
within the IDMS database. From improves the artificial intelligence
there, all asset and inspection data offer seamless connectivity to exist- (AI) potential of later stages. Data is
is collected, populated, and ana- ing GIS mapping systems; manage data: you have to apply some AI to
lysed digitally within the software. all equipment types owned by the it in order to turn it into knowledge
This includes the data for every organisation from a single software and verify that it is repeatable and
asset type across all site and facility platform; and Include Risk Based scalable. Only then can you turn
locations – all digitally managed on Inspection (RBI) assessments. that into intelligence that would be
a single digital platform. The software should provide the the baseline for machine learning
For pipelines, the right IDMS will: option to configure risk models and cognitive learning.
capture new pipeline construction according to the company’s needs,
data from the construction process, in any combination of qualitative, Digital solution 2: mobile tablets for
which is of huge value to the pipe- semi-quantitative, and quantita- asset inspection management
line project/integrity/operations tive models (as well as the ability to A technology that is rapidly
group in managing the ongoing select from a list of pre-configured improving the efficiency of asset
schedule and health of the pipeline options). inspections for these sectors is the

34 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

Q2
q3 OG
m
q4 metegrity.indd 2 13/09/2019 18:19
 of thetoexchanger.
Control
ability in field perform,
assign, Scalingand costsyncfor and
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Engineering
all inspection work directly from thea
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ontrol in exchangers
field I introduces
was a prime designed with small tubes and low rationalisation of diagnostic
it would be a costly and possibly Consultant with OGT. He holds a infor-
BS in
even more problematic, it creates digital solutions
level
mover
field viaof complexity
of fieldbus
i- i using ainmobile
thetechnology.
cost anal-
tablet. mass
unwise fl uxes favour
proposition
a significant lag between the time safe toheat fl uxes,
consider mation engineering
chemical
Implementing consumes a lotthe
from
digital of time.
University of
technologies
ysis that
owever, wasthis not
key explored
or inspection data management, feature for
has this
been the lowestOften
fieldbus.
information tube wallindustry
the
is allocated temperatures,
and strug-
the
Kansas.
will facilitate greater insight into
article.
greatly underutilised.
data acquisition in the field has long Some instal- and
gles the
with lowest
legacy
time it reaches key decision makers. sulphidic
issues, as corro-
tech- Email:
the
Nathan.Hatcher@ogtrt.com
Importance
operational of ‘diagnostics’
health and If
Another usefactor notcomponent
fully explored sion joined of assets.
lations a minuscule percent- ith rate.
nology Eachmobile
advances of atthese favourably
aapplications
much faster Clayton E Jones 1Optimized Gas
been a disconnected of digital, you‘prognostics’
are Inc functions
alerteda toSoftware possible equip-
Treating,
the overall integrity process. the
is
agetheof pressure
the total drop
I/O across
for I orfer-
Often, as aff
paceects the
than lost
the profi
industry
available for these processes, this t opportunity
can adopt. ment large asoil
In afailure, you and
can gas
Development
establish-
Engineer in 2012. He holds aimmediately
BS in chemical
inspection work is distributed, per- e
rules,
closed although
loop I/O. the It 1.5in
may tube
be si
noted from
erhaps
workflow downtime.
fieldbus
is significantlyisAdditionally,
one expedited.
such exam- as ment such
respond
engineering
as a refinery,
to reduce
from McNeesethat from thousands
Statehappen-
University
appears
that theand
formed, touse bereported
thea best
of fieldbus choice,
via not
instru-
paper ple.
Table Common
5 of
ere is how it works art 1 showed,
obstructive small
issues ingof instruments are spread across
andwhile
a MS inreinvestigating
chemical engineering the equip-
from the
only
ment fromwithoutan economic
based documents. ere is how it I standpoint
functionality 1.tubes
are: and high
Operators selectmass andfluxes favour
determine a
ment’s wide geographical
inclusion
University
area.
in the next planned
of New Mexico.
It is
but
typicallyalsoworks:
downgrades for hydrogen
its capability production
to that sulphur
• ater recovery
ingress
inspection work and objectives intoand the hydrogen
fieldbus impractical
shutdown.
Simon A Weiland to attend
In theis Technical to
short term, each indi-
this
Applications
and
of a sulphur
HART recovery.
device.
1. The AIM end user creates pre- This The is ferrules
not the make.
junction
within theonsidering
box
AIMcausingsoftware.all erroneous
these compet- sig- vidual instrument
helps prevent costly unplanned out-
Engineer with Optimized to
Gas. fix
He a
holdsfault.
a BS
in
solethis
reasonsi e tube
for the
scribed work and submits the rele-may
growing cause high
unpop- ing
nals factors,
and a
spuriousbalance
. Inspectors download and organ- alarmsmust be
from struck
mul- Traditionally, routine
ages. In the longer term, it affords theof
in chemical engineering from the scheduled
University
enough
ularity
vant paper pressure
of fieldbus
based drop
forms totothe
there outweigh
areuser’s
other ise–tiple
one that depends
the electronic
work directly toontheir
components. the mobile
specifi
Ingress c maintenance
company
Oklahoma. time tohas been a de
develop facto
perma-
the other
issues benefi
that ts.
are
own inspectors or a third party creating hurdles plant’s
happens economic
due to objectives
improper
tablets. As they progress through and
closure its
of practice to address
nent asset strategy and performance
Steven M Fulk is Technical health,
Director main-
with
rather than
inspection leading to the promised
company. theperformance
the work,
junctionthey requirements.
box cover
can collect or unplugged data tenance
Optimized and
Gas calibration
Treating.
management A M solution. ased
He holdsrelated a BS
onissues.
benefits.
Conclusions opening of an ingress protection in chemicalowever,engineering thefrom advent TexasofA&Mthe
. Then the inspectors/inspection within the software. the si e and complexity of the
The intelligent
companies perform design their of awork cost . IInspectors
rated junction
SulphurPro
thenbox. synchronise
and ProTreat are marks of ART
University
process/plant, protocol
and a PhD in
in the
chemical
this represents at mid-1
engineering
poten- 0s,
eff ective
Cultural barriers is
and
in the field with this package of quite
legacy challeng-
issues • Induced
Optimized
their
Gas
reports and noisedigital
Treating, due results
Inc. to improper to a leveraging
(2016)
tially
from themicroprocessor
millions
University of Texas technol-
of dollars
Austin.
ing. There salesin savings.
based are
A technology many,
that is welloften oppos-
accepted grounding, poor wiring practice ogy, paved the way for intelligent
Matt Bailey provides and marketing
paper documents. Once com- secure, robust, cloud based database. The right I MS software
support with Optimized Gas Treating, can help Inc.
ing factors that go into
plete, they will physically hand face
in the US or Canada not only
might the
in Thatandwork close proximity
is then quarantined’ to rotating
for a instruments. Diagnostic data gen-
businesses
He has over 10 years of industry experience
performance
inhibitions
the reports. and
among reliability
users in of the
Africa, equipment
References
company such
administrator as motors,
to turbines
review. •inerated
Access by such intelligent
instruments helps
technicaluseable,
sales, creating safe engineered data at
.exchanger,
theromMiddlethere,but East the economics
oradministration
the ar East. as to unearth the reasons for failures
1andKarancompressors
K, Mehrotra A K, Behie improper seg-
L A, Including
office .radiative
Administration
heat transfer andreviews reaction quenching the the right for
solutions time refi– translating
neries, chemical into plantstheand
well.
That If
is aexactly is
thedesigned
will need to circulate the reports to case withwithout
field- dataregation of
for quality electrical and fieldbus and enables condition based main-
in modeling a Claus assurance
plant waste heat and,boiler,
if ability to garner
engineering companies. actionable intelli-
He is a registered
proper
relevant consideration
bus. Refineries
parties, who across of
will all
the the
analyse fac-
world cables canpushes
approved, be detrimental theand may tenance. in So insteadwith of the the Texasearlier
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 33,it1994,
into2651–2655. larger gence
Engineerfrom digital
Training data Board
tors,
are the
being design
operated could
the data to form key business deci- by fall fl
peopleat in one
from I 2cause
MS.
Martens disruption
D H, Tube and of thetubesignal.
weld corrosion scheduled maintenance,
• Achieve near real-time visibility
of Professional Engineers and an oper-
holds a BS
sions about scheduling, mainte-ro
or more
different aspects.
cultures. TheIn Sulphur
the absence •This
and Atube
fieldbuscollapse,system
technology delivers requires
Brimstone-STS much
digitally
Sulphur ator could now schedule
of equipment health in a centralised
in chemical engineering from mainte-
Texas A&M
simulator
of qualified
nance and so correctly
technicians
on. accounts and for all
main- acquired data, collected, synced,its
more
Symposium, commissioning
Vail, CO, 2011. time than nance by harnessing
platform analytics of all equipmentof
University and an MBA from the diagnostic
University
the important
tenance factors.
engineers
This traditional approach creates to implement and3analogue/HART
analysed on thecounterpart go.
http://igs.nigc.ir/STANDS/IPS/e-tp-760.PDF does. dataand
types
Houston. without
locations unnecessary exposure

COOPERATION TO COVER
ALL YOUR TRAINING NEEDS

Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) and Neste Engineering Solutions

are now in collaboration regarding NAPCON operator training

simulators for residue hydrocracking technologies.

“NAPCON Simulator has dynamic process models that truly

match the actual process in any conditions, which we have not

seen anywhere. This cooperation will bring significant added

value to our customers and it is a perfect fit to our process

licenses”, tells Leon de Bruyn, Managing Director, Chevron

Lummus Global.

68 www.eptq.com
PTQ Q3 2019 PTQ Q2 2019 85
www.eptq.com
www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 35

Q2
q3 OGT.indd
manna.indd5 2 11/03/2019
14/06/2019 21:06
10:11
q4 metegrity.indd 3 13/09/2019 18:19
 • Improve asset integrity strate- larger AI&PM/IDMS database. before – all while delivering more
gies, set smarter inspection inter- The application can accelerate rapid return on investment.
vals, and allow capital allocation for access to key information, which It is also possible to adopt an
critical resources in turn can help expedite the deci- approach that is more gradual. The
• Readily retrieve all historical sion-making processes. The sooner best approach is to select a company
data for regulatory compliance decision makers have key infor- that supplies specialised consultants
• Access a single version of the mation in their hands, the sooner with experience implementing these
truth for all assets they can act upon it. For exam- technologies. They will perform a
• Reduce issues with succession ple, if a part needs to be replaced, full analysis on the company’s cur-
planning and information silos repaired, or inspected again, that rent system, identifying the areas
• Mitigate risk and prevent equip- call can be made upon review of most in need of improvement. They
ment failure the data in the cloud, rather than will then help implement tailored
• Enhance project ROC by directly waiting for someone to manually strategies that identify the areas of
impacting project completion time update the paper reports into the the maintenance lifecycle that could
and overall profitability larger system. A mobile applica- benefit from digital technology in
• Adopt cost-effective maintenance tion can improve quality assurance order to hasten the IOT journey.
methodology results in optimal processes, as the data is synced via From there, a company should
operational conditions, which facil- Wi-Fi to a quarantine where it can seek an IDMS software type that is
itates greater productivity be reviewed immediately, and it functionally modular and scalable.
• Adhere to increasingly vigi- can save time and money for the This allows the company to start
lant industry and government inspection company. small with a basic IDMS and then
standards/regulations to grow as needed. Look for solu-
• Be proactive with inspection and tion providers that offer multi-level,
maintenance to extend equipment
Manage all extensible and scalable product
life available data options.
• Maintain records more easily Next, to stay ahead of the curve,
(inspections, tests, and recommen- for all equipment look for an IDMS system that has
dations) not only for organisational options for hosting both locally and
purposes but to highlight patterns types from a single on the cloud. This allows critical
for greater accuracy in identify- data to be exchanged anywhere, in
ing probable risks and damage location, preventing real time, between office and field.
mechanisms
• Achieve more accurate labora- information silos Conclusion
tory failure analyses and corrosion With companies globally modern-
investigations, resulting in a greater
that could lead to ising their industrial processes,
understanding of corrosion rates and loss of containment the time to invest in IoT and dig-
use of chemical injection inhibitors ital solutions is here. Short-term
• Fine-tune inspection, maintenance, fixes to problems are a waste of
repair, and replacement processes How to embark on the IoT journey capital resources. It is much more
• Achieve higher maintenance For companies that have yet to con- prudent to invest in digitalisation
maturity ranking, and a functional vert any of their processes to these technologies for long-term prof-
asset integrity and performance digital solutions, the process of itability, allowing companies to
management system digitalisation might seem daunt- stay competitive while setting the
• Manage all available data for ing. It is all about perspective; it stage for future advances in AI and
all equipment types from a sin- is a journey, not a ‘plug and play’. machine learning.
gle location, preventing informa- Digitalised technologies are more
tion silos that could lead to loss affordable than ever before. In fact, References
of containment. early return on investment and pro- 1 Operational Profitability: The Unexpected
An added bonus is the ability to ductivity gains are being reported Impact of IIoT-driven Plant Modernization,
reduce environmental footprints as much more significant than whitepaper, www.controlglobal.com/
whitepapers/2018/operational-profitability-
and safety risks to personnel, while initially thought.
the-unexpected-impact-of-iiot-driven-plant-
simultaneously reducing costly It is no longer a process that
modernization
instances of failure, thereby improv- requires companies to rip apart
ing their return on investment. legacy equipment and start from
Keith Davidson is the Business Development
The right mobile application for scratch. Modern technology offers
Lead – USA with Metegrity, Inc. He has
asset inspections can eliminate cloud based (hosted) software as a
over 20 years’ experience with strategic
the need for interim paper copies service to enhance the connectivity technology solutions, consulting and delivery
completely. This saves substan- of existing systems. This makes it to the petrochemical and oil and gas industries
tial time and eliminates the risk of possible to work with and improve by translating complex technology into
data entry errors when translating what you already have, requiring deliverable solutions for process optimisation
the manual paper reports into the less initial capital investment than – asset integrity.

36 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 metegrity.indd 4 13/09/2019 18:19

j matthey.indd 1 12/09/2019 14:08
 The “science” of recovering and refining precious metal is
straightforward: state of the art technology. The “art” of this process,
however, is what makes Sabin different from all others: that’s the
knowledge, experience, and expertise gained from over seven decades
of successfully serving thousands of organizations around the world.
We’d be pleased to count you among them.
Tell us what we can do for you today. Related topics?
evaluation@sabinmetal.com Scan here.

H Sabin ExpTheDif-beaker
sabin.indd 1 qr-ptq.indd 1 9/6/19 11:38
12/09/2019 AM
14:12
 Retrofitting selective catalytic NOx
reduction for gas turbines
Selective catalytic reduction is an effective alternative to combustion management
technologies to achieve NOx compliance with existing and new gas turbines

ADRIAN JONES and MIKE RIMMER

Costain

missions of oxides of nitrogen being an increasingly significant

E (NOx) produced by the com-

bustion of fossil fuels are widely
accepted as having significant
Road transport, 33%
contributor (see Figure 1).
NOx itself is an overarching
term used to describe the mixture
adverse health and environmental Other, 15% of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen
impacts. This is illustrated by recent dioxide (NO2) produced in combus-
data from the UK which, according Non-road tion processes, mainly as a result
to the ommittee on Medical Effects transport, 15% of thermal dissociation of nitrogen
of Air Pollutants, estimated that Manufacturing
and oxygen at high temperatures,
NOx emissions were responsible for and construction, which combine to form NO or NO2.
between 28 000 to 36 000 premature 16% This reaction can be summarised
deaths per annum.1 Energy as follows:
The majority of NOx emissions industries, 21%
in developed countries stem from 2N2 + O2 –> 2NO + 2N
road transport; however industry, N + O2 –> NO + O
particularly the energy and man- Figure 1 2017 UK NOx emissions by sector4
ufacturing sectors, are also major In most combustion processes,
contributors. With the general If gas turbine systems can not the NO:NO2 generation ratio is high
decline in coal and oil fired power meet emission limits they will need at around 7:1 to 9:1;5 however, NO
stations, the sources of industrial to be replaced or modified, which is is rapidly oxidised to NO2 in the
NOx emissions are increasingly likely to be both costly and disrup- atmosphere and therefore all NOx
arising from discrete combustion tive. An alternative is to install an emissions are expressed in terms
processes such as from gas turbines, ‘end of pipe’ emissions abatement of NO2.
for example small scale power gen- system such as selective catalytic NOx presents a number of health
eration or mechanical drives used reduction (SCR), which achieves and environmental problems
with compressors and pumps in the emissions compliance by remov- including:
energy and process industries. ing NOx from exhaust gases. Such • Respiratory inflammation and
In response to the health and envi- technology can be a practical and infection, and increased sensitivity
ronmental threats posed by NOx cost effective upgrade measure for to allergens
and other aerial pollutants, govern- non-compliant systems and can • Generation of ground level ozone
ments and regulatory agencies have normally achieve NOx performance and other photochemical pollutants
introduced increasingly restrictive superior to a modern gas turbine • Formation of acid rain
emissions legislation. For instance, operating without SCR. • Eutrophication of aquatic
in Europe operators must comply environments.
with the pollution emission lim- NOx pollution
its set out in the Large Combustion In the UK, by 2017 NOx emissions Legislation and regulation
Plant Directive (LCPD)2 and the had fallen by 72% from a peak In terms of geographical impact,
Medium Combustion Plant Directive in 1970; this is principally due to Europe arguably leads the way in
(MCPD).3 improvements in vehicle emis- regulation of industrial combustion
These directives require all new sions technology and the closure processes. Historically, combustion
gas turbines to comply with strict of coal or oil fired power stations. units with a net thermal input (NTI)
emissions limits, with older systems Emissions from energy industries greater than 50 MW have been con-
being subject to an adoption/grace and manufacturing are the next big- trolled by the LCPD. (As of 2012
period, which for most non-compli- gest emitters of NOx, with gas tur- this directive was incorporated in to
ant gas turbines will end between bines used as mechanical drives and the Industrial Emissions Directive
2023 and 2025. for small scale power generation [IED],7 which is a wider reaching

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 39

q4 costain.indd 1 16/09/2019 13:19

 EXHAUST
a SCR system comprises exhaust
ductwork and a catalyst bed with a
TEMPORING AIR COOLING
FAN reductant storage and injection sys-
tem. In some systems, depending
STACK
on the catalyst being used and the
exhaust gas temperature, an air tem-
FLOW
AMMONIA CATALYST
DISTRIBUTION
GRID INJECTION BED
GRID
pering system may also be required.
GT EXHAUST GAS
SCR systems can be installed in
either a vertical or horizontal for-
HEAT
RECOVERY NITROGEN

INJECTION mat. Vertical arrangements (see

Figure 3) are well suited to con-
BLOWER

gested sites as they do not result

ATOMISING AIR in a significant increase in use of
VAPORISER
AMMONIA space around the gas turbine. (The
STORAGE TANK
only increase in footprint is likely
to arise from additional structural
INJECTION PUMP
supports.) However, a vertically
installed S R retrofit will not be
ideal if the existing foundations
and support superstructure cannot
accommodate the increased loads a
CONTAINED DRAINAGE
SCR will impose, or cannot be eas-
ily modified to do so. Access for
Figure 2 Typical SCR installation arrangement (This figure is representative of a maintenance activities such as cat-
horizontal SCR installation, using aqueous ammonia, retrofitted to a simple cycle gas alyst changeout is not straightfor-
turbine system) ward with vertical configurations,
and mobile or fixed lifting arrange-
and more comprehensive legislation SCR technology and operation ments will need to be put in place.
that brings together several existing Background An additional consideration may
directives under one regulation.) SCR is a well-developed and proven be planning approval for building/
The MCPD was introduced in 2016 technology which has been widely construction as a SCR may add to
to establish emission limits for com- adopted to control emissions of NOx the overall height of an exhaust
bustion process with NTI below 50 from combustion processes in many stack, breaching permitted devel-
MW down to 1 MW. parts of the world. This includes gas opment limits which could require
The LCPD and MCPD both set an turbine drives (both combined cycle planning resubmission.
absolute NOx limit of 50 mg/Nm3 and simple cycle); for example, as of y contrast, for hori ontal config-
for newly installed gas turbines. 2009, 650 combined cycle gas turbine urations (see Figure 4) the require-
This reflects the fact that new sys- systems were operating with SCRs in ment for complex modifications
tems operating with dry low emis- the US.8 to existing foundations or super-
sions (DLE) combustion controls Rather than limiting the gener- structure will be less likely as loads
should readily achieve NOx emis- ation of NOx by combustion, SCR associated with the gas turbine
sions below 30 mg/Nm3, as detailed reduces the amount of NOx emit- installation should not change sig-
in the Large Combustion Plant Best ted to atmosphere via the exhaust nificantly. Also, whilst a hori ontal
Available Techniques Reference system. Typically, reductions of S R retrofit will normally increase
(BREF) document.6 90% or higher8 can be achieved, and the overall exhaust system length,
For existing gas turbines, NOx thus combustion systems generating this should not affect the height of
emission limits are higher, at 75 NOx concentrations of up to 400-500 the discharge stack and therefore
mg/Nm3 (LCPD) and 150 mg/ mg/Nm3 can achieve emissions of visual impact changes are less of a
Nm3 (MCPD). However, older gas 50 mg/Nm3 or lower. concern.
turbines without emission reduc- As a hori ontal S R would typi-
tion technologies may not achieve Installation and configuration cally be located at grade, access for
NOx emissions lower than 150 SCR works by injecting a chemi- maintenance and sampling is good
mg/Nm3. In many cases, older cal reductant into the combustion as all essential elements can be
gas turbines can be upgraded to exhaust gas flow upstream of a cat- accessed without lifting equipment.
incorporate modern combustion alyst bed, which converts nitrogen A significant operational benefit of
technologies, but this can be costly oxides into nitrogen, water vapour a horizontal system is that it may be
and is not technically viable for all and carbon dioxide. possible to perform SCR installation
machines. For such installations, Figure 2 shows the main compo- alongside a running gas turbine sys-
S R abatement offers a practical nents of a SCR system as it may be tem, with limited downtime being
and economic solution for emissions installed with a simple cycle gas required to divert the exhaust to the
compliance. turbine exhaust system. Essentially, new SCR.

40 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 costain.indd 2 16/09/2019 13:19

 Comprimo Charts a New Path Forward in
Sulphur & Process Technology
As part of Advisian, the global advisory business line of Worley, Comprimo brings
more than 65 years of proven experience and expertise in the development,
application, and management of sulphur removal technology, with more than
1,200 sulphur recovery units worldwide.

We offer best-in-class technology to deliver optimized solutions for every project,

backed by the renowned engineering delivery capability of the combined Worley
organization.

• Research & development • Modular fabrication

• Consulting & feasibility studies • Construction, commissioning & start-
• Technology selection up services
• Basic engineering • Site technical services
• Detailed engineering & project • Operator training
management
Our localized capabilities, supported by a comprehensive global network of experts,
provides our clients with ongoing technical support and access to deep sulphur
expertise around the world.

Learn more:
email: comprimo@advisian.com
website: advisian.com/comprimo

Calgary Hyderabad London Los Angeles Mumbai The Hague

September 2019 Full

comprimo.indd 1 Page.indd 1 9/3/2019 3:04:40 PM
12/09/2019 14:49

Figure 3 Retrofitted vertical SCR installation Figure 4 Retrofitted horizontal SCR installation and vertical
Courtesy: Gasunie, Ravenstein, the Netherlands atmospheric storage tank Courtesy: NETG, Elten, Germany

The main drawback of a horizon- ing will impose a parasitic load, olithic modules which can be easily
tal SCR is space, with much more although this should be balanced by arranged to create the required sur-
being required compared to a ver- improved efficiency and therefore face area for Ox loading, flow rate
tical system, and therefore this may lower reductant usage; this is less of and pressure drop. Coated plate
make horizontal installation imprac- an issue for combined cycle gas tur- systems offer low pressure drop due
tical for some sites. For example, the bines, as the exhaust gases, post heat to having thin walls and offer good
SCR module size for a 12 MW sim- recovery, will be at lower tempera- dust plugging resistance as the indi-
ple cycle gas turbine system, devel- tures and therefore more catalysts vidual plates can vibrate slightly
oped for a recent project, had a foot are available which will work with- letting particles pass. However,
print, which included the exhaust out requiring exhaust cooling. coatings can flake off the support
stack ground base, of around 12m x ifferent materials and construc- frame and they tend to be more
7.5m.9 The length of duct work from tion arrangements have been used expensive than other options.
the gas turbine exhaust outlet to the for catalyst beds. Base metals are Extruded homogeneous honey-
SCR module will depend on several common, often blended to optimise combs probably offer a good combi-
factors such as where the module is performance characteristics with nation of durability, activity thermal
placed and the pressure drop; how- oxides of titanium and vanadium, stability and cost. If the structure
ever, expect a minimum 8-12m for sometimes with tungsten, a popular becomes damaged or erodes, the
the capacity of machine outlined mix. These catalysts tend to be suit- underlying material is of the same
above. able for lower temperature ranges composition, thereby ensuring that
(150-466°C),10 making them ideal for catalyst bed performance remains
Catalyst selection combined cycle systems. In contrast, consistent. The drawback of the
Perhaps the most important deci- zeolite catalysts can tolerate higher honeycomb catalyst structure is
sion to make when specifying a SCR temperatures, 370-593°C10, and so that they can create higher pressure
is the choice of catalyst. are more suitable for simple cycle drop and can be prone to fouling.
SCR catalysts typically operate in systems but at a higher cost which Therefore, for high dust applica-
a temperature range of 150-600°C.10 may be offset by reduced tempering tions, the honeycomb pitch size
However, gas turbine exhaust air load. needs to be bigger, which increases
temperatures can be higher than Catalysts can be manufactured the size or number of the catalyst
this range, with 400-750°C typi- in various forms, including pel- modules required. However, this
cal for a simple cycle gas turbine. lets, coated stainless steel plates should not be an issue for gas tur-
Additionally, gas turbines that are or as extruded homogeneous hon- bine systems as the exhaust should
being used as mechanical drivers, eycombs. Pellets were the earliest not have significant soot/particu-
for instance with gas transmission development of SCR catalysts and lates loading.
compressors, may operate under can offer good surface areas and A further consideration is the
variable load conditions or cycle therefore activity. However, because choice of catalyst manufacturer.
on and off, meaning that exhaust they are loose, they have to be Catalyst technology is proprie-
temperatures can fluctuate signif- placed on trays and the pellets can tary and highly specialised, with
icantly. To ensure a catalyst oper- move around, resulting in bed com- a limited number of global suppli-
ates at its maximum efficiency, pression or flow channelling. ellets ers. Therefore, once a catalyst sys-
tempering (cooling) air can be also have poor attrition resistance tem has been selected, this fixes
added to the exhaust gases to keep which reduces efficiency and can the SCR design and may preclude
the gas at optimum temperature choke the bed. simple change of catalyst supplier
for the chosen catalyst. For sim- Conversely, plate and honeycomb at a future date. Therefore, it is
ple cycle machines, exhaust cool- catalysts are manufactured as mon- important to ensure that suitable

42 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 costain.indd 3 17/09/2019 08:59

 Information for Reliability and Instrumentation Engineers

INTELLIGENT
machine monitoring

The profit:
Return On
Investment
of condition
monitoring
prognost.com/profit
bbb
How to select a
Condition Monitoring System
monitoringguide.com

prognost.indd 1 13/03/2019 10:07

 is only released to freezing as it will be gaseous at
by the action of standard atmospheric conditions.
thermal decom- However, this does mean that anhy-
position prior to drous ammonia must be stored in a
injection so there pressure vessel (typically around 250
is no ammonia psig), though this has the advantage
odour nor signif- that no delivery pumps or vaporisers
icant storage or are required in the injection system.
Figure 5 Typical injection lance15 handling hazards. Anhydrous ammonia’s draw-
However, using back is safety since it is explosive
urea requires more complex pro- between 15 vol% and 28 vol%.12 It
cessing equipment and the decom- is also highly corrosive and toxic to
position process is energy intensive, humans via inhalation, ingestion
although this may be mitigated by or contact. Environmental dam-
recovering heat from the exhaust age, especially to water courses,
gases once the system is running. would also be significant in a loss
For storage, depending upon geo- of containment event. Because of
graphic location, urea may need to these hazards, storage of anhy-
be kept warm as it freezes at rela- drous ammonia may be subject to
tively high temperatures 0°C (40 regulatory controls. This may have
wt%) or -11°C (32.5 wt%)11, gen- significant implications for some
Figure 6 Typical injection grid erating continual parasitic load. operations, for instance in Europe
Operationally, urea can deposit in the storage of anhydrous ammo-
commercial conditions are agreed injectors or in the exhaust system/ nia above 50 tonnes is subject to
for the expected plant lifespan. catalyst bed if uniform temperature the requirements of the Seveso III
Catalysts are normally guaranteed is not maintained, which may be the directive.13 This directive imposes
for around two to four years, but case in systems that cycle on and off significant additional design and
for well maintained and designed frequently. This will impact reduct- operational requirements on opera-
systems they can last significantly ant injection and bed performance, tors so as to prevent major accidents
longer before replacement. requiring increased intervention for that might result from hazardous
maintenance. processes or activities, and the lim-
Reductant choice Anhydrous ammonia is a good itation of their consequences for
The choice of reductant will usually choice for reductant where addi- human health and the environment.
be between anhydrous ammonia, tion rates are high since it is 100% Alternatively, aqueous ammonia
aqueous ammonia or urea. Urea is NH3 and therefore less storage vol- may be used as a reductant, nor-
safe to handle; it does not contain ume and fewer deliveries to site mally at concentrations of 20-35 wt%
free ammonia (NH3) since ammonia are required. It is also not sensitive as defined by what is commercially

Temperature, R Pressure, in. H2O Velocity

1300 12.0
1265 magnitude, ft/s
11.4
1230 10.8 16.0
1195 10.2 15.2
1160 9.6 14.4
1125 13.6
9.0 12.8
1090 8.4
1055 12.0
1020 7.8 11.2
985 7.2 10.4
950 6.6 9.6
915 6.0 8.8
880 5.4 8.0
845 4.8 7.2
810 4.2 6.4
775 3.6 5.6
740 3.0 4.8
705 2.4 4.0
670 1.8 3.2
635 1.2 2.4
600 0.6 1.6
0 0.8
0

Figure 7 CFD temperature analysis of a Figure 8 CFD pressure analysis of a SCR Figure 9 CFD velocity analysis of a SCR
SCR and exhaust system and exhaust system and exhaust system
Courtesy: AAF International & Turner EnviroLogic, Inc.

44 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 costain.indd 4 17/09/2019 14:05

 LEADING COMPRESSOR
TECHNOLOGY AND
SERVICES
www.burckhardtcompression.com

bc_ad_image_297x210_190812_anniversary_en.indd
burckhardt.indd 1 1 12.08.2019 15:11:16
12/09/2019 14:07
 available in a geographic region putational fluid dynamic When sizing storage systems, sev-
in Europe this would typically be analysis should be used to predict eral factors should be considered,
around 5 w/w whilst in the the required position or configura- the main one being tanker capacity.
nited States 1 w/w is a pop- tion of the lances or grid as well as A storage tank should ideally be
ular strength). Aqueous ammonia injection rates and pressures. able to receive a full transport tanker
at these concentrations is relatively is also used to design the ductwork delivery on top of the working heel/
safe to handle and store, and will and transitions to ensure stable and buffer within the tank so as to avoid
not free e in most climates - 0 homogenous pressure, temperature any safety issues associated with
for 5 w/w .1 Its principal dis- and velocity see Figures 7, 8 and storage tank overfilling or the off-
advantage is that larger storage vol- 9 in order achieve optimum Ox loading of partial transport tanker
umes and more frequent deliveries reduction and avoid ammonia slip. loads. The buffer capacity should
are required because of the lower Ammonia emission limits tend to be also account for the time required
ammonia concentration. set around 5 ppm, equivalent to the to organise and receive a new deliv-
Unlike the anhydrous form, aque- threshold of human odour detec- ery of reagent, allowing for potential
ous ammonia liquid needs to be tion, and is typically specified on the delays due to factors such as adverse
pumped and vaporised prior to operator’s environmental permit. weather. Thus, the storage tank vol-
injection. This can be achieved using To ensure maximum Ox reduc- ume should ideally be the opera-
electrical vaporisers, but it may be tion without excessive ammonia tional buffer capacity for example,
more cost effective to recover waste release in operation, the NH3 Ox five days’ usage at maximum injec-
heat from hot exhaust gases to pro- ratio should be controlled using a tion rate) plus the delivery volume of
vide heat to the vaporiser. continuous emissions monitoring the transport tanker.
or urea and aqueous ammonia, system EMS to monitor the con- Typically, an aqueous ammo-
it is advised that reagent grades, centrations of Ox and 3
down- nia storage tank will be pressur-
which contain deionised water, are stream of the catalyst bed, allowing ised to around 0 psig potentially
used. In contrast, industrial grades reductant rates to be adjusted with a nitrogen blanket) to avoid
use potable water which can intro- accordingly. the release of ammonia vapours.
duce poisons that can destroy cata- As with gas turbine systems that Atmospheric storage tanks are
lyst activity. operate without S R, exhaust grid used, but they require some form
sampling tests would normally be of water scrubbing or seal to stop
Reductant injection and mixing performed, usually annually, to ammonia emissions, which can add
In addition to the selection of a demonstrate compliance with envi- additional control and maintenance
catalyst, reductant and operating ronmental permit limits both for requirements. As mentioned earlier,
temperature, another key design Ox and ammonia , and that the deionised water should be used as
consideration is to decide how to EMS is operating reliably. Access potable water can contaminate the
inject the reductant into the exhaust should be provided for this activ- stored solution leading to catalyst
gas stream. Reductant must be ity which may favour horizontal poisoning.
added upstream of the catalyst bed ground based S R systems. Ammonia is a safety and environ-
and must have time to mix and mental hazard, so the potential for
evenly distribute in the exhaust gas Reductant handling and storage loss of containment must be min-
before reaching the catalyst. Non- Reductant needs to be stored in bulk imised by selecting appropriate
homogeneous distribution will tanks, with storage capacity depend- equipment and materials of con-
result in inefficient Ox reduction ing on choice of reductant and addi- struction and using welded pipe-
and ammonia slip’, resulting in the tion rates, available space, required work systems. Materials such as
release of ammonia to atmosphere, buffer capacity and logistics. aluminium, brass and copper are not
which can lead to acidification and Aqueous ammonia, particu- compatible with ammonia because
eutrophication of watercourses. larly if it is used at lower concen- of its alkaline properties and should
There are two methods for inject- trations and/or at high addition not be used in product contact com-
ing reductant: either by lance or rates, will require larger storage ponents. The other key requirement
grid. Lances see Figure 5) are sim- capacity compared to anhydrous will be to provide secondary and ter-
pler but may require several addi- ammonia, potentially meaning tiary containment such as bunding
tion points to be installed around higher capital and operating costs. and closed drainage systems to con-
the exhaust duct, injecting reductant More space will be required and tain and manage spillages, including
at different angles, to achieve even this could be an issue for con- the tanker unloading bay.
distribution. An injection grid see gested sites. If a large tank cannot Tanker o oading is the most
Figure 6) ensures a more even dis- be accommodated, a smaller tank likely activity for a release to occur,
tribution of ammonia but at the cost must be used which will introduce so careful consideration should
of increased pressure loss, which in the requirement for more frequent be given to designing o oading
turn may reduce the power output deliveries and consequent logisti- facilities to minimise the poten-
of the turbine. cal challenges. Where space is lim- tial for release and to manage and
To ensure optimal reductant ited, a vertical tank may also be an contain spillages. Where deliveries
injection and distribution, com- option but at increased cost. occur at high frequency, there may

46 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 costain.indd 5 17/09/2019 14:05

 Serving your refinery
from every angle
Koch-Glitsch is the experienced full-service PROCESS SIMULATION
resource to help your facility perform with
DATA ANALYSIS
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Our global team provides customized
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koch glitsch.indd 1 12/09/2019 14:18

 be significant benefits, both to per- up as making new gas turbine erance, pressure drop minimisa-
sonnel safety and the environment, installations ‘SCR ready’. tion and cost may all be driven to
in utilising dedicated mechanical A further consideration is the improve as SCR systems become
unloading arms fitted with breaka- trend towards decarbonisation of more prevalent and/or used in a
way and dry break couplings. fuel sources. For instance, if hydro- wider range of applications.
gen is blended into the natural gas
The future of SCR supply, or replaces natural gas com- Conclusion
S R is an efficient way of reducing pletely, there may be an impact on SCR is a mature and well proven
NOx emissions to very low levels, a gas turbine’s performance and mechanism for NOx reduction
less than 10 mg/Nm3 which makes an increase in NOx emissions. which has been implemented in
it ideal for retrofitting to non-com- Hydrogen burns at a higher tem- applications from diesel vehicles
pliant gas turbine systems. For new perature than methane, and there- up to power station scale. It is also
gas turbine systems, the approach fore NOx production from thermal increasingly being used with newly
to NOx emissions control has gen- decomposition of air will increase. installed gas turbines and as a ret-
erally been to minimise generation S R retrofit might again be the best rofit to existing gas turbines, to
in the combustion process with solution to addressing any potential achieve NOx emissions compliance.
DLE control. Whilst DLE tech- NOx emissions increases associated In retrofit scenarios, the applica-
nology is effective, low Ox con- with fuel switching. bility of SCR will typically be gov-
centrations, can normally only be erned by practical issues such as
achieved when running in a power The control of NOx available space, foundations and
range above 60% of maximum rated superstructure, as well as the abil-
power, otherwise DLE combustion emissions that can ity to handle the logistics associated
control is not effective and Ox with reductant deliveries.
emissions can increase significantly. be achieved with The control of NOx emissions that
Controlling the combustion process can be achieved with non-compliant
to limit NOx production also tends non-compliant gas gas turbines retrofitted with a S R
to have a detrimental impact on tur- will be significantly better than for a
bine efficiency therefore for a given turbines retrofitted newly installed emissions compliant
power load a DLE machine may use gas turbine, and generally at signif-
more fuel generating, in absolute
with a SCR will be icantly lower capital cost. However,
terms, more emissions than a non- significantly better consideration must also be given
DLE machine. to the remaining serviceable life of
Reflecting on the limits of how than for a new the installation when considering
much further combustion technol- investment in S R retrofit.
ogies can improve, and the fact emissions compliant SCR is a robust and reliable tech-
that emissions legislation is highly nology to operate, with little to
likely to be become more stringent, system cause problems once the system is
either in terms of concentration lim- commissioned other than the health
its or absolute emissions, a different Another direction of development of the catalyst. However, if a suit-
approach to NOx emissions control might be to move from combustion able catalyst is selected and a well-
may be required in the future. focused NOx reduction technologies managed regime of cleaning and cat-
It is reasonable to envisage that like LE, and to select higher effi- alyst rotation is implemented, NOx
gas turbine systems currently ciency non-DLE gas turbines com- reduction performance should be
being installed without SCR, will bined with SCR. Reduction at source maintained beyond the guaranteed
be required to meet increasingly is usually the accepted approach to life of the catalyst.
onerous emissions controls in the pollution control, but in this case an The key area of consideration will
future, which they may not be able ‘end of pipe’ system like SCR may be the selection of catalyst tech-
to achieve, at least without affecting provide additional benefits. As well nology. With catalyst technology
operational performance. Therefore, achieving very low emissions con- being proprietary, and being tied
when installing new systems, oper- centrations, total NOx emissions and to specific temperature ranges or
ators should consider futureproof- emissions of CO2 will be lower, as flow conditions, it will significantly
ing, by designing installations with the higher overall system efficiency impact the mechanical design and
the possible retrofit of S R in mind. will result in decreased fuel usage. operational conditions, making each
This might just be an allowance A non-DLE machine will also be less installation unique. Catalyst robust-
of space, or additional engineer- expensive to purchase and will have ness and maintenance requirements
ing may be put in place such as an less complex and frequent mainte- will also be key influencing factors,
enhanced foundation and super- nance requirements. as will cost of ownership.
structure design or exhaust ducting The other area where development As to the future, it is likely that
spool sections may be added, which is likely to continue is in catalyst S R retrofit to operating gas tur-
will allow for easy SCR installation performance. Activity, temperature bines may become more common
in the future. This might be summed range, temperature fluctuation tol- as the technology can provide

48 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 costain.indd 6 17/09/2019 14:05

 a cost effective means of extending the life of non-
compliant gas turbines. It is also possible that gas tur-
bine systems which are currently emissions compliant
ARKEMA’S CARELFLEX
®
may have to consider S R retrofit to meet the demands
of future environmental regulations. or any operators
considering a new gas turbine installation, it would cer-
tainly be prudent to be S R ready’, so that if retrofit is
SULFIDING SERVICE
required in future it can be achieved with limited cost HAS YOU COVERED
and impact. A global leader in thiochemistry, Arkema
manufactures one of the most efficient
References
activating agents, dimethyl disulfide (DMDS),
1 Associations of long-term average concentrations of nitrogen
dioxide with mortality, A report by the Committee on the Medical
in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, coupled with
Effects of Air Pollutants, Professor Frank Kelly, Public Health England, our global catalyst activation services.
2018.
2 Directive 2001/80/EC (Large Combustion Plant) of the European Carelflex® sulfiding services include:
Parliament and of the Council, Official Journal of the European Union, • Technical guidance to assist in your
2001. management of the catalyst activation
3 Medium Combustion Plants Directive (EU) 2015/2193 of the considering the optimum process conditions
European Parliament and of the Council, 2015.
for achieving the complete conversion
4 Taylor P, DEFRA National Statistics Release: Emissions of air
pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2017, Official Journal of the European of DMDS
Union, 2019. • Patented, low-odor DMDS Evolution®2
5 Olsen D B, Morgan Kohls & Gregg Arney, Impact of Oxidation • Experienced technicians for 24/7 coverage
Catalysts on Exhaust NO2/NOx Ratio from Lean-Burn Natural Gas during your activation
Engines, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 2010.
• High pressure pumping equipment
6 Lecomte T et al, Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference
• H2S and Hydrogen analysis with remote
Document for Large Combustion Plants, Industrial Emissions Directive
2010/75/EU (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control), European data access during activation
Commission, 2017. • Various amines available for passivation
7 Industrial Emissions (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) of hydrocracking catalysts
Directive, 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council,
Official Journal of the European Union, 2010.
Call Carelflex® sulfiding
8 Sorrels J L, Chapter 2 Selective Catalytic Reduction, Air Economics
Group, Health and Environmental Impacts Division, Office of Air
customer service team
Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection at 800.628.4453
Agency, May 2016.
9 Pre-Feed Study Selective Catalytic Reduction Innovation Project
Technical and Commercial Report, AAF International, 2015.
10 Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) Control of NOx Emissions
from Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Power Plants, NOx Control Technical
Division Institute of Clean Air Companies, 2009.
11 Dyno Nobel, Material Safety Data Sheet, MSDS 1135, 2004.
12 https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/explosive-concentration-
limits-d_423.html.
13 Directive 2012/18/EU of the European Parliament and of the
Council, The Control of Major-accident Hazards Involving Dangerous
Substances, Official Journal of the European Union, 2012.
14 CF Fertilisers, Safety Data Sheet According to EC Regulations 1907
/ 2006 (REACH & 1272 / 2008 (CLP) Revision 3, 2018.
15 Brilliant Droplets Nozzles and injection lances in use with flue gas
denitrogenation installations, Schlick Atomizing Technologies https://
www.myschlick.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Downloads/Pressetexte/
englisch/Brilliant_Droplets_denitrogenation_installations.pdf

Adrian Jones is Chief Design Safety and Environmental Consultant for

Front End Solutions with Costain. With over 27 years’ experience across
a wide range of industry sectors, he has worked on major emissions
reduction projects associated with the national transmission system
Carelflex and Evolution
as well as advising on best available techniques for environmental are registered trademarks
of Arkema.
compliance in concept and front end design schemes. © 2019 Arkema Inc.
All rights reserved.
Michael Rimmer is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer working as a
Machinery Engineer in Costain’s Front End Solutions group. He has
over 10 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry and has worked
on gas processing projects on six continents ranging from production dmds-evolution.com
to transmission and covering NGL extraction, liquefaction and storage.

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 49

q4 costain.indd 7 17/09/2019 11:37

 Your
operations
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Sustainable ideas for energy efficiency

Improving energy efficiency reduces
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1909_14786_MAN_ES_Anzeige_SC_Power_ProcessIndustry_Master_reSe_ENG_210x297_US_WebCoated.indd
man.indd 1 1 09.08.19 13:57
12/09/2019 15:41
 Vent gas treatment in platforming
Unlike a conventional scrubbing system, the latest regenerator vent gas chloride
treatment for platforming units does not employ caustic

CANDICE CARRINGTON
Honeywell UOP

I
n the CCR Platforming process, or a maximum limit of 10 vol ppm
low octane C6 to C11 paraffins Regeneration of HCl. Europe is also working con-
and naphthenes are converted to vent gas tinuously on improving legislation
higher octane aromatics and hydro- Treated gas and reducing emissions, and specific
gen. The process typically consists environmental regulations exist in
of a stack of three or four reactors, some local regions.
where the catalyst flows downwards • Corrosion control: some of the chlo-
from one reactor to the next by grav- ride compounds in the vent gas are
ity. The spent catalyst is transported acidic when they contact moisture
to the regenerator section, where it is Circulating
in the atmosphere. This could lead
continuously regenerated. From the caustic Caustic injection to corrosion of nearby ladders, plat-
regenerator, the catalyst is returned Water injection forms and other structures posing
to the top of the reactor stack in ideal potential safety concerns. Corrosion
condition to facilitate the platform- of nearby equipment could reduce
ing reactions. As a result of advances Spent
caustic
the reliability of that equipment.
in the technology, modern CCR In the earliest designs, the vent
Platforming catalysts can function Figure 1 The multi-stage caustic gas was treated by neutralising
for more than 10 years. scrubbing system, the historical design for with a diluted solution of caustic
UOP is an industry leader for regenerator vent gas treatment in a multi-stage scrubbing system
semi-regenerative and continuous (see Figure 1). Acidic hydrogen
catalytic regeneration (CCR) reform- • Environmental: the treatment chloride reacts with the sodium
ing solutions, first commercialising minimises the amount of chloride hydroxide to form sodium chloride
catalytic reforming in 1 and first compounds, such as HCl and diox- and water, whilst the other chlo-
commercialising CCR in 1971. The ins, that are emitted to the atmos- ride compounds dissolve into the
company has developed catalytic phere. This is especially beneficial in aqueous solution. Then the salts
reforming technology improvements regions where environmental regula- and other chloride compounds are
to increase octane, yield, and hydro- tions limit emission levels. For exam- purged from the circulating caustic
gen production. Currently, UOP has ple, in the US, the Environmental and this spent caustic is disposed
more than 75% segment participa- Protection Agency requires at least a of, requiring the addition of fresh
tion in CCR reforming technology1 7 control efficiency on emissions, caustic to maintain the neutralisa-
for the production of Euro IV/V gas- tion capability.
oline and BTX aromatics.
Disengaging Regenerator vent gas chloride
hopper Vent gas
CCR Platforming regenerator vent treatment
<30 ppm HCI
gas treatment Catalyst
97% removal UOP’s Regeneration Vent Gas
During the regeneration process, (RVG) Chlorsorb system is the next
Chlorsorb
an organic chloride is added to vessel (low T) step in regenerator vent gas chlo-
the process to adjust the catalyst Burn zone gas ride treatment (see Figure 2). Like
Catalyst 1500 ppm HCI
chloride levels and to enable the the scrubbing system, it removes
redistribution of platinum on the Regeneration
chlorides from the regeneration vent
catalyst surface. Most of this chlo- tower (high T) gases. However, it does not require
ride is retained by the catalyst. Catalyst
the use of caustic, so there is no need
However, some of it exits with for specialist disposal arrangements
the vent gas from the regenerator for spent caustic and the continuous
section. It is desirable to treat this Figure 2 Schematic of Regeneration Vent purchasing of fresh caustic has been
vent gas before it is released to the Gas Chlorsorb showing the adsorber eliminated. The RVG Chlorsorb
atmosphere to remove the chloride section and the expected vent gas process uses the platforming unit’s
products for the following reasons: chlorine contents own catalyst as the adsorbent for

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 51

q4 uop.indd 1 13/09/2019 18:32

 CCR Platforming units and has
Economic comparison of CCR vent gas treatment options
been added during revamp projects
to many units worldwide. In total,
Treatment option Caustic scrubbing RVG Chlorsorb system there are 85 operating units and
RMACT II compliance (chloride) Yes Yes
Make-up chloride injection (base 100) 100 30 another 41 currently in design and
Caustic usage (base 100) 100 0 construction.
Spent caustic treatment 100 0
Cooling water 100 0 The first Chlorsorb unit
Estimated erection cost (base 100) 100 45
The Swedish Refiner, reem, is the
owner of the CCR Platforming unit
Table 1 that was the first to include and
operate a Chlorsorb unit on a regen-
erator vent gas stream. In the late
1990s, there was increased focus in
some parts of Europe on pollutants
in water and air, and the refiner
then known as Scanraff increased
its focus on environmental emis-
sions from the CCR Platforming
unit at Lysekil. The refiner decided
to revamp the unit to reduce
chlorine emissions and worked
Figure 4 Catalyst transfer pipes from with
UOP to implement the RVG
the new absorber vessel into an existing Chlorsorb design.
regeneration tower The unit requires some additional
equipment, which was installed
An added benefit is that con- around the existing equipment
sumption of fresh organic chloride whilst the unit continued in nor-
is reduced because the chlorides mal operation (see Figures 3 and 4 .
Figure 3 New absorber vessel added for a that would have exited with the After construction, O ’s field ser-
Chlorsorb system integrated into Preem’s vent gases or been disposed of in vice and inspection team checked
existing CCR regeneration unit the spent caustic are recycled back out the unit on-site to ensure
into the process. Table 1 compares quality and accurate construc-
the chlorine compounds so they are RVG Chlorsorb and the scrubbing tion. This is a typical UOP project
removed from the vent gas. The HCl system and illustrates the benefits of deliverable to ensure successful
is adsorbed onto the catalyst, and the former. unit performance.
the dioxins are destroyed by com- RVG Chlorsorb now forms part When construction was approved
bustion in the regenerator. of the standard offering for new and all punch list items were
addressed, there was a short shut-
down of the regenerator whilst the
Immediately before Chlorsorb CCR Platforming side was kept
installation, March 2001
online and the final tie-ins were per-
After Chlorsorb installation
formed. In March 2001, the regener-
Total chlorides
ator was restarted and the first R
Chlorsorb unit was commissioned
0.37%
at Lysekil.
PCB As Figure 5 shows, regenerator
2.22% emission control performed well
from the outset and more than met
Chlorobenzene emission requirements.
0% The data showed that the instal-
TCCD-equivalent lation was effective at removing
1-TEF emissions and the results more than
0.09% met the refiner’s dioxin emission
requirements.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Preem continues to be satis-
Proportion of initial emissions, %
fied with the performance of the
Chlorsorb unit, and continues to
Figure 5 A comparison of Lysekil’s chlorine emission levels before and after pursue advancements to improve
Chlorsorb installation using the pre-installation values as a baseline. TCDD or the capability, reliability, and profit-
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin is commonly known as dioxin ability of the CCR Platforming unit.

52 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 uop.indd 2 13/09/2019 18:32

 O offers the technology in two
ways, depending on the type of
R unit see Figures 6 and 7 . or
pressurised or ycleMax units, R
hlorsorb is offered as a licensed
technology and engineering solu-
tion. The existing R unit is
Modular
revamped in place, with new equip- Reactor Regenerator Reactor Regenerator
Chlorsorb
ment and piping added to the exist-
ing unit. The revamp of the existing Figure 6 The stick-built retrofit option Figure 7 The modular Chlorsorb option
unit is performed by the customer. showing the location of the new adds the new package, shown in purple,
or atmospheric R latforming equipment in purple next to the existing equipment
units, R hlorsorb is offered as a
licensed technology and equipment can be critical to meet turnaround Technology provided as an equip-
solution. O provides a modular objectives. ment package provides a more com-
standalone hlorsorb unit, reducing • The modifications within the plete solution.
modifications to the existing unit existing unit are minimised, pro-
to tie-ins. viding cost assurance for the overall Reference
The equipment solution provides implementation. 1 Meyers R A, Handbook of Petroleum Refining
a complete unit that is installed • The installation activities are Processes, 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill: Chicago, 2004.
next to the existing structure. It pro- minimised at the site, providing a Candice Carrington is a Lead Technology
vides a drop-in solution that capital- shorter shutdown and a reduced Specialist with Honeywell UOP’s Technical
ises on O Modular’s experience risk of interference with the oper- Services group, specialising in reforming,
with R construction, offering ations of the existing atmospheric isomerisation and naphtha hydrotreating. She
several benefits R latforming unit. provides customer support for troubleshooting,
optimisation, revamps, turnarounds, reloads,
• Typically, revamps of this nature • Moving the majority of the fabrica-
training and new unit start-ups. She is a
are scheduled during planned tion works to an external shop pro-
Chartered Chemical Engineer and holds a BEng
turnarounds. A modular solution vides improved safety and smoother in chemical engineering with management
provides on-time certainty, which site works. from University College London.

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q4 uop.indd 3 13/09/2019 18:32

 What is Catalyst Activation?

It’s the same as Sulfiding. Right?

Online H2S Analyzer

Actually, no.
Sulfiding is only part of the story.
To ensure complete ac6va6on of your en0re catalyst charge, you really need precise and up-to-the-
minute informa0on on the spiking agent injec0on and recycle gas concentra0on. Without accurate
and 0mely data, you’re simply pumping a chemical into your reactor with no assurance that the
catalyst is being totally ac0vated. This “blind” approach leads to wasted product, dangerously high
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 Removing acid droplets produced
by alkylation reaction
Studies lead to a fuller understanding of how sulphuric acid droplets form in
alkylation reactions and how to combat resulting downstream corrosion

DIWAKAR RANA, J RANDALL PETERSON and ROB EWING

DuPont Clean Technologies

S
ulphuric acid alkylation tech-
nologies typically incorporate
intense mixing of sulphuric
acid (catalyst) with the hydrocar-
bon feeds to produce alkylate. Real
world and laboratory experiments
on Stratco alkylation equipment
show that additional incremental
mixing improves product quality
and lowers catalyst consumption.
But does more mixing in the reac-
tion zone correlate to an increase
in small droplets of entrained acid?
Does reduced mixing intensity
in the reaction zone correlate to a
decrease in micron-sized droplets of
entrained acid?
Recent research shows these same
droplets exist regardless of the inten- Figure 1 Dynamic light scattering (DLS) methodology to measure particle size of
sity of mixing, so e uent treating in emulsions and colloidal suspensions with ±2% accuracy
addition to coalescing is necessary
for their removal. Unit upsets, con- fouling of equipment. DuPont Clean and reboiler. There is also a poten-
taminants, increased throughput, Technologies now believes that tial for these acid droplets to exit
propylene and high isobutylene much of the trouble is caused by tiny the unit with the alkylate product.
feeds increase the need for effective droplets of acid that get past many roper e uent treating can provide
e uent treating. e uent treating systems. All sulphu- protection against corrosion and
In this article, we provide a fresh ric acid alkylation reactors, no mat- fouling in downstream equipment
perspective on the fundamental ter which technology, create 2-5 µm and vehicles, ensuring quality alky-
principles of acid droplet generation droplets of partially spent acid that late free from micron-sized emulsi-
from the sulphuric acid alkylation entrains out of the reactor with the fied acid droplets.
reaction. Research by the University e uent. Since the droplets are very To take a deeper dive into how
of Kansas shows that very small (~3 tiny, coalescers are not effective in e uent treating serves its purpose,
µm) and stable sulphuric acid drop- their removal. It is therefore critical first and foremost it is important to
lets are formed during the actual to treat the e uent to protect down- understand what makes up the sul-
reaction regardless of the mixing stream equipment. The acid droplets phur compounds in the reactor e u-
intensity.1 The research team also contain acid soluble esters, while the ent and to examine the behaviour of
found that intense reaction zone mix- clear hydrocarbon phase typically the acid droplets in it. To this end,
ing does not increase the production contains very few hydrocarbon solu- the University of Kansas employed a
of stable acid droplets nor the load on ble esters. combination of state-of-the-art micro-
well-designed downstream separa- If the hydrocarbon phase is left scopic and analytical techniques
tion and e uent treating equipment.1 untreated, these sulphuric acid to characterise weathered e uent
For the past several decades, droplets will degrade and turn into (alkylate) as described below.
common wisdom in sulphuric acid acid sludge and SO2 within the
alkylation mostly blamed hydrocar- fractionation section, thereby caus- Reactor effluent analysis
bon-soluble esters in the net e u- ing corrosion and fouling in the Reactor e uent from the alkylation
ent for downstream corrosion and deisobutaniser overhead equipment pilot plant in u ont’s Alkylation

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 55

q4 dupont 2.indd 1 16/09/2019 16:19

 120
100
80
C(d)
60
40
20
C(d)

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Figure 4 Photo showing the isolated
Droplet diameter, µm diameter, m
Droplet droplets forming larger agglomerate
droplets when vacuum flashed
Figure 2 DLS size distribution of droplets within an untreated alkylate sample. Three
replicates are shown Testing the hypothesis
Experiments were conducted at var-
Technology Center was collected, and do not separate out from the ious mixing speeds: intense mix-
then allowed to weather at ~90°F alkylate phase even when left to set- ing – 25% more mixing speed, and
(32°C) to evaporate the butanes tle for months. They are also very mild mixing – 50% less mixing. The
and other light hydrocarbons. The acidic with a sulphur to oxygen ratio results from these experiments indi-
alkylate was otherwise untreated. close to that expected for SO4. cated that the size of these acid drop-
The University of Kansas ana- On the basis of these results, sul- lets was also 2-5 µm when analysed
lysed these samples using dynamic phuric acid exists in the alkylate using DLS techniques. Other exper-
light scattering (DLS) and optical phase as part of a tight emulsion iments were conducted using a pro-
microscopy. LS identifies drop- stabilised by the presence of alkyl pylene feed which produces a more
lets in emulsion by measuring sulphate. stable (tighter) emulsion compared
the diffraction of light as a laser The acid droplets, approximately to butylene. The sulphur content and
passes through the sample (see 3 µm in size (see Figure 3), do not quantity of droplets was greater but
Figure 1). DLS showed the pres- coalesce but rather form larger the size of the acid droplets was still
ence of emulsified droplets which agglomerate droplets when the found to be mostly within the 2-5 µm
could not be separated from the alkylate is vacuum flashed see range. We also collected untreated
alkylate even after days or months Figure 4). These agglomerated drop- net e uent from a commercial
of gravity settling. lets can easily be broken apart to Stratco alkylation unit which con-
The results showed the presence their original disperse state by soni- tained similar tiny acid droplets.
of 2-5 µm spherical droplets (see cation for a few seconds. We believe A new set of experiments was
Figure 2). that turbulent flow through piping designed to synthetically create
A sulphur mass balance was in a commercial unit will keep the these acid droplets by intensely mix-
performed on several samples. droplets from agglomerating. ing sulphuric acid (either fresh or
Knowing the total sulphur con- Another interesting discovery spent) with treated alkylate (contain-
tent of the untreated alkylate (both made by the University of Kansas ing no acid droplets) for 48 hours.
hydrocarbon and water soluble), research team was that, when However, no stable acid droplets
it was water washed to extract the untreated alkylate is pressured were observed by DLS after 60 min-
water soluble sulphur species. The through a 0. m syringe filter, the utes of settling. Also, the result-
water phase was analysed using the acid droplets are not coalesced nor ing sulphur content was below the
total acid number (TAN) titration strained out but rather squeeze level of detection (<0.3 ppm) which
method and the washed alkylate was through the pores and are reduced proves that sulphuric acid is not sol-
analysed for total sulphur content. to ~0.8 µm immediately after- uble in alkylate.
The sulphur mass balance typically wards. ithin 1 hours, however, To summarise the findings, when
closed within 3%. The sulphur spe- the droplets return to their pre- alkylate is produced in a reaction,
cies in the alkylate were analysed ferred ~3 µm size. stable acid droplets of approxi-
using mass spectrometry and a soft mately 3 µm in size are formed,
ionisation technique called CI-HEX. no matter the mixing intensity or
Secondary butyl sulphate was found type of olefin feed. ut when the
in alkylate produced from butylene, University of Kansas team tried to
and isopropyl sulphate was found in create similar droplets within treated
propylene alkylate. We suspect that alkylate under intense mixing but
these components act as surfactants with no chemical reaction occurring,
and contribute to the stable acid they were unsuccessful. Past work
emulsions in the hydrocarbon phase. published by Koch-Glitsch2 reports
Regardless of the exact mecha- Figure 3 Photo showing isolated, sparse that chemical reactions typically
nism, these droplets are very stable droplets in alkylate with droplet size 3 µm±1 produce fine droplets 10 m ,

56 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 dupont 2.indd 2 16/09/2019 16:19

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 acid and other sulphur components
leaving the acid coalescer.
Mechanical
Static mixers
Wet effluent treating
Mechanical agitator
Figure 7 illustrates the current
Centrifugal pump Stratco wet e uent treatment
Two-phase flow system. The e uent first passes
through the acid coalescer to
Condensation
remove >99% of acid droplets larger
Heat exchanger from vapour than 10 µm. It is then contacted with
from saturated liquid hot alkaline water within a static
mixer to neutralise any remaining
Chemical reaction acid species. A water wash static
mixer and coalescer are used to
0.1 1 10 100 1000
remove any salts that could plug the
Drop size, µm Drop size, m deisobutaniser.
Properly designed static mixers
Figure 5 Typical droplet size ranges for various mechanisms3 as well as adequate circulation and
temperature are required to com-
whereas intense mechanical agita- be very effective in removing these pletely break down the acidic spe-
tion creates droplets that are much components. cies to avoid downstream corrosion
bigger in size (see Figure 5).3 As an added benefit, the deisobu- and fouling. The deisobutaniser feed
Intense mixing is beneficial to the taniser runs dry as does the recycle and overhead recycle are saturated
alkylation reaction by increasing isobutane stream. Refiners with alu- with water in this configuration, so
the surface area and mass trans- mina treating typically experience more reaction zone corrosion is to
fer between the two phases. The less corrosion in the reaction zone be expected due to the higher water
above-mentioned experiments due to less water in the acid. content in the acid.
demonstrate that intense mixing Typically, there are two beds – e do not recommend bringing
alone is unable to create stable one in operation and one in standby fresh acid into the acid coalescer
emulsified droplets. e deduce or regeneration (see Figure 6). The or circulating acid through a static
that chemical reactions involving beds are switched based on meas- mixer as part of an acid wash. e
the olefin, iso-paraffin and acid play ured sulphur in the alkylate or sim- have largely found this practice to be
an important role in the formation ply based on time in operation, with detrimental as it frequently increases
of stable droplets within the alky- the standby bed going into opera- the quantity of acidic species that
late phase. tion and the recently shutdown bed the downstream equipment has to
either being discarded or regener- remove. Caustic consumption is
Effluent treating ated. The changeover frequency can much lower with an acid coalescer
Dry activated alumina treating be longer than six months depend- compared with an acid wash.
Based on what DuPont Clean ing on the design philosophy of the
Technologies has learned in the field unit and the amount of entrained Conclusion
and in the pilot plant, our current Throughout the history of sulphu-
standard design has changed to dry Alumina treaters ric acid alkylation, separation of the
activated alumina treating in order Removal of free acid hydrocarbon and acid phases has
and reaction
to capture and remove even the tini- intermediates by been an important part of the alkyl-
est acid droplets. The net e uent chemical adsorption ation unit design. But we now better
first passes through an acid coalescer understand the mechanisms produc-
that is designed to recover >99% of Net ing the various droplets within the
the acid droplets that are larger than effluent two phases.
10 m. oalescers are not very effec- Small hydrocarbon droplets in the
tive in removing droplets less than bulk acid emulsion are beneficial as
6 µm – the majority of the stable acid they provide the necessary interfa-
droplets formed during the alkyla- Alkylate cial surface area for optimum alky-
tion reaction. Spent lation reactions. Increased mixing
The e uent then passes through a acid decreases the average hydrocarbon
bed of activated alumina where the Acid coalescer droplet size but greatly increases
adsorbent reacts with and removes Removal of free acid
by separation
the quantity of droplets and total
any acid that carries over from the surface area for desirable reactions
acid coalescer. Esters and other Net effluent to to occur. owever, increased mix-
deisobutaniser
reaction intermediates present in ing does not increase the quantity or
the net e uent are adsorbed onto Figure 6 Stratco dry alumina treating decrease the size of the acid drop-
the alumina. Alumina has proven to system lets within the hydrocarbon phase.

58 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 dupont 2.indd 3 16/09/2019 16:19

 sand barrels. This is a good starting can estimate the amount of chloride easily using the concentration of
point.
The The
2-5 µm crude acidsalts are usually
droplets found coming into the hydroprocessing chlorides (usually in volppm) and
sis indicatesbythat
determined increasing crude efforts at Net
the refinery. Actual
b/d refin-
diesel ProCorr Consulting
Water Services
If you has
within the hydrocarbon device
a simple phase likeare unit. Consider a 50 000 the make-up gas rate. have
TA
the by 0.1
‘Nalcometer’ should have little effect ery operating data (temperatures been able to develop a useful model
as part based of theonalkylation
conduc- hydrotreater with a 40°API feed con- 1.5 volppm chloride in effluent 700 scf/
effluent Net
formed
on corrosion
tivity using rates and reference.
that cor- and stream
5 ppmcompositions) can Thebe for naphthenic acid make-up
corrosion.at
reaction anda arecalibration
not impacted by taining organic chloride. bbl reformer hydrogen
rosion
For rates
morezone might
detail, even
look Most decrease.
at the inor- used to estimate
total incoming past corrosion.
organic By water
Alkalyne
chloride is:wash Because
50 000 bpd, the Tancorr
the make-up modelhydrogen
is also
reaction
Caution should mixing.
be used in of these
reading comparing the expected actual cor- easy
drum
to use and only requires read-
ganic
dropletsand organic
will likely chlorides
pass in
throughthe Acid is bringing in: Water wash
too much
crude before into
and small
after changes
the desalters. up rosion
50 000 bpd rates
coalescer with
x 288.6 the
lb/bbl xbasis
5x10-6 used
parts Clto
Steam
= ily available input data,
coalescer there are a
coalescing
or down media.
in Effective
corrosion e uent
predictions. 72 lb/day
set the chloride
Removalinspection
of intervals, deci- number of ways it can be -6used to
Look at the chloride
treating contents of any Water
50 000 bpd x 700 scf/bbl wash to
x 1.5x10 ppm HCl =
Between isthekey to preventing cor- free acid
inherent accuracy lim- sions can be made on whether help refineries optimise
remove traces
their high
slops
rosion or recovered
and fouling oil
of streams
downstream sent Using the spent wash water anal- 52.5 scf/day chloride
of caustic
its of the model and limited ability inspection intervals should Alkylatebe TAN crude processing capabilities.
to the crude
equipment andunit. Detailed
potential organic
issues with yses, suppose you have 50 gal/min
Spent acid to acid
to accurately measure corrosion in shortened
blowdown or can drumbe increased. Alkalyne This waterThisand model
heat is a critical new tool for =
chloride
product speciation
quality. and analysing wash water (once through) toto hydrolyse/neutralise our 52.5 scf/day ÷ 379.45 scf/mol x 35.5 lb/mol
the field, actually seeing small dif- capability is particularly useful refineries
4.9 acidic seeking
lb/day chloride Spentto improve profit-
for sodium, calcium, and magne- 50 000 b/d diesel hydrotreater.species The
any remaining
alkalyne water
ferences in corrosion rate will nor- when crude slates vary widely or ability through processing increas-
sium maya mark
helpof here. If the chlo- concentration expected in the spent For deposits of chlorides in
mally beis very
STRATCO hard to do.
DuPont. the refinery has made a step change ing amounts of opportunity crudes.
ride problem is in a specific boiling wash water Caustic would be about: exchangers or the reactors, you
Another way Tancorr can be used shift in crude sulphur and TAN.
range, you
Figures 2-4 arecan makewith
published a rough
permission heart-
from + water can estimate Water the wash
mass of chloride
is to check the corrosivity of actual (72Finally,
lb/day Cl)Tancorr
/ (50 gal/min predictions
x 1440 min/day canx References pump
cut
Energyof that
2019,boiling rangePublication
of the 1 Craig H L Jr, Temperature andanalyses.
in the deposits from the
Fuels 33, 5, 4659-4670, Circulating alkalyne
crude blends that come out of the be
8.34used
lb/gal)in x 10conjunction
6
= 120 wppm with actual
Cl in waterwater pump velocity
crude
Date: 9 and
refinery’s Llook
April 2019, at theIf chlorides
https://doi.org/10.1021/
model. appropriate in piping condition data to develop effects You inthen can make
naphthenic some Corrosion
acid corrosion, assump-
that cut specifically.
acs.energyfuels.8b04364, © 2019 American
sulphur and TAN ranges have been If you
allowable
Figure recycle
sulphur
7 Stratco water
and
wet effl uent TAN forranges
phase
treating system96,tions about
Paper No. 603. how much mass of
Chemical Society. Figure 5 is published with
developed control or use stripped sour water, 2deposit
Jin P, et al,that represents.
Mechanism Note that
of high temperature
permission fromand those ranges
Koch-Glitsch, have which ensure that minimum desired
Analyse the chlorides in Mist
theElimination you need to account for any chlo- for
J Randall Peterson is the Process deposits,
corrosionammonium chloride
by model naphthenic acids, Corrosion
Liquid-Liquid Coalescing Catalogue, p17. then
been built into the L model, piping life targets are achieved. This
glitsch.com/Document%20Library/ME_ Technology
make-up
this use hydrogen
of Tancorr may have little ride
approach coming
ProductCatalog.pdf in with the water
can also be used when 3 Manager when both
2016, thefor
Paper chloride
7302. and nitrogen
Stratco alkylation are
technology
Vetters E, Clarida D, Maintaining reliability
Test
value. for IfHCl
References in the analysis
rigorous make-uphas hydro-not making
aDiwakar
refinery the
Rana is
above calculations.
isthelooking
Technology
You
toDevelopment needed. So, for instance,
process when processing opportunity crudes, PTQ, Q4 a
with DuPont Clean Technologies. if you
He have
holds
gen.
1been Normally,
done
Minnick et al,to this is done
set sulphur
Understanding using
andcontent
sulphur TAN a could
increasing also
Manager for amounts get an
the Stratco ofestimate ofbusiness
opportunity
alkylation how aBSnaphthadegree in with
chemical5 ppm chloride,
engineering frombut
the
2013.
Dräger
inranges, tube
alkylate then or similar
this approach
from sulphuric test method.
can be
acid-catalyzed C3/ much
crudes
with DuPontmaterial
overClean you are
timeTechnologies. looking
without initiating for
He holds a only 1
University ppm
of nitrogen,
Kansas, and the
master amount
of business
This
Can4
maycheck
easy
alkylations, not beensure
to
Energy accurate
Fuels 33,if
that
2019, 5, your
specific
4659- aby intaking
BEmajor the
metallurgy
chemical 72 upgrade
engineeringlb/day chloride
project.
from Deenbandhu of deposit possible
administration degree from is limited
Rockhurst by the
College.
chloride adsorbers
crudePublication
4670,: blends will 9are
Date: not saturated,
cause
Apr 2019 in
exces-
https://doi. and assuming it
This approach has previously been
Chhotu Ram was
University ofPERC.
Science This
and nitrogen, not the chloride; 1 wppm
which case you need to use
sive corrosion. Tancorr can be easily
org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b04364 another would
described
Technology, implyin more
India, aa PERC
MEdetail. contamination
3
in chemical engineering nitrogen
Rob Ewing iscan make, atandmost,
the Innovations 3.8
Technology
Eric Vettersforisthe
President of ProCorr Consulting
method
2linked
Cusack withtoR, look for your
LRethink
output organic chlo-
dataliquid-liquid
to auto- of
fromabout
Illinois6.2Institute
gal/day. of Technology, a PhD ppm Manager
Services
NH Cl
LLC in4with
deposit
alkylation
Owasso,
before
and
Oklahoma.
running
hydroprocessing
He has over
Washington out of of
nitrogen.
rides (or, calculation
better yet, changeJunyour experienceIn in fact, you will not
separations,
mate the Hydrocarbon Processing,
process. 2009. in Looking
chemical engineering
Conclusion at thefrom hydrogen businesses DuPont Clean Technologies.
35 years process engineering
He holds a BS degree in chemical engineering
adsorbents).
3 Koch-Glitsch, Mist Elimination
Tancorr can also be used to sup-
Liquid- make-up
State University,
By analysing stream analyses,
and is a licensed
literature data you and
professional
using get even that much as deposition
corrosion at Phillips 66 and as a consultant.
Liquid Coalescing Catalogue, 2, www.koch- engineer for the State of Texas. from Kansas State University.
Fromrisk
port the feedbasedanalysis results Rand
inspection I can
knowledgeestimateabout howthe much chloride Email:
mechanism, occurs and partial pressures drop.
ewvetters@yahoo.com
known or estimated flow rates, you is entering from this source fairly The excess chloride will go on to

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 Simulation of Claus unit performance
Simulating a sulphur recovery unit using a fundamental approach enables the
effects of process changes on a host of performance metrics to be reliably assessed

SIMON WEILAND and RALPH WEILAND

Optimized Gas Treating, Inc.

W
hether at the level of an Comparison between simulation and measured data: base case
individual piece of equip-
ment or an entire plant,
Parameter measured Measured Simulated % Deviation
optimisation is usually done using Enriched air + O2 flow, mscfh 284.4 267.4 -6.0
simulation tools. The first step, Enriched air O2 content, dry mol% 28.5 28.4 -0.35
however, is to verify that the tools Reaction furnace outlet temperature, °F 2300 2385 3.7
chosen are able to reproduce the WHB feed water temperature, °F 280 280.0 0
WHB steam production flow, lb/h 32 000 30 398 -5.0
measured performance of the unit WHB process side outlet temperature, °F 512 510.9 0.2
under its present operating condi- Condenser-1 steam production flow, lb/h 3042 2871 -5.6
tions. This article benchmarks the Condenser-1 process side outlet temperature, °F 329 325.6 -1.03
SulphurPro SRU simulator against Converter-1 outlet temperature, °F 602 604.1 0.35
Condenser-2 steam production flow, lb/h 3138 2911 -7.24
the measured performance of a sul- Condenser-2 process side outlet temperature, °F 332 332.06 0.02
phur recovery unit (SRU) processing Converter-2 outlet temperature, °F 471 472.3 0.27
an ammonia-rich acid gas in which Condenser-3 steam production flow, lb/h 1409 1467 4.09
a significant concentration of OS Condenser-3 process side outlet temperature, °F 317 312.3 -1.5
Converter-3 outlet temperature, °F 412 409.2 -0.7
is formed and recycled back to the Condenser-4 process side outlet temperature, °F 261 260.6 -0.2
reaction furnace. ombustion air is H2S content in Condenser-4 vapour outlet, mol%* 0.49 0.54 9.96
oxygen enriched and, at just over 6 SO2 content in Condenser-4 vapour outlet, mol%* 0.26 0.27 3.55
mol%, the ammonia content of the TGTU air flow for RGG burner, mscfh 31.7 30.2 -4.7
Natural gas flow for RGG burner, mscfh 3.3 3.1 -4.7
combined acid gas stream, amine Tempering steam flow for RGG burner, lb/h 164 156 -4.6
acid gas (AAG) plus sour water Hydrogen make-up for hydrogenation reactor, mscfh 7.4 7.6 3.3
acid gas (SWAG), is greater than the Hydrogenation reactor inlet temperature, °F 570 562.0 -1.4
O2 content. This provides a fairly Hydrogenation reactor outlet temperature, °F 603 614.7 1.9
Quench tower vapour overhead temperature, °F 85 86.4 1.7
stringent test of a model that relies
on fundamental chemical reaction *Measured ratio is 1.88, forced to 2.00 in the simulation
kinetics and heat transfer rate cal-
culations to predict performance, Table 1
rather than one that uses curve fits
to forecast performance by looking words, the SRU from introduction using the solver block marked ADA
in retrospect at how similar plants of AAG, SWAG, air, and enriching (air demand analyser) to ensure
have performed in the past. oxygen through to the point of entry the total air flow rate from the flow
The discussion begins with the of the tail gas into the tail gas treat- multiplier (marked MULT) in the
case study of a refinery SR pro- ing unit (TGTU). The TGTU was not figure results in a 2S to SO2 molar
ducing about 125 t/d of sulphur part of the study so it was not sim- ratio of 1.9 in the gas leaving the
from 3.4 MMscfd of AAG with 91% ulated; however, it could have been final sulphur condenser.
H2S plus . O2, balance nitro- completely integrated into the SRU The purpose of this article is
gen on a dry basis comingled with model in a single flowsheet and sim- to use simulation to quantify the
a sour water acid gas flow of 0. ulated on a mass transfer rate basis effect of oxygen enrichment on
MMscfd that is 45 mol% H2S and with recycle of the recovered H2S the sulphur processing capacity of
55 mol% ammonia. This forms the back to the start of the SRU. the plant, and in the same process-
base case. Simulation includes SRU ing show unit how sensitive such
feed gas preparation, the main body Base case parameters as SRU throughput,
of the SRU itself, and the treatment Figure 1 shows the flowsheet for ammonia destruction, and WHB
of the e uent gas from the last sul- the base case. Pure oxygen is used performance parameters are to the
phur condenser through the final to enrich the oxygen content of the level of oxygen enrichment. To this
burner, the hydrogenation reac- intake air to 28.5%. The total com- end, an additional computational
tor, and the quench tower. In other bined enriched air flow is adjusted solver loop was added to the flow-

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 61

q4 OGT.indd 1 16/09/2019 09:38

 Figure 1 Refinery SRU with partial TGTU flowsheet

sheet in order to calculate the plant tive percentage deviation of simu- Figure 2 shows temperature pro-
feed sulphur flow necessary to have lated results from measured data files across the catalyst beds in the
the same total molar flow rate of for some 5 of the parameters for three converters. oints are the aver-
gas from the first condenser into the which measurements were made. age of two thermocouple readings
converter Stream in Figure 1 . Every parameter is predicted within at opposite ends of a bed diameter.
The flow rate of this stream is taken a few percent of measured levels. onverters- and - were simulated
to represent the SR ’s gas han- The Sulphur ro simulator can as having fresh catalyst beds. hen
dling capacity, as discussed more also provide a little more detailed onverter-1 was simulated this
fully below. or the base case study, picture of the operation of the cat- way, it was obvious that the catalyst
however, this solver block was left alytic converters by breaking the was to some degree aged or deacti-
disabled, and the gas flow calcu- reactors into a number of discrete vated. hen simulated as just under
lated from the first condenser but incremental depths of catalyst bed 0 deactivated, the solid black
with the O E recycle removed in order to assess temperature and line was obtained, so in an overall
formed the capacity basis for other conversion profiles across the beds. sense the bed does indeed appear to
levels of oxygen enrichment. This can be done in both design and have a little over half of its original
To ensure simulator credibility, rating modes. Sulphur ro allows activity remaining.
the first task was to compare simu- the catalyst beds to have varying It is interesting to note that, as
lated versus measured performance levels of activity relative to the measured, the temperature pro-
indicators. Table 1 shows the rela- fresh catalyst. file in the first converter actually

62 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 OGT.indd 2 16/09/2019 09:38

 has two rather flat sections joined
by a rapid transition from one to
Conv 1 data Conv 2 data
the other. This is a classic profile Conv 1 (sim fresh) Conv 2 (sim fresh)
of what one would expect for a Conv 1 (sim aged) Conv 3 data
catalyst being poisoned by a con- Conv 1 (mechanistic) Conv 3 (sim fresh)
taminant in the feed. owever, the 0
contaminant, whatever it is, seems
to be readily adsorbed onto the cat-
1
alyst and deactivation will move
through the converter’s catalyst bed
like a wave. ossible contaminants 2
poisons might include TE com-

Segment number
ponents or even the soot formed 3
from their decomposition.
Sulphur ro gives a faithful rendi-
4
tion of what was actually observed
in the operating unit therefore,
one can only conclude that at least 5
350 400 450 500 550 600 650
in this instance it is a reliable model.
Bed temperature, ºF
It is important to emphasise that
model calculations are pure pre-
dictions done completely without Figure 2 Calculated (solid lines) versus temperatures measured at stations every X feet
tuning of any kind. The basis for through the catalyst beds in the three converters
the predictions is fundamental lab-
oratory measurements of chemical data thus, Sulphur ro is solidly Effect of air enrichment on
reaction kinetics combined with well- placed to predict the performance performance
founded models for heat transfer. of individual units and the SR as a The base case already discussed
There is no direct reliance on tuning whole, both robustly and with good used .5 oxygen in the enriched
any parameters to plant performance accuracy. air. The objective now is to deter-

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400 In-situ UltraCAT®
sulfiding preactivation
Faster and easier start-up No Yes
350
Start Start Exotherm during start-up Yes No
of of
Run Run H2 make-up needed during start-up Yes No
300 Yes Negligible
H2S release during start-up
Odor release from sulfiding agents Potential No
Temperature (0C)

250 Handling of sulfiding agents Yes No

Metal reduction during activation Potential No
200 Temperature required for activation 320-345ºC None
Cracked feed protection No Yes

150
Dry-Out

100
UltraCAT® Preactivation
50 in-situ sulfiding

0 North America, +1 832-688-9696, americas@porocel.com

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Time (hours)

For more information visit porocel.com

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 63

q4 OGT.indd 3 16/09/2019 09:38

 If one is interested in high levels of
250 oxygen enrichment, the gas flow in
Stream 26 is the practical measure of
225 capacity. Thus, acid gas flow control
would ensure the SR is fed with
200 the right amount of gas to keep it at
full capacity (Stream 26).
175 • With oxygen enriched air, fur-
Sulphur, MTPD

nace temperatures can become high

150 enough to exceed the thermal lim-
its of the furnace’s refractory and of
125
the material in the waste heat boiler,
especially with regard to corrosion.
100
20 40 60 80 100 In the original case, 28.5% enriched
O2 in enriched air, mol% air resulted in a simulated furnace
e uent temperature of about 00
1 1 . or each subsequent case
Figure 3 How oxygen enrichment of combustion air affects sulphur production in this study, the solver block O E
recycle could be set up to calcu-
mine exactly how enrichment affects total enriched air flow to the reac- late the recycle gas flow by solving
several key performance parame- tion furnace needed to maintain the for the split of first-condenser gas
ters in the as-built plant. Including H2S SO2 ratio of about two in the between the O E recycle Stream
the base case, six enrichment lev- vapour from the final condenser and the feed to the first reheater
els were considered air containing Stream 0 . (Stream 26) necessary to keep the
1 , .5 , 0 , 0 , 0 , and • Another solver acid gas flow con- reaction furnace e uent at 00 .
100 O2. It should be understood trol) could be used to calculate the Thus, the study was carried
that this is not a design study; total flow rate of sulphur-bearing gas out by using the ADA solver to
rather, the SR under all the con- into the SR Stream correspond- keep the H2S to SO2 ratio close to
ditions being studied must operate ing to a given total flow rate of gas two, by keeping the plant’s total
within the constraints of the existing from the first condenser and into the gas throughput into the converter
equipment and flowsheet configura- converter/condenser bank (Stream system constant, and by holding
tion without modifications. . If no O E1 recycle is needed the furnace e uent temperature to
There are several solver blocks that corresponding to ero to low 00 which was roughly the sim-
could be used in the flowsheet solu- enrichment , the gas flow from the ulated temperature of the reaction
tion process for this study. A solver first condenser Stream is often furnace in the base case) through
block in Sulphur ro is intended to taken as a fair measure of the SR ’s adjusting the O E recycle gas
determine the value of a parameter gas handling capacity. owever, flow Stream . This particular
within an operating block needed to if higher levels of enrichment are exercise was not to determine how
achieve a specified value of a speci- contemplated, O E recycle is nec- to optimise each level of oxygen
fied parameter in a certain stream essary to keep the reaction furnace enrichment, but rather simply to
• The function of the solver outlet temperature below the ther- compare each case on an apples-to-
labelled ADA is to calculate the mal limits of the furnace refractory. apples basis.
As expected, the SR ’s acid gas
1400 1.8 processing capacity increases quite
Effluent ammonia rapidly with enrichment level see
1200 RF residence time 1.6 Figure 3). In principle at least, using
RF residence time, seconds

pure oxygen instead of air can

RF effluent NH3, ppmv wet

1000 increase SR capacity by nearly

1.4
800 50 in the case being considered
1.2 here. owever, there are other fac-
600 tors that must be taken into consider-
1.0 ation that will limit the real potential
400
of enrichment, and that will require
200 0.8 adjustments to be made to at least
partially overcome them. One of the
0 0.6 most important ones is the effect of
20 40 60 80 100
increased throughput (reduced res-
O2 in enriched air, mol%
idence time in the reaction furnace)
on ammonia destruction.
Figure 4 Effect of oxygen enrichment on residence time in the reaction furnace and the In this case study, the gas being
resulting ammonia concentration in reaction furnace effluent processed consists of a mixture of

64 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 OGT.indd 4 16/09/2019 09:38

 AA and S A . S A almost
always contains a substantial ammo- 38 000 720
Peak heat flux
nia concentration, 55 in this

Peak tube wall temperature,

36 000
3
Peak tube wall temperature 700
example. The mixed feed is . 5 34 000

Peak heat flux, BTU/ft2.h

ammonia on a dry basis. An often 680
32 000
quoted guideline is that the reaction
30 000 550
furnace e uent should be below 150
ppmv ammonia. As Figure 4 shows, 28 000 640
however, the level can be 10 26 000
3 620
times higher than the recommended 24 000
maximum when very high levels 22 000
600
of oxygen enrichment are used and

ºF
20 000 580
the reaction furnace outlet is kept 20 40 60 80 100
at 00 . The problem with high O2 in enriched air, mol%
ammonia levels is the propensity for
ammonia to form ammonium salts Figure 5 Effect of oxygen enrichment on peak heat flux and temperature in the waste
in downstream equipment, most heat boiler
especially in sulphur condensers
towards the end of the converter/ destruction in the reaction furnace. special high efficiency burners from
condenser sequence. Ammonium Ammonia destruction is determined a reputable supplier are essential to
salts cause increased pressure drop, by reaction kinetics driven by three ensure the reliability and operability
which reduces plant throughput and primary factors the temperature of the SR . Since the volume of the
eventually maybe quite quickly within the reaction furnace, the res- reaction furnace is set by the exist-
plugging of lines, and necessitating idence time in the reaction furnace ing equipment, the residence time is
plant shutdown to clear. also shown in Figure 4 , and the determined by the flow rate through
or this particular case, since the mixing characteristics of the burner the furnace. One way to increase
SR is an existing plant and equip- being used. ammonia destruction would be to
ment si es are set, there are limited It is important to note that with allow the reaction furnace to oper-
techniques to increase the ammonia high levels of oxygen enrichment, ate at a higher temperature. This

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www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 65

q4 OGT.indd 5 16/09/2019 09:38

ition to being safer, doing away with digging a large hole in the ground that will require
s at some time in the future can provides a distinct advantage for longevity.

minimal piping changes and retrofitting existing pipe layout, this revolutionary
would mean reducing the amount misation move would have two of process chemistry is superior to
opment will: of gas recycled from the first con- beneficial outcomes. owever, mon- one that uses heuristics and curve
denser and would subsequently itoring this effect on the rest of the fits, even if the fits are to a plethora
require the throughput of acid gas plant downstream, particularly the of plant performance measurements.
Decrease cost and maintenance
to the SR to be decreased in order heat exchangers and d-1 to eat flux and tube wall temper-
to keep the hydraulic load
Decrease escaping gases and noxious fumes at grade level at or d- , would be crucial to ensure atures in the waste heat boiler are
below the plant’s capacity. ecause the operability of the SR . always of great interest because the
Increase the safety by eliminating maintenance on corrosion of pits
the residence time is determined The Sulphur ro SR simulator waste heat boiler is subject to cata-
by the flow rate of gas through is based on fundamental reaction strophic failure, especially from high
the reaction furnace, reducing the kinetics and on heat transfer as a rate temperatures in the vicinity of the
ct SOS, Inc. today to bring your systems into the next generation of SRU technology.
throughput to allow for higher reac- process. To assess reliably the effect tube to tube sheet joint with asso-
tion furnace temperatures would of a planned change in process con- ciated sulphidic corrosion. Figure
also increase the residence time in ditions, a fundamentals based simu- 5 shows that with a high level of
the reaction furnace, so this opti- lator that addresses all the nuances enrichment, even with O E recy-
cle, the peak tube wall average tem-
perature at the tube sheet in the
waste heat boiler can escalate into a
dangerous region, and the peak heat
flux can rise to 175 of the unen-
riched condition. This is highly con-
cerning because the actual peak tube
wall temperature is directly linked
to the sulphidic corrosion rate.
urthermore, as the level of oxygen
enrichment increases and more of
From the beginning of the utilization of SRUs to reduce the pollution effects of sulfur dioxide, the diluent gas that makes up almost
the industry has installed underground sulfur pits in combination with hydraulic seal legs. 0 of natural air is removed, the
H2S in the reaction furnace e u-
Throughout the years this combination has proven to be troublesome, and after many years, a
ent concentrates. This concentrating
failing method for handling liquid sulfur. of H2S combined with increasing
As a result, for over 20 years Sulfur Operations Support, Inc. has diverted away from these temperatures at the front end of the
original designs. First, with the invention of the SulTrap™. This innovation eliminated the long waste heat boiler tubes will drive
the corrosion rate up by a factor of
hydraulic tubes that extended into the ground or required elevated claus units so these tubes
10x at 100 oxygen over the base
could be removed from inground installation. case. Although the peak heat flux is
SOS followed up with the design of “Collection Headers” that could be combined with the under the recommended limit where
SulTrap™ to provide an above ground sulfur handling system, which eliminated the need for a departure from nucleate boiling to
Leidenfrost type boiling occurs, an
the large hole in the ground within the process unit limits. This design moved the sulfur storage
increase of this magnitude would
offsite where it would not consume space and possibility emit noxious gases in the confines of require a closer look at the utilities
the claus unit. system of the waste heat boiler and
Now the system has been enhanced again with the new Sul-Hydraflo, a sulfur seal and flow further computational fluid dynamic
analysis to ensure this change would
device that eliminates the float mechanisms in the older SulTrap design. The second new
not push the equipment to the point
enhancement is the addition of the patented Sul-Surge, a high-volume pressure surge relief of failure.
device. These new enhancements, presently being designed into projects, make the Above
Ground Sulfur Handling System (AGSHS) an all-inclusive and safer alternative for any facility Summary
to consider. Increasing oxygen content in the
combustion air to an SR is a great
In addition to being safer, doing away with digging a large hole in the ground that will require way to dramatically increase the
repairs at some time in the future can provides a distinct advantage for longevity. capacity of the plant to allow a
higher volume of acid gas to be
With minimal piping changes and retrofitting existing pipe layout, this revolutionary
processed. This is accomplished
development will:
by increasing the concentration of
■ Decrease cost and maintenance the reactant oxygen and reducing
■ Decrease escaping gases and noxious fumes at grade level
the amount of diluent gas nitro-
gen entering the plant. There are
■ Increase the safety by eliminating maintenance on corrosion of pits
precautions that need to be taken
when increasing the oxygen con-
CONTACT SOS, INC. TODAY TO BRING YOUR SYSTEMS INTO THE NEXT GENERATION OF SRU TECHNOLOGY
tent, however. One of great impor-
tance is the temperatures within

66 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

12/09/2019 20:29

q4 OGT.indd 6 16/09/2019 09:38

 the reaction furnace. Without a pro- fer rates in condensers and waste Acknowledgement
cess like COPE, the concentration heat boilers is the best approach The authors wish to thank Nathan A Hatcher
of oxygen is limited to only a small available. for advice developing the manuscript.
increase without requiring further
temperature mitigation measures to Reference Simon A Weiland is a Technical Applications
be taken. This cut-off concentration 1 Claus Oxygen based Process Expansion Engineer with Optimized Gas Treating, Inc
of oxygen is not the same for every (COPE). See for example: Goar B G, Hull (OGT). He holds a BS in chemical engineering
plant and is determined by a num- R L, Vines H L, Consider the COPE Process from the University of Oklahoma.
for improving sulfur plant operations and Email: Simon.Weiland@ogtrt.com
ber of factors, one of which includes
lowering tail gas emissions, Laurence Reid
the acid gas quality (how much H2S
Gas Conditioning Conference Proceedings, Ralph H Weiland is CEO at Optimized Gas
is in the feed gas entering the plant). Norman, OK, 1987. Treating, Inc (OGT). He holds BASc, MASc and
Low quality acid gas (less than 30% SulphurPro is a trademark of Optimized PhD degrees in chemical engineering from the
H2S) can have a much higher level Gas Treating, Inc. Other trademarks are the University of Toronto.
of oxygen enrichment without the property of their owners. Email: Ralph.Weiland@ogtrt.com
need for further mitigation meas-
ures than higher quality acid gas
and is in fact one way to boost the
temperatures within the reaction
furnace when processing low qual-
ity gas. However, this is a topic for
another discussion.
SRU simulation using a com-
pletely fundamental approach is a
modern reality that allows the effect
of process changes on a whole host
of performance metrics to be relia-
bly assessed. Heretofore, one had to
rely exclusively on extrapolations
(and interpolations) of measured
performance data. SRU performance
is hard to assess accurately and this
in itself leads to simulation models
that are heuristic and truly reliable
only for the conditions on which
the simulation tool is based. When
the opposite approach is taken and
real reaction kinetics are used in
modelling, greatly improved relia-
bility and simulation accuracy are
the result. Predictions become based
on what the science says, devoid of
the errors inherent in making plant
measurements. Interactions between
variables are not ignored; instead,
they are automatically accounted
for, and detailed SRU performance
is reliably predicted.
Reliable simulation is an excel-
lent way to assess the possible con-
sequences of a proposed process REVOLUTIONIZING THE SULFUR RECOVERY INDUSTRY AND BEYOND
change before the change is actu-
ally made. Simulation reliability INSPECTING | C O N S U LT I N G | TROUBLESHOOTING

is critical because, when changes S TA R T- U P T R A I N I N G | EXCLUSIVE S U P P L I E R O F S U LT R A P ™

to process conditions are being

contemplated, decisions with sig-
nificant downside potential must
be made. Our contention is that
simulation based on measured
reaction kinetics for all the reac- 6 081 Highway 57

tions taking place in the SRU while

(228) 875-5515 marketing@sultrap.com w w w. sultrap.com
O cean Springs , MS 39564 USA

also accounting for heat trans-

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 67

q4 OGT.indd 7 16/09/2019 17:01

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 FCC additive technology for
SOx reduction
Advances in metal dispersion and structure delivered a SOx reduction additive
that is driving down refiners’ FCC emission levels

COLIN BAILLIE
W. R. Grace & Co.

T
he control of sulphur oxides
(SOx) is required at an 250
increasing number of oil refin-
eries worldwide. In North America, 200
agreements between the EPA and
refiners, known as consent decrees, 150
typically require refiners to reduce
FCC unit SOx emissions to less 100
than 25 volppm. In Europe, more
SO2, ppm

stringent environmental legisla- 50 Lower V dispersion

tion started to come into effect in Higher V dispersion
01 with RE regulation, result- 0
ing in more SOx additive applica- −2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
tions. SOx additives are also used Time, h
to a lesser extent in Latin America,
the Middle East, and Asia acific, 200
Lower cerium dispersion
but as regulations are set in these
Higher cerium dispersion
regions (combined with EU BREF
150
legislation coming into full effect ,
global demand for SOx additives is
expected to increase in the short-to- 100
medium future.
FCC SOx reduction additives are
SO2, ppm

a cost-effective and versatile means 50

of controlling FCC SOx emissions,
and are well established as one of
0
the best available technologies. This −1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
is highlighted by the fact that more Time, h
than 1 0 refiners globally have used
Grace’s SOx additives. Figure 1 DCR testing highlights the importance of vanadium and cerium dispersion across
the additive particle for SOx reduction
Super DeSOx CV+ additive
uring the process of SOx addi- to form magnesium sulphate in the for SOx reduction, with improve-
tive development, it is important regenerator. The third and final step ments to both product properties
to consider that there are three key occurs in the FCC reactor/stripper and performance. The improved
steps in the SOx reduction mech- section, where magnesium sulphate SOx additives are described as CV+
anism. The first step occurs in the is reduced to hydrogen sulphide. grades, which signifies an improve-
regenerator, where sulphur con- Here, both the magnesium and ment in cerium and vanadium dis-
tained in the coke on the catalyst is vanadium functionalities facilitate persion across the additive particle.
oxidised to about 90% SO2 and 10% this additive regeneration step. Cerium and vanadium dispersion
SO3. In this regards, cerium plays In 01 , race made a modifi- plays an important role in SOx
a critical role in promoting the full cation in its SOx additive man- additive performance by enhancing
oxidation of SO2 to SO3 in the pres- ufacturing facilities, requiring the effectiveness in their key roles
ence of oxygen. In the second step significant capital investment. This described. Figure 1 shows DCR pilot
in the reaction mechanism, SO3 is has resulted in an improved ver- plant testing comparing SOx reduc-
captured by a magnesium species sion of its Super DeSOx additive tion for SOx additives with lower

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 69

q4 grace.indd 1 16/09/2019 17:04

 for the additive’s effectiveness for
80 SOx reduction. The additives with
high and low vanadium dispersion
70
were tested at the standard level of
60 1 wt oxygen, and the results high-
light that both additives show the
50 same initial level of SOx reduction,
but the additive with a higher level
40
of vanadium dispersion retains the
SOx activity

30 SOx reduction activity for a longer

period of time. hen the additives
20 with high and low cerium disper-
sion were tested at the standard
10
1 level of 1 wt oxygen, both addi-
tives showed a similar profile for
MgAl2O4  yMgO
SOx reduction. owever, when
tested at a lower oxygen level of
40 0. wt , the additive with a higher
Spinel level of cerium dispersion shows an
35 MgO improved capability for SOx reduc-
30 tion. The testing highlights the
25 importance of vanadium disper-
sion in full burn operations, as well
20
as the benefits of improved cerium
15 dispersion for lower oxygen or par-
SOx activity

tial burn applications.

10
Super eSOx additives are
5 unique in that they incorporate
0 magnesium-aluminate MgAl O4)
600 650 700 750 spinel technology. One of the
Temperature founding SOx additive develop-
mental publications describes that a
stoichiometric amount of magnesi-
Figure 2 importance of spinel for SOx pick up and sulphate reduction efficiency um-aluminate spinel with free mag-
nesium oxide MgAl O4 yMgO y
vanadium and cerium dispersion 0 hours’ the SOx additive is intro- 1 provides the maximum SOx
versus the same SOx additives duced in a single dose to observe pick up activity see Figure 2 .1 SOx
with higher levels of vanadium and the initial level of SOx reduction. pick up activity starts to drops off
cerium dispersion. The pilot plant The subsequent period of time that when higher than stoichiomet-
testing is initially operated without it takes for the SOx emissions to ric amounts of free MgO are pres-
SOx additive to establish the base- increase back to the baseline level ent MgAl O4 yMgO y 1 . In
line level of SOx, and then at Time of SOx is used as a measurement addition, the effect of reduction
temperature in the riser on the sul-
phated additives was studied, and
the results show that the reduc-
200 tion of MgSO4 to S is easier and
180 DeSOx
Super DESOX requires lower temperature for the
DeSOx CV+
Super DESOX
160 spinel based additive compared to
140 the MgO based additive see Figure
120 2 . This highlights the importance
100 of spinel technology for maximum
80 SOx reduction performance.
Super eSOx additive has
SO2, ppm

60
40 improved cerium and vanadium
20 dispersion across the additive parti-
0 cle, and has an optimised spinel for-
−1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 mation, resulting in improved SOx
Time on additive, h reduction performance compared
to the non- grades. This is high-
lighted by the R pilot plant test-
Figure 3 Super DeSOx CV+ additives provide increased performance in SOx reduction ing shown in Figure 3.

70 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 grace.indd 2 13/09/2019 19:02

 50
Competitor
45
DeSOx CV+
Super DESOX
40
35
30
25
20
15
SOx, ppm

10
5
0
18

18

18

19

19
01

01
20

20

20

20

20
r2

r2
n

ct

l
Ju
Ap

Ap
Ja

Ju

Ja
O

3000
Competitor
2500 Super DeSOx
DESOX CV+
ALL-ROUND MONITORING OF
THE OPERATIONAL LOCATIONS
SOx additive rate, lb/d

2000

1500

1000

500

0
Go beyond your limits with us!
We ensure maximum safety,
18

18

18

19

9
01

01

01
20

20

20

20

reliability & effectiveness

r2

r2

l2
n

ct

Ju
Ap

Ap
Ja

Ju

Ja
O

in your projects.

Figure 4 Lower SOx emissions obtained using Super DeSOx CV+ and lower additive NOTHING REMAINS UNSEEN –
rates required ANYWHERE AND ANYTIME!

Performance at Refinery A 01 . uring the previous period

Refinery A’s unit trialled Super of using a SOx additive from an
eSOx additive in March alternative supplier, SOx emissions
01 . Figure 4 shows the operat- were maintained at low levels, with
ing data from anuary 01 to une the average value being ppm.

30
Competitor
25 DeSOx CV+
Super DESOX

20 LED Lights for better sight

15
HD micro-videocam inside
Pick Up Factor

Three free positionable Video

10
Cameras for site control
5 Data backup on USB stick

0 Edelhoff Technologies GmbH

Iserlohn, NRW · Germany
18

18

18

19

9
01

01

01
20

20

20

20
r2

r2

l2

Edelhoff Technologies USA LLC

n

ct

Ju
Ap

Ap
Ja

Ju

Ja
O

Houston, Texas · USA

www.edelhoff-technologies.com
Figure 5 Super DeSOx CV+ provided a significant Increase in PUF

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 71

q4 grace.indd 3 13/09/2019 19:03

 Switching to Super DeSOx CV+ not
only maintained the very low SOx
50 levels; a reduction to an average
Competitor
45 value of 4 ppm was observed. This
40 Super DeSOx
DESOX CV+
reduction in SOx emissions is even
35
more impressive considering that
30
the SOx additive addition rate was
25
reduced by approximately 50% with
20
the use of Super DeSOx CV+. The
SOx, ppm

15
10
base level of uncontrolled SOx (the
5 level of SOx that would be obtained
0 without the use of SOx additive) is
0 500 1000 1500 2000 calculated based on slurry sulphur
Additive rate, lb/d levels. This allows the mass of SOx
being captured to be calculated,
which, when divided by the mass
50 of SOx additive being used, gives a
45 Competitor measure of the SOx additive effec-
DeSOx CV+
Super DESOX
40 tiveness, known as the pick up fac-
35 tor (PUF). Figure 5 highlights that
30 the PUF increased considerably
25 with the switch to Super DeSOx
20
, demonstrating the improve-
SOx, ppm

15
ment in SOx reduction performance
10
compared to the previous additive
5
being used.
0
3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 The SOx emissions obtained using
Excess oxygen, vol% the previous additive versus Super
eSOx at comparable operat-
ing parameters is shown in Figure
50 6. The switch to race SOx addi-
45 Competitor tive provided lower SOx emissions
40 Super DeSOx
DESOX CV+ when evaluated against constant
35 levels of additive rate, excess oxy-
30 gen, feed sulphur and slurry
sulphur.
25
A summary of SOx additive per-
20
formance is shown in Table 1. Super
15
DeSOx CV+ is providing lower SOx
SOx, ppm

10 emissions at a lower additive addi-

5 tion rate, which has resulted in a
0 significant increase in . Some of
0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 the key operating parameters that
Feed sulphur, wt% can influence SOx emissions when
using additive include feed sulphur,
slurry sulphur and excess oxygen.
50 Table 1 highlights that these varia-
45
Competitor bles were in a similar range for both
40
Super DeSOx CV+ additives analysed.
35
30
The switch to Super DeSOx CV+
25 additive has been successful and it
20 continues to be used to control SOx
SOx, ppm

15 emissions effectively while achiev-

10 ing lower opex costs due to the
5 reduced additive addition rate.
0
0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0
Super DeSOx CV+ performance vs
Slurry sulphur, wt%
Super DeSOx
Refinery switched from race’s
Figure 6 Comparison of SOx emissions vs additive rate, excess oxygen, feed sulphur and Super DeSOx additive to the
slurry sulphur improved version (Super DeSOx

72 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 grace.indd 4 13/09/2019 19:03

 Summary of SOx additive performance Average values of key parameters
Comparison of pre- and post-revamp resultsthe next plant turnaround, typically upperiod
during trial to 10 years, so Sand acoustic m
no maintenance is required between turnarounds. Pulling too mu
Parameter
Average
Feed from values SOx, receiver
FCC main column Additivetorate, PUF t/h
HP separator, Feed S, Slurry This
147 sulphur, Excess
simplicity
Pre-revamp Post-revamp Results/comments
of
182 O2, Feed rate increased
installation
by 124%
makes ultrasonic sen- structural integ
ppm
Pressure drop across stripper, kg/cm lb/d
2 wt% wt%
0.26 sors ideal
vol%
0.25 for use in remote
Average value
locations which
Super
are
Super
only lapse of the for
DeSOx DeSOx CV+
Competitor at stripper9bottom, °C
Temperature 1153 8 0.7 1251.7 accessible
1163.9 during Reduction turnarounds.
in stripper bottomTo
Feed sulphur, wt% protect
temperature
0.83 the
reduced
0.83 ultra- ity to produce
Super DeSOx CV+ 4 515 16 0.6 1.4 4.2
Water from debutaniser overhead receiver to debutaniser feed, % 0.132
sonic0.05
electronics from
Slurry heat,
reboiler duty
sulphur, the
wt% sensor 1.1 uses 1.2 stain- and fines migr
Temperature at debutaniser bottom, °C
*% Ash is the total inorganics including iron and its compounds. 164 less steel
170 waveguides Excessto keep
oxygen, the
vol% electronics
Fouled reboiler tubes limited temperature 1.2 1.3safely of reservoir roc
Debutaniser reboiler duty, GCal 9.2 away 13.6from hot metal
Reboiler % SOx
duty surfaces
reduction
debottlenecked up to47%00 1100 . the formation.
59%

Advanced processing software makes use of previous greater insight

Table
Table 1 1 recorded ultrasonic waveforms
Table 2 to improve the resil- techniques and
ience of the measurement when the internal metal sur- sand managem
sation
CV+) in ofJune
diolefins
2018.in Asthe presence
Table 2 shows, of water at high tem- Reference face morphology is very rough, which is a situation The ability
perature
average feed sulphur and slurry sul- shell side . The Uncontrolled
on the reboiler process side 1 Kister H Z, Component trapping in distillation towers: causes,
where normal ultrasonic wall thickness measurements during well te
SOx normalised to 100 Actual SOx
dut
phur of the debutaniser
levels were very similar reboiler was limited due to this symptoms
during break
and cures, CEP, Aug 2004.
down. free rate MS R
fouling
the trial whichperiod,affectedresulting theinoperation
a simi- of the debutan- J Rajesh is Vice-President Process with Essar Oil Limited India. He has rate MASR ,
100
iser. The of
lar level deposits
uncontrolled on theSOx reboiler
as cal- were cleaned in90the over 20signature
Field years of experience
methodin –refinery operations and process and holds
area monitoring ing your prod
shutdown.
culated using a refinery correlation. 80 a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Annamalai University,
In critical locations, getting a deeper insight into cor- Operator insigh
India.
In addition, excess oxygen levels 70 rosion in a large area can provide valuable insight into ing maximum
Results Pawan Gupta is Deputy General Manager with Essar Oil Limited India.
(which can impact additive perfor- 60 understanding asset health. ielddesign
signature method the reservoir li
ost installation
mance) were similar. of the le media in the sep- He SM has over 12 years of
measures
experience
the metal
in process
loss trend
and simulation
within a
and
pre- reservoir and a
50 holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from MJP Rohilkhand
arator,
SOx the emissionswater carr dropped over by was22% reduced significantl defined area and quantifies general and localised cor- ment principle
SOx emissions

University, India.
to
withthe thedebutaniser
switch to overhead
Super receiver.
DeSOx s a result,40the
Rrosion.
Madhavan This allows
is General pipeline
Manager Process operators and refineries
with Koch Chemical Technology to when it impac
control
CV+. This valve in the debutaniser
translates to an improve- overhead receiver 30 boot Group optimise their Limited
India Private crude infeedstock, chemical
the Koch-Glitsch division.inhibitor
He has over pro-
20 algorithm.
opened less fre uentl
ment in SOx reduction levels from with minimal and intermit-
20 gramme,
years
Figure (A)and
of2experience
Gamma their
scanintegrity
in mass assessment
transfershowing
results technology programmes.
andliquid
good holds an M. Tech. due to uniform respo
distribution
tent
47% to water
59% withdrawal
(see Figure 7).see Figure 7 . The correspond- 10 The measurement
degree in chemical
distribution thereprinciple,
since engineering
was nofrom which
Indian
uniform is based
Institute
response ofamong the scanlines A Berthold Otz
on electrical
Technology.
ing water flow rate was reduced from appro imatel potential drop, measures voltages at multiple sections
Sandeep Yadav is a Senior Manager Process Engineering with Koch orrosion cou
0
l
Conclusionh to l h. The bottom temperature of the strip- commonly pipe referred
on the DeSOx
Chemical
Super or vessel,togenerating
Technology
DESOX Group India DeSOx
as a grida scan.
Private
Super When image
topography
Limited
DESOX in
CV+ the gamma
Koch-Glitsch of radiation
for instance, throuw
per
Many could
refiners be reduced
have longwith sincea usedresulting reduction in division. scanning He has over 10 years of experience in mass transfer technology
tower, Io remains fi ed and
metal loss aphenomenon. is essen- remains
probes are a cons
ver
reboiler
SOx reduction dut see additivesTable 1 . as part Figure 7 Increased SOx and holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Shivaji
tially a constant.
reduction using SuperFor DeSOx a grid
CV+scan, the multiple paths of tion of theis solved
equipme fo
ofThetheiroperation
strategybecame for SOx stable and the capacit of the University, India.
emission On the
occurs to basis
fix th
gas concentration
compliance. However, unit could
there be areincreased.
an increasing The results
num- of multiple
pipe sockets sets an o
the
ber of applications for these additives, partly dueshown
pre revamp and post revamp operation are to scan
Localcouldcorrosionbe s
in
moreTable stringent
1. SOx emission legislation in various Since
coupon allorscan
prob
regions, as well as heightened interest in reducing the
ing length
resultsorbec p
Conclusion
the costs of wet gas scrubber caustic. Grace was the uniform
Another lidisadv uid
omponent
first company trapping b ph sicalSOx
to commercialise carradditives
over of andwater four scans dete
equipment ma
can cause capacit bottlenec
continues to deliver improved performance with the s that are not easil pre- typical
pipes. exampl
dicted b performing process
recent commercialisation of Supersimulations
DeSOx CV+. and hThisdrau- lineson-intrusiv
matching,
lic rating of internals. och
improved additive provides increased levels of SOxlitsch wor ed closel with farHowever,
higher flex wh
ssar il and
reduction through utilised their
higher e perience
cerium to troubleshoot
and vanadium dis- ation
gies are measurem
availab
and
persionthoroughl
across the review the eparticle,
additive uipmentcombinedin the unit, espe-
with corrosion
seem poten
to match
ciall those performing ph sical
an optimised spinel formation. Several refiners are separations, to iden- pipe sockets
would be diagn is
tif
nowpotential
using Super problems.
DeSOx CV+, ased whichon theis sdelivering
mptoms aand fixeddata,
scan outside lowe o
unstead
higher level operation of the stripper
of SOx reduction, and debutaniser
as demonstrated by without
cated more chang
liqu
under
two case increased
studies in loading, it was suspected that water
this article. devices
cated lesscanliqui
be
accumulation within the s stem was the cause. sensor system,
example of this
och litsch focused on the most convenient wa ydrosteel
Figure 2b. ins
of removing
Super DESOX is awater trademark prior toR.the
of W. affected
Grace and Co. columns, lead- permeating
This is a total thr
ing to the recommendation to revamp the separa- rosion.to This
open varyin is
tor immediatel upstream. nce the problem was full induced
from tower cracki
to to
understood,
References and the focus was put on the sep- method
ysis does not SMgi
arator,
1 Yoo J S,the och litsch
Bhattacharyya process
A A, Radlowski C A,engineering
De-SOx catalyst:group
an
sensor
tity of pins
liquid arem
XRD study of magnesium aluminate spinel and its solid solutions,
evaluated the performance shortfalls of the e isting an electrical
conclusions cu
from
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 1991, 30, 1444-1448.
arrangement and prepared a solution to remed the possible
very to
ambiguou dete
2 Reducing FCC SOx Emissions to Very Low Levels Using DeSOx,
problem. incorporating e perience and proprietar
UOP, 1992 NPRA Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Mar 1992. rosion
of insidema
any liquid of
separations software, och litsch provided a solu- In general, n
tion that would meet ssar s capacit goal. under- provide the
Advanced adv
analy
standing
Colin Baillie is the Manager of Grace’s FCC Environmental Additivethe
and targeting the source of the problem, operation.
An advanced If th
solution
products. He was implemented
holds a PhD in chemistry in thefrom the separator
Universityvessel
of to another
data from pos pac
which
Liverpool,debottlenec
UK, as well as aned MBA andfrom improved the performance
the Open University, UK. system to analy
sistently that n
of the U. toring underres
conclusive co

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 73

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 Laser based analysis for thermal
incinerators
An analyser design based on a tunable diode laser aims for more reliable and
cost-effective combustion measurement in sulphur removal operations

STEPHEN FIRTH
Servomex

S
ulphur removal facilities are erence gas is predetermined, the
located at the majority of voltage produced by the cell indi-
oil and gas processing sites cates the oxygen content of the sam-
throughout the world. The units ple gas.
may use a natural draft or forced Zirconia based oxygen analysers
draft design, with oxidising temper- exhibit excellent response charac-
atures varying between 650°C and teristics to changes in O2 content at
1000°C (1200-1800°F), and a resi- ppm levels, and the same sensor can
dence time of 0.6-1.0 seconds. be used to measure 100% O2.
Combustion control is important However, constant exposure to
for process efficiency, emissions sulphur compounds will, over time,
control, and safety. This requires the affect the measurements delivered
optimisation of the air-to-fuel ratio. Figure 1 Corrosion and clogging caused by by a zirconia cell.
Conditions of excess air lead to sulphuric acid attack The corrosive conditions mean
cooler burning, which reduces com- that both zirconia and extractive
bustion efficiency significantly, due tions to monitor combustion con- solutions require high levels of
to an increased loss of heat to the trol. While these have been very maintenance and frequent recalibra-
atmosphere, and increases costly successful, the zirconia sensor can tions, leading many SRU operators
fuel consumption. Also, the excess be attacked by sulphur compounds, to look for an alternative that deliv-
oxygen available will combine with while sample tubes can be clogged ers the same accuracy while requir-
nitrogen and sulphur to produce by the corrosive effects of sulphuric ing less support and upkeep.
unwanted emissions. acid (see Figure 1).
However, low-oxygen, fuel-rich Zirconia sensors are constructed A tunable diode laser approach
conditions have the potential to from ceramic zirconium oxide, sta- ollowing successful field trials,
cause a dangerous explosive mix- bilised with an oxide of yttrium or several customers in the Middle
ture, so it is necessary to find an calcium to form a lattice structure. East have switched to a tunable
effective balance where the pro- This cell has a conductive coating diode laser (TDL) arrangement for
cess is as efficient as possible while which serves as electrodes on both all their SRU thermal oxidiser appli-
remaining safe. sides of the lattice. cations, specifying the Servotough
Accurately measuring oxygen is At process temperatures above Laser 3 Plus combustion analyser
essential to combustion efficiency, 700°C (1292°F), the openings in optimised for O2.
and carbon monoxide (CO) meas- the lattice allow O2 ions to pass This is a compact gas monitor
urement has increased in impor- through. When a sample gas is that can be installed in situ, meas-
tance with the recognition that introduced on one side of the lattice, uring across the stack, using TDL
fuel-rich (high CO) conditions are a the rate of passage of the O2 ions is absorption spectroscopy for strong
source of explosions. determined by temperature and the performance.
However, the presence of high difference in the O2 partial pressures TDL is a single-line, monochro-
levels of sulphur compounds in the of the sample gas and the reference matic spectroscopy technique that
gas stream makes sulphur recovery gas (usually air) on the other side of is highly specific to the gas being
unit (SRU) combustion applications the lattice. measured, producing a stable, con-
highly corrosive. This presents seri- The passage of O2 ions through tinuous and rapid measurement
ous challenges for any gas analysers the lattice produces a voltage across while avoiding cross-interference
used for combustion control and the electrodes, the magnitude of from other gases.
efficiency. which is a logarithmic function of A typical system consists of a TDL
In the Middle East region, exist- the ratio of the O2 partial pressures light source, transmitting optics,
ing analyser installations tend to be of the sample and reference gas. an optically accessible medium,
either zirconia or extractive solu- Since the partial pressure of the ref- receiving optics and detector (see

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 75

q4 servomex.indd 1 16/09/2019 09:35

 TDL analysers from the older gen-
Transmitter 1 Receiver 1 eration of instruments were set to
Transmitter 2 Receiver 2 measure a specific gas, in the same
Laser diode
Detector way as newer models. owever, if
Detector
Laser diode none of the given gas was present,
the analyser would drift to meas-
ure an incorrect, nearby absorption
Window line instead.
Mirror Window
Window
or example, an analyser set up to
Lens measure O might begin to meas-
ure an adjacent water line instead,
delivering an incorrect reading. To
solve this problem, the Laser lus
Figure 2 Servotough Laser 3 Plus combustion analyser uses a line lock system comprised
of a beam splitter, cuvette filled
Figure 2). Signal information is held The key benefit of using T L in with the target gas, and a secondary
in the gas absorption line shape, the SRU application is that the laser detector.
which is obtained by scanning the has no contact with the sample, so The filled cuvette means that
laser wavelength over the specific there is no corrosion of the sensor, the secondary detector always
absorption line. which significantly reduces main- has a known target gas to sense,
This causes a reduction of the tenance and eliminates the need for and can lock onto the centre of
measured signal intensity, which is cell replacement. the absorption peak. This, in turn,
detected by a photodiode and used The high stability of laser meas- keeps the main detector locked into
to determine the gas concentration. urement means that calibration is position, delivering an accurate
Servomex TDL technology was required less frequently than with measurement of the gas in the pro-
developed by the company’s a irconia cell. These significant, cess, even if the measurement falls
research and development team. cost-saving advantages have led to to zero.
It uses a second harmonic detec- the supply of Servomex’s T L sys- Typically in T L analysis, an
tion (2f) modulation technique that tems throughout the Middle East, inline bump cell or reference cell
enables greater accuracy, sensitiv- the S, Singapore, and Europe. is utilised to provide a reference
ity, and reliability of measurement, directly in the measurement path.
particularly in low parts-per-mil- Greater stability owever, if this interference is
lion measurements where gas mol- In the Laser lus, T L sensing is continuous, it causes a measure-
ecule absorption lines tend to be supported by a line lock cuvette ment error. If the inline bump or
close to other possible interfering system, which ensures the analyser reference cell is used only sporad-
components. remains fixed on the target gas. ically, it is impossible to be sure

T +49 2961 7405-0

T +44 1234 783366
T +65 6702 3707

Made
in
Germany

Your Specialist for

© REMBE® | All rights reserved

PRESSURE RELIEF
SOLUTIONS in the
OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
Consulting. Engineering. Products. Service.

Ltd. Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.

www.rembe.de www.rembe.co.uk www.rembe.sg

76 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 servomex.indd 2 16/09/2019 09:35

 if the analyser has a lock between bumps or mainte-
nance visits.
y using the line lock cuvette, filled with the target
gas of interest, the analyser has a permanent reference
that is scanned multiple times every second and is con-
tinuously available, providing significantly better read-
ing reliability. For SRU operators, this means that the
Laser lus provides greater stability, resulting in less
frequent calibration requirements.
The line lock cuvette system itself requires no main-
tenance and uses built-in self-diagnostics to monitor
the gas concentration within the cuvette. If for any
reason this concentration is not detected, the Laser
Plus will report an alarm, allowing corrective action to
be taken.
In the difficult, corrosive environment of the SR
thermal oxidiser, this means that the Laser lus
measurement is stable and reliable.

Other measurements in combustion

The move to T L analysis in the Middle East’s SR
thermal oxidiser sector has been driven by the effec-
tiveness of the O2 analyser.
However, TDL measurement for CO has a faster
speed of response and improved sensitivity compared
with alternative combustion control solutions such as
pellistor or thick film sensors.
Measuring both O and methane 4
) is increas-
ingly becoming a key safety monitoring requirement
for combustion applications, as both indicate a fuel-
rich environment.
This has been driven by the increasing use of low-
Ox burners, which are highly effective at reducing
unwanted emissions, but produce a cooler, larger
and less stable flame, which has led to the need for
improved flame-out detection.
The Laser 3 Plus combustion analyser can be opti-
mised to measure 4
and O at the same time,
within the same product, providing all the advantages
of the O2 analyser, including fast response, corrosion
resistance, and line lock stability. rucially, and unlike YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR
the point measurements provided by other techniques,
it takes an average measurement across the process,
DECISION MAKING...
allowing it to rapidly detect any flame-out situation. ...WITH THE RIGHT
As a light based measurement with no sample
extraction, the Laser 3 Plus quickly alerts to any INFORMATION.
changes in the boiler condition, which is vital because
boilers can move from safe to unsafe conditions
very quickly. HOERBIGER‘s compressor audits
This has already led customers using natural or  assess compressor performance
refinery gas as a fuel to begin using T L analys-  visualize improvement potential
ers as part of their safety system, and this usage is  anticipate savings
expected to spread as the benefits become increasingly  provide ROI for each scenario
apparent.  estimate the value of the reliability increase

ree.hoerbiger.com

Stephen Firth is Global Business Development Manager with

Servomex. With more than 20 years’ experience in the gas analysis
industry, he is a graduate of the University of York, UK and holds a PhD
in chemistry from the University of Nottingham.

www.eptq.com

REE_PTQ_86x270.indd 1 03.09.2019 15:40:53

q4 servomex.indd 3 17/09/2019 14:14

cat tech.indd 1 26/02/2018 13:23
 Advances in catalyst testing
A refining and petrochemical company relied on high throughput experimentation
to select a change-out option from competing catalysts for the best ROI

IOAN-TEODOR TROTUŞ, JEAN-CLAUDE ADELBRECHT and FLORIAN HUBER hte GmbH

NATTAPONG PONGBOOT and THANAWAT UPIENPONG PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited

I
ndependent catalyst testing has cessing, and also (co-)processing of well as for the different catalyst sys-
become a useful tool for refiners biofeedstocks.1, 2, 3 tems in comparison, an independent
to support their catalyst selec- In classic high throughput exper- temperature control on each reactor
tion process. Actual testing enables imentation set-ups, testing is accel- is required. Moreover, when evalu-
a customised catalyst evaluation erated by running multiple reactors ating consecutive reactor stages in
under industrially relevant condi- simultaneously and in parallel for one and the same test, an inter-stage
tions including different industrial direct comparison of the catalysts quantification between the reactors
operational cases and different rep- under investigation. The gas and liq- is highly desirable to evaluate the
resentative industrial feedstocks. uid distribution technology ensures performance of the first reactor. In
The comparability of different cat- a uniform feedstock distribution classic pilot scale testing, the quan-
alyst systems is based on one and over all reactor positions. The prin- tification of the upstream reactors
the same foundation, thus signifi- cipal methodology in trickle-bed is obtained by interstage sampling.
cantly lowering the degree of uncer- catalyst testing is straightforward: Interstage sampling typically has the
tainty as compared to paper studies gas and feedstock are fed through drawback that only concentration
describing each individual vendor’s a catalyst-loaded reactor under based information is obtained, since
catalyst systems. defined conditions. epending on only a sample is taken, whereas the
High throughput experimenta- the nature of the reaction and the flow rate of the gas and liquid phase
tion has become the state-of-the-art product spectrum, the products are is left unmeasured. As a second
industrial standard in independent analysed by online methods or col- drawback, the required amount of
catalyst testing and offers the tech- lected as liquids and later analysed reactant to perform all required anal-
nical means to compare different o ine. or processes with a con- yses is taken away from the down-
catalyst systems head to head at the secutive reactor configuration, such stream reactor. In pilot scale, this
same time under uniform and iden- as single-stage hydrocracking with reactant loss to the following reactor
tical conditions in an efficient and mainly a pretreat and a cracking is typically negligible, likely corre-
cost-effective way. It has proven catalyst system, each reactor stage sponding to an interruption of feed
to provide industrially significant is either investigated separately or supply to the order of a few minutes.
data in a timely manner with a high the combined reactors are simulated In the case of high throughput
degree of accuracy and precision on in one test reactor.2 In cases where experimentation with smaller cat-
the basis of relative catalyst ranking the consecutive reactors are oper- alyst amounts, removing a few ml
as well as absolute data transfer- ated at a similar operating temper- of interstage product is equivalent
ability to industrial scale. It is the ature level, this approach is viable. to cutting off the feed supply to the
ideal way to identify properly the However, in many cases, pretreat downstream reactor for about 0.5-1
optimal catalyst system for a refin- and cracking reactors are operated hour and would cause significant
ery’s specific process. iven the at different temperatures. It is ben- disturbances.
high stakes involved in the choice eficial that a laboratory method These drawbacks in utilising clas-
of catalyst for an operation cycle, takes this temperature difference sic high throughput experimen-
selecting the appropriate testing into account to properly simulate tation in simultaneous testing of
technology for conversion units the industrial process. In addition, consecutive reactor stages led hte
is pivotal, as it has a dramatic and when performing independent cata- to develop a new approach for test-
lasting impact on the profitabil- lyst testing for refinery applications, ing consecutive reactor stages in
ity of a refinery. igh throughput the catalyst systems are typically an industrially significant as well
experimentation is utilised in the compared under a constant conver- as efficient and cost-effective way.4
catalyst selection process in a wide sion operation, with the temperature The core principle of the new test
array of refinery processes, such as being the tuning parameter to reach approach is illustrated in Figure 1.
(but not limited to) hydrocracking, the desired conversion level. In order The new concept contains reactors
hydrotreating, reforming, (de-)alky- to reach a predefined conversion connected in series. The consec-
lation, resid upgrading, lubes pro- level in the consecutive reactors as utive reactors are equipped with

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 79

q4 hte ads.indd 1 16/09/2019 09:24

 an independent temperature con- liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV),
trol. Interstage quantification is and gas-to-oil ratio to ensure an
not performed by classic interstage optimal comparison. If the catalyst
sampling, but a third mirror-type systems are to be tested at different
reactor reflects the performance LHSVs, this can be accommodated
of the upstream reactor. The mir- by adjusting the amount of catalyst
ror reactor is placed in one and the loaded in order to reach the targeted
same heating block as its reference L S at the given flow rate. If a sec-
reactor to ensure high comparabil- ond parallel feed supply is required,
ity. This approach enables a com- this can be realised by adding a sec-
prehensive mass flow rate based ond feed module.
gas and liquid analysis, constitut- Catalyst activation in general
ing a clear improvement compared involves individual procedures for
Pretreat HDC and
to the traditional concentration post-treat the different catalyst systems, such
based interstage sampling informa- as different feed composition and
×8
tion. ith this new concept, inter- temperature protocols. This requires
stage dosing of gas and/or liquid Figure 1 New high throughput approach a certain flexibility of the test units.
becomes a proven reality in high for processes with serial reactor In a typical approach, the different
throughput experimentation too. configuration, inter-stage quantification, activation protocols are harmonised
This new approach is demon- and individual operation temperatures to an extent acceptable for all cat-
strated in a case study performed alyst vendors. The remaining and
for PTT Global Chemical Public An advantage of the 24-fold test- essential differences in the protocols
Company Limited (GC), a leading ing unit lies in the freedom to adjust need to be facilitated by the test unit.
Asian integrated petrochemical the temperatures of all pretreat The aim of an independent cata-
and refining company, to evaluate and cracking reactors individually lyst test is to find the catalyst system
commercial hydroprocessing cata- and actually measure the impact that best meets the requirements of
lysts under commercially relevant of temperature on each of the cat- the refinery. This generally implies
conditions for a catalyst change- alyst systems connected in series. having a high yield of a target frac-
out in its refinery at Rayong, This freedom minimises the need tion, achieving this yield at a lower
Thailand. GC selected hte for the to extrapolate data when compar- temperature, minimising the yield
evaluation study to benchmark five ing product properties between the of C1-C4 hydrocarbons, and having
commercial hydroprocessing cat- different catalyst systems, because the properties of the targeted frac-
alyst systems using a 24-fold high each cracking system can be run at tion meet various quality standards.
throughput reactor system opti- an accurately set conversion with As indicated in Figure 1, state-of-the-
mised for single stage hydrocrack- the pretreat reactor set to an accu- art catalyst systems for single stage
ing under commercially relevant rate nitrogen slip. hydrocracking comprise a multistack
conditions. The project was com- All reactors share one liquid feed of different catalysts for the pretreat,
pleted in 01 with the overall aim supply and one gas supply, which cracking, and post-treat function. In
of measuring catalyst performance are respectively equally distrib- order to perform an industrially rele-
(activity, selectivity, and stability) uted between the reactors. In a typ- vant ranking, the catalysts have to be
and determining key fractional ical test, the catalyst systems are all tested in their commercial size and
product properties.5 operated under identical pressure, shape. A typical independent cat-
alyst test on a 24-fold unit requires
all participating catalyst vendors
Initial Feed change to provide catalysts and activation
stabilisation and stabilisation protocols, to assist in finding har-
monised activation protocols, to pro-
vide a target value for the nitrogen
slip of the pretreat system and the
oil conversion or other parameters
of the cracking system, as well as to
Catalyst system 1 provide an estimate for the required
Catalyst system 2 pretreat and cracking temperatures
Catalyst system 3 to reach the targeted values.
Yield, wt%

Catalyst system 4 In highly optimised refinery oper-

Catalyst system 5 ations, the performances of different
Catalyst system 6
proposed catalyst systems are very
Catalyst system 7
close to each other. Nevertheless,
Time on stream maximising the yield of a target
fraction is a key objective (Figure 2)
Figure 2 Target product yields vs time on stream for a virtual case and a difference of a few percent in

80 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 hte ads.indd 2 16/09/2019 09:24

 the target fraction yield can make a
difference in annual revenue in the Naphtha
order of tens of millions of dollars. Kerosene
ecause of these considerations, Gas
the advantage of running one inde- Gasoil
pendent test where catalyst sys-
tems from multiple vendors are
compared in one test unit under
relevant conditions with the actual
test feed from the refinery becomes
obvious. The simplest argument in

Yield, %
favour of an independent test com-
paring all proposed systems in par-
allel is that any measurements that Temperature
one performs will have a certain
variance. Thus, when comparing Figure 3 Yield vs temperature correlations
measurements performed by sev-
eral parties in different test units, catalyst systems can change if dif- unit is the comparison between the
one ends up comparing very heter- ferent feeds are being tested. In the required temperatures estimated
ogeneous sets of data when consid- virtual example shown in Figure 2, by each vendor to reach the tar-
ering how they were obtained and the same catalyst system gives the geted -slip and conversion, and
what the possible errors are for each highest yields for both feeds, but the the actual temperatures determined
individual data set. owever, when relative order of all catalyst systems in the test unit. ith a rigorous cali-
all systems are compared in one test is different. hen performance bration of the reactor temperatures
unit, one can be confident that all margins to the order of 1% make within /-1 , the requirement that
systems have been treated equally such a considerable impact, the the mass balance is at 100 /- ,
and variances stemming from the best confidence one can have in the with our meticulous and exact reac-
comparison of different testing units choice of catalyst system is gained tor loading protocols we generally
in different laboratories are mini- by performing an independent test. observe that there is less than
mised. Moreover, the relative order The first measure of the validity difference between the temperatures
of target fraction yields for a set of of the results produced by a -fold predicted by the catalyst vendors

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www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 81

q4 hte ads.indd 3 16/09/2019 17:12

 Typical analysis package for key fractional properties of different product cuts

Gas phase hydrocarbons Naphtha Kerosene Gas oil UCO

Pseudo-PIONA analysis Density (D4052) Density (D4052) Density (D4052) Density (D4052)
Sulphur content (D5453) Sulphur (D5453) Sulphur (D5453) Sulphur (D5453)
PIONA analysis Flash point (D3828) Calculated Cetane Index. Viscosity (D7042)
(D4737, from SimDist)
RON/MON (calculated) Smoke point (D1322) Cloud point (D2500) Aromatics
Freezing point (D2386) Pour point (D97) Ni/V (D2622)
Mercaptan sulphur (D3227) Viscosity (D7042) Carbon residue (D4530)
Aromatics (DIN EN 12916)

Table 1

and the temperatures measured in produced at a yield of 10 and the As discussed above, the mass
our test units. requested analyses require 100 ml of balance is expected to lie within
From such a test, one can also sample from that particular fraction, 100 +/-2%. In order to account for
derive the dependence of key prop- we know we have to collect at least this margin of error and to com-
erties on reactor temperature for one litre of TLP under the targeted pare the different catalyst systems
both the pretreat and the cracking unit operation conditions to perform at the same mass balance level, a
reactor, since each of these are indi- all the required analyses. An exam- final data reconciliation is typically
vidually controlled. or example, ple of an analysis package that has performed. The yields obtained are
Figure 3 shows schematically how been requested and performed for corrected to add up to 100%. The
the yields of several product frac- the characterisation of the individual standard method for reaching this
tions are influenced by temperature. fractions is shown in Table 1. goal is to multiply the yields by a
Overlaying the correlation plots of The essential requirement in order reconciliation factor which ensures
each catalyst system being tested to measure individual properties that the elemental balances close
gives probably the quickest over- of the product fractions, like those at 100 . The hydrogen content of
view of the strengths and weak- described in Table 1, is to perform the feed and of the liquid product
nesses of the systems being tested. an accurate fractionation of the col- is determined by - MR analysis,
Once the targeted -slips and lected product. Using automated and the carbon content is calculated
conversions have been reached and micro-fractionation units, hte is from this. y performing the data
the catalysts have all reached line- capable of performing fractiona- reconciliation step, we calculate the
out conditions – a process that can tions on sample sizes in the range product yields and the hydrogen
take - weeks after activation – it is of the product volumes that our consumption accurately.
also important to collect product for high throughput units produce in a The entire duration of a competi-
fractionations to allow for a detailed period of 1-10 days. This is the rel- tive catalyst test – starting from the
investigation of the properties of evant duration of the product col- time when the catalysts and test
each product fraction. The yield lection period depending on the feed are received by hte, activation
of each fraction can be estimated product analyses that are requested and testing parameters have been
from the simulated distillation anal- and the flow rates used in the test. agreed upon by all the vendors,
ysis of the daily TL sample and, The parameters of the micro-frac- and continuing until hte is able to
depending on the requested anal- tionation are optimised in order to deliver a complete data report – is
ysis package, we can estimate how reduce the overlap of the separated around three months. This esti-
much product we need to collect. For fractions to less than 2 wt% (see mate is valid for tests where only
example, when one of the fractions is Figure 4). one feed is tested and two sets of
fractionation samples are taken for
each catalyst system. If more feeds
or different reaction conditions
are to be investigated, or if more
samples are to be fractionated, the
UCO duration of the test increases. Over
the entire duration of the test, hte
provides regular updates to the
Gasoil contracting parties. This can be the
Temperature

refinery and/or the individual cat-

Kerosene
alyst vendors participating in the
test. Regardless of who is paying
Naphtha for the work, hte always encourages
wt% discussing the results with both the
refinery and the vendors to ensure
Figure 4 Distillation resolution in real time that the results being

82 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 hte ads.indd 4 16/09/2019 17:14

 obtained are in line with the vendors’ expectations and
to verify that the test is being conducted in a manner
that is agreeable to all parties.
The competitive catalyst testing programme per- WHAT CAN ENSURE MY
formed in 2018 by hte on a 24-fold unit has provided
GC with the relevant data to make the best decisions
PLANT‘S LONG-TERM
for the upcoming hydroprocessing catalyst change-
out in 01 . has estimated that the yearly differen-
EFFICIENCY?
tial in earning between the best and worst performing
catalyst would amount to several million dollars due
to differences in selectivity and product volume gain.
When considering the possible impact of a less than
optimal choice in catalyst selection, it is obvious that
such a test practically pays for itself many times over.
In the end, GC was able to make the optimal catalyst
choice based on the data produced by hte throughout
the benchmarking test. In view of hte’s capability to
measure industrially relevant data as well as to assist
with discussions with vendors regarding both the
experimental and contractual aspects of the test, GC
will consider the services of hte again for competitive
catalyst testing in future catalyst change-outs.

References
1 Huber F, Weber S K, Berg J, Sauer T, Haas A, Hutter K, Purgstaller A,
Hydrocarbon Engineering, May 2014, Vol. 18 (5), 63-67.
2 Berg J, Sauer T, Federsel C, Vukojevic S, Hauck P, Huber F, Haas A,
PTQ Q1 2015, 121-127.

EXPERIENCE!
3 Adarme R, Steinberg R, Johnson E, Huber F, Berg J, George S,
Hydrocarbon Engineering, Sept 2019.
4 Huber F, hte GmbH, WO/2019/086325, 09.05.2019, Device and
method for characterising catalytic processes.
The know-how of more than 60 years empowers Böhmer
5 Press release PTT Global Chemical chooses hte for independent to build Ball Valves that help customers to realize their
commercial catalyst evaluation in hydroprocessing, Heidelberg, 9 Apr projects efficiently & successfully for the long term.
2019, www.hte-company.com/en/news-events/news/news-with-gc.
html.
1/8 TO OIL, GAS, STEAM, CHEMICALS UP TO
Ioan-Teodor Trotus¸ is Project Manager R&D Solutions in the 56 INCH & SPECIAL APPLICATIONS 800 BAR

field of hydroprocessing and biofeed conversion with hte GmbH,

Heidelberg, Germany. He studied chemistry and materials science at
the University of Bucharest, then joined the Max Planck Institute for
Coal Research for a doctorate in chemistry.
Email: Ioan-Teodor.Trotus@hte-company.de
Florian Huber is a Senior Scientist working as Team Lead for R&D
Solutions in the field of hydroprocessing and biofeed conversion
with hte GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany. He holds a MSc in chemical
engineering from the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg and a PhD in
chemical engineering from the University of Trondheim, Norway.
Email: Florian.huber@hte-company.de
Jean-Claude Adelbrecht is Business Manager with hte GmbH,
Heidelberg, Germany and has been working in the field of high
throughput experimentation for over 10 years. He holds a PhD in
chemistry from Imperial College London.
Email: Jean-Claude.Adelbrecht@hte-company.de
Thanawat Upienpong is a Refinery Process Engineer with PTT Global
Chemical, Rayong, Thailand. He is responsible for the monitoring,
troubleshooting and optimisation of the production process as well
as hydroprocessing catalyst selection.
Email: Thanawat.U@pttgcgroup.com
Nattapong Pongboot is a Chemical Engineer with PTT Global
Chemical, Rayong, Thailand. He has eight years of experience
including refinery technical service, refinery operation, and process
design. He holds BEng and MEng degrees in chemical engineering
from Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Email: nattapong.pongboot@gmail.com

www.boehmer.de
www.eptq.com

q4 hte ads.indd 5 16/09/2019 09:24

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 Flow maldistribution in shell and tube
heat exchangers
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 fouling

DEREK SUMSION and MIKE WATSON Tube Tech International

TIM DORAU, RICHARD SCHAB, SIMON UNZ, MICHAEL BECKMANN and M REZA MALAYERI Technische Universität Dresden

H
eat exchangers are the work- 𝑑𝑑𝑚𝑚# 𝑑𝑑𝑅𝑅# some exchanger tubes may experi-
horse of most chemical, pet- = 𝜌𝜌# 𝜆𝜆# = 𝑚𝑚) − 𝑚𝑚+ [1] ence lower velocities while others
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
rochemical, food processing, experience higher velocities. This
and power generating processes. where subscripts d and r refer to would, in turn, mean that some
The global heat exchanger market deposit and removal, respectively. tubes may also foul or even clog,
is estimated to top $22.59 billion by In this equation, r, removal rate, is causing unplanned shutdown of the
2023, with an increase of approx- a function of wall shear stress, and exchanger. Accordingly, qualitative
imately 9% per annum.1 Among strength of deposit layer onto the and quantitative prediction of flow
many types of exchangers, approx- surface, thus: maldistribution is of interest in heat
imately 65% of the heat exchanger 𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾 exchanger engineering.
market is still dominated by the 𝑚𝑚" = [2]
𝜑𝜑
shell and tube type heat exchanger Flow maldistribution
(see Figure 1). It is largely favoured where is the wall shear stress, a In operation, a fluid flows through
due to its long performance history, function of fluid velocity φ is the the tube bundle from the intake
relative simplicity in design, oper- strength of deposit and K is a pro- header to the rear header and, during
ation and maintenance, as well as portionality constant. Field and its passage, it is heated or cooled by
its wide temperature and pressure experimental results show that, for heat transfer through the walls of the
design ranges. instance in refineries, asphaltenic tubes by a process or working fluid.
Manufacturers are presently under fouling at crude oil preheat train In current manifestations of these
increasing pressure to produce heat conditions can be mitigated when devices, the product fluid flow rates
exchangers that are more efficient the wall shear stress exceeds approx- through the individual tubes are not
in terms of heat recovery and use imately 10 Pa and is profoundly min- uniform but are greater in the tubes
of material, while at the same time imised when the wall shear stress near or in line with the intake pipe,
being faced with fluids that are is above 15 Pa. Therefore, increased as these offer less flow resistance.
increasingly difficult to process. One velocity has long been sought as a It is common for the intake pipe to
major problem directly related to possible means to minimise foul- be connected to a side of the intake
these requirements is the deposition ing. Nevertheless, in shell and tube header and to extend at an angle to
of unwanted materials on heat trans- heat exchangers, apart from the the axis of the tubes in the bundle.
fer surfaces, which occurs in most operating consequences of a higher In such a configuration, there is still
heat exchangers.2 Conservative stud- pump requirement and increased greater variation in the flow rates
ies estimated that heat exchanger pressure drop, this may not be a through the individual tubes.
fouling leads to additional costs straightforward option due to the The uniform distribution of flow
in the order of 0.25% of the GDP of occurrence of flow maldistribution in the tube bundle of shell and tube
industrialised countries, and that it in the header.5 The latter implies that heat exchangers is an assumption
is responsible for 2.5% of the total in conventional heat exchanger
equivalent anthropogenic emissions design. Nevertheless, in practice
of carbon dioxide.3 Shell and tube flow maldistribution is an inevi-
heat exchangers
Fouling is generally a compli- table occurrence, which may have
cated process that involves a con- severe implications for the thermal
PHE
siderable number of independent and mechanical performance of heat
variables.4 Among many dominant exchangers.5 Flow maldistribution
parameters, fluid velocity is known can be caused either by operating
to have a potentially profound Others conditions (viscosity-induced or
impact on fouling propensity. This (spiral, non-metallic...) density-induced maldistribution,
perhaps is best established in gen- multiphase flow, fouling and/or by
eral fouling modelling: Figure 1 Various heat exchangers in industry exchanger geometry and mechanical

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 85

q4 tubetech.indd 1 16/09/2019 10:08

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 design features (geometrical design, 7.0 tube velocity maldistributions have
manufacturing deficiencies and tol- 6.3
been experienced.
erances . eometry-induced flow To summarise the CFD results for
5.6
maldistribution can further be cat- one- and two-pass exchangers, it can
4.9
egorised into passage-to-passage, be inferred that in each of the heat
manifold-induced, and gross flow 4.2
exchanger designs a significant pro-
maldistribution. 3.5
portion of tubes have a tube velocity
omputational fluid dynamics 2.8 below the desired uniform value.
results for the flow veloc- 2.1 Accordingly, the optimisation of flow
ity distribution in the front header 1.4 for better uniform flow distribution
of a stereotype shell and tube heat 0.7 becomes imperative. There are sev-
exchanger (one-pass) with 464 tubes 0
eral advantages to achieving an opti-
(see Figure 2) showed that there A. mised, uniform flow rate through
Velocity profile ranging from 0 to 7 m/s
exists a noticeable flow maldistri- the tubes of a heat exchanger of this
bution for a typical fluid velocity of 5.0 type, including improved heat trans-
3.0 m/s. This can be explained by a 4.8 fer efficiency, reduced fouling rates,
flow circulation when flow enters 4.6 reduced energy consumption, and
the front head. This, in turn, results 4.4 longer lifetime.
in the formation of dead zones in the 4.2
tube sheet, and many of the tubes 4.0 Potential solution
receive only a very low flow velocity. To overcome these barriers, the
3.8
Similar CFD studies have been FlowEnhancer project, devel-
oped by Tube Tech International
3.6
conducted for a shell and tube
exchanger with a two-pass config- 3.4
Ltd. and funded by the European
uration, which is commonly used 3.2 Commission, intends to develop the
in the preheat trains of refineries. B.
3.0 following technologies that will be
Apart from directly plotting veloc- Velocity profile ranging from 3 to 5 m/s part of a flexible, retrofittable online
ity on a plane (see Figure 2), another heat exchanger system for high
approach to visualising flow mald- Figure 2 Flow maldistributions in a temperatures and a wide range of
istribution across the tube bundle is typical shell and tube heat exchanger with velocity applications, such as those
a bar chart. The average velocity of 464 tubes and one shell (inlet velocity of in the petrochemical industry:
each tube in the first pass is calcu- 3 m/s) • Development and demonstra-
lated at a position 1m downstream tion of a system that provides uni-
of the tube entrance. The resulting need to use stronger pumps, requir- form velocity. This would lead to
tube velocity is normalised using the ing more energy. Using 1.49 m/s improved heat exchanger efficiency,
average velocity in the whole tube average tube velocity (see Figure 4) which will result in considerably
bundle at 1m length, which is 0.497 slightly decreased the flow mald- reduced energy consumption in
m/s given an inlet velocity of 1.252 istribution in comparison to Figure order to achieve the exchange of
m/s. The results are summarised in 3, but the general velocity distribu- heat between the process and the
Figure 3. A maximum deviation of tion is still far from being uniform. product fluids.
±35% from the average velocity can Three other average tube velocities • Development and demonstra-
be observed. Only 339 of 585 tubes between 0.497 m/s and 1.49 m/s tion of a system that provides the
in the first pass are part of the 10 were investigated, for which strong localised region of the header with
range around the average value in
the centre. Due to the non-linear
100
relationship between the wall shear
Number of tubes in each range

90
stress and fouling rate, the tubes on
the lower end of the velocity distri- 80

bution are especially prone to foul- 70

ing. The assumption of uniform flow 60
across the bundle, which is often 50
used for heat exchanger calculations, 40
is thus questionable for a two-pass 30
heat exchanger with 1170 tubes.
20
One possibility to mitigate fouling
10
is to use higher tube velocities that
are directly related to an increase in 0
−40 −30 −20 −10 0 10 20 30 40
wall shear stress. In general, a higher Deviation from mean tube velocity, %
tube velocity can only be achieved at
the expense of an increase in pres- Figure 3 Tube velocity maldistribution in a typical shell and tube heat exchanger with
sure drop, which in turn leads to the 1170 tubes and one shell, inlet velocity 1.252 m/s, and average tube velocity 0.497 m/s

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 87

q4 tubetech.indd 2 16/09/2019 10:08

 new shell and tube heat exchangers
200
willpresence
the be €7.76of billion.
a hydrocarbonWith an esti-
liquid

Number of tubes in each range

Comparing
180liquefaction cycles for mid to large scale offshore FLNG projects
8
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and sodium,
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7 Zhi-shan Bai, Hua-lin Wang, Shan-Tung Tu,
thermal efficiency, equipment count, electrostatic scale L separator
productionmay be the
because of is approximately
dancy and flexibility. 1.15 In million
this units.
case,
2009, Removal of catalyst particles from oil
velocity
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is all settled type,then This specific
reliability, is sup- best brought
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simplicity 2020 the non-flammable
of catalyst
the projectppmconsortium. The project
limits refrigerant
anticipated in
from outlet
be also temperature
limited with increase
and Technology, 44:9, 2067-2077, DOI: longer and
deliv- an
rates, whichoffshore
regulations,
operations, will all
not be suitability,
achieved
refineriesdue willto January
avail- results are
onboard primarily
2020.
nitrogen aimedprevious
Asgenerators.
with at the oil average
ery periods, inflow
which
10.1080/01496390902880149. velocity
could improve-
potentially
make
increased
ability dramatic
andinletimpactshifts
flowof invessel
their motion
velocity. opera- growthrefining insector,
As production the faceas capacities
this is the move
of increasingly sector ment economies
affect of around of10% scale.will be of sig-
tions.
must Because
To achieve
also bethe SO and CSO
required
considered. of vari-2 perilous
functional-
Table towards
into the climate
which
mid-scale change
the and and largeevolv-
FlowEnhancer scaleis nificant interest to refinery plant
Victor Scalco is Global Commercial Strategic
ous qualities
ity and
compares to SMR, and types
materialise MR,thesecan be
and used ing
technical
nitrogen mostly
ranges,environmental
targeted
there andneeds, refiner-
is expected
is a preference towards to operators. Aliquefaction
Outstanding typical decay processrate in
Business Development Manager-Gulftronic
for purposes
objectives,
expander cycles, other
the FlowEnhancer
taking thaninto marine
project ies
consid- have
MR and theshippers
cycles largest willthey
impact.
because find arecreative
more the coil inlet
Selecting the temperature
appropriate inliquefac- the pre-
Electrostatic Separators with General Atomics
fuel,
needs
erationsmall
to
these refineries
enhance canmid
factors,scientific
for either
to rely solutions
knowl-
large efficient to than staynitrogen
competitive and
expander heat process
tion train is is
Electromagnetic an aaverage
Systemskey Group drop
focus forof off-
(GAEMS), 5
onedgeshippers
scale of
L fouling taking
applications.care of the IMO
characteristics relat- address
cycles
Economic global
and have
and health
lower needs.
environmental unit capital per year, L or -11
projects.per year
working on process design and developmentala
shore Recently,accord-
requirements
ingAstocan highbeen or funnel
temperature
from Table their prod-
aggressive
2, the andimpacts operating costs at larger L
of FlowEnhancer few
ing to processes
downstream less optimistichave for
solutions been
estimates.proposed
hydrocarbon Even
ucts
fluidsthrough
nitrogen expander
in shell andthetubeother
cycle applica-
offers
heat capacities.
Shell and tube
lower References
exchang- owever,
heat MR cycles may
exchangers are for offshore
considering
recovery, includingapplications,
the optimisticbut
development of none
outcome, new
tions
efficiencyfor SOthan
ers generate that
newhaveother lesstechnology
knowledge rigorous
about 1be the affected
most
Guercio byProducing,
V J, common
US sea motions
types due
of
exporting to
heat
more have yet
this costs
filtration and been put systems.
aseparation
refinery into operation.
about He1-1.5
holds mil-
a9
requirements.
flow distribution at different veloc- slurry exchangers used,
oil, Oil & Gas representing
Journal, 4 Oct 2010. more MAlion, adjusted
degree from theto 2018 rates.
University These
of San Diego,
or medium
ities in high and large refineries,
temperature fluids 2than Platts, 5 Methodology
of the market this sug-
and Specifications losses are due to the amount of
California.
as well as implement knowledge gests the market for replacement and extra fuel that needs to be burned

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q4 mokhatab.indd 4 15/09/2018 06:42
 to maintain the necessary temperature for the preheat
train. As for the environmental impact, it can be said
that in a 100 000 b/d refinery, for every 1 drop an
additional 1 t/d of O2 is produced.6 In order to calcu-
late the environmental cost, a carbon tax rate of €40/t
was considered. This corresponds to about €120 000 per
year for a 00 000 b/d refinery.
Feeling a pinch
Conclusion
Sustainable and efficient operation of shell and tube heat in your process?
exchangers can be compromised by flow maldistribution
in the intake header. This can be further aggravated in
the event of tube-side deposit formation. results
in this study show that for a two-pass heat exchanger Open it up with
with an inlet fluid velocity of 1. 5 m/s, only out
of 5 5 tubes in the first pass are expected to fall within TWISTED TUBE®
Heat Exchanger
the ±10% range around the average value in the centre.
inally, tentative estimates in this study show that better
uniform flow distribution can increase the exchanger’s
outlet temperature, which, in turn, would lead to lower technology!
energy consumption.
Acknowledgement Common applications
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the include:
European Commission for granting project FlowEnhancer (grant ■
Crude preheat
agreement number 831040) and the GWK’s support for funding this exchangers
project by providing computing time through the Center for Information ■ Overhead condensers
Services and HPC (ZIH) at TU Dresden on the HRSK-II. ■
Reboilers
References ■ Feed / Effluent
1 Heat exchangers market by type, application, classifications and exchangers in:
geography: global forecast to 2023, MarketsandMarkets™ Inc., Report • Hydrocracking
CH3063, Northbrook, IL, USA, Aug 2018.
• Hydrotreating
2 Steinhagen R, Müller-Steinhagen H, Maani K, Problems and costs due (diesel or naptha)
to heat exchanger fouling in New Zealand industries, Heat Transfer Eng.,
• Reforming
vol. 14, no. 1, p19-30, 1992.
3 Müller-Steinhagen H, Malayeri M R, Watkinson A P, Heat exchanger
fouling: environmental impacts, Heat Transfer Eng., vol. 30, no.10-11,
p773-776, 2009. The drop-in solution for increased flows, greater heat
4 Malayeri M R, Müller-Steinhagen H, Initiation of CaSO4 scale
recovery and reduced pressure drops. TWISTED TUBE®
formation on heat transfer surfaces under pool boiling conditions, Heat
Transfer Eng., vol. 28, No. 3, p240-247, 2007. Heat Exchanger technology is your solution for
5 Mohammadi K, Malayeri M R, Parametric study of gross flow enhancing the performance of your shell & tube heat
maldistribution in a single-pass shell and tube heat exchanger in exchangers.
turbulent regime, Int. J. Heat and Fluid Flow, vol. 44, p14-27, 2013.
6 Baudelet C A, Krueger A W, A practical approach to fouling mitigation
in refinery units: the SPIRELF, AlChE Spring National Meeting, New Tube-side Flow Shell-side Flow
Orleans, Louisiana (USA), 1998.
Derek Sumsion is R&D Manager with Tube Tech International, UK.
Mike Watson is the Technical Director of Tube Tech International, UK,
having founded the company in 1988.
Tim Dorau is Research Associate at the chair for energy process
engineering at Technische Universität Dresden, Germany with a research
focus on computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer.
Richard Schab is Research Associate at the chair for energy process
engineering at Technische Universität Dresden, Germany with a research
focus on computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer.
Simon Unz is Research Group Leader for energy systems technologies
at Technische Universität Dresden, Germany and is expert in heat
exchanger technologies as well as heat and mass transfer.
Michael Beckmann is Professor of Energy Process Engineering at
Technische Universität Dresden, Germany and is expert in heat and mass
For related trademark
transfer technologies. information, visit:
M Reza Malayeri is Professor of Chemical Engineering at Technische
Universität Dresden, Germany and is expert in the fouling of heat
www.kochheattransfer.com
exchangers and mathematical modelling of single- and multiphase flows.

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 89

q4 tubetech.indd 4 16/09/2019 10:08

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 Digitalisation is only scratching
the surface
Digitalisation usually means upgrading a few elements of technology or
workflows, leaving a partial digital twin when a holistic approach is needed

ANDREW MCINTEE and ARJUN BALAKRISHNAN

KBC (A Yokogawa Company)

T
he refining industry is con- rofitability is the goal, and spe- constraints, and business justifi-
stantly searching for prof- cifically for the industry this means cation all prevent full value being
itability typically found by improvements in value in the fol- captured at one time or another.
squee ing a little more production lowing areas All too often, solutions are broken
or improving the way things are • Reduced investment cost down and applied to only the one
done from existing assets. Low • Reduced operating cost area that helps the key stakeholder
hanging fruit has largely been • Optimum production for the cur- most. At best, other areas and
picked, and trying to improve fur- rent market conditions stakeholders get some reflected
ther with current methods is dif- • alancing asset maintenance cost value at worst, the value cre-
ficult and costly in the industry’s and availability ated for one is to the detriment of
prevailing compartmentalised • ocused employee support another. This issue is not a unique
organisation. ith digital transfor- • Reduced risk. feature of the oil and gas industry
mation, we can move beyond doing This value is being sought con- all businesses suffer similar issues.
the same things better and eliminate stantly. Internal departments, tech- owever, we can see where dig-
this silo’ bias. igitalisation allows nology and service companies, and italisation has helped some busi-
every bit of change what’s going contractors all are tasked with the nesses create value and benefit all
on faster’ to be improved every ele- goal of improving one or more of areas through a holistic solution.
ment is enhanced, and profitability the above value points. Existing Sometimes this has been com-
benefits are magnified. biases, lack of priority, capital pletely disruptive at other times it

Strategy Corporate business

plan

Supply chain Supply chain Supply chain Supply chain Annual Investment
optimisation management scheduling planning planning planning

Plan vs. actual Production

vs. optimal planning

Production Production
accounting scheduling

Capital support
Asset Profit Process & utility Process Feasibility
optimisation improvement optimisation Debottlenecking design study

Process and Procedural

off-sites automation APC
automation

Figure 1 Complex interactions in optimisation

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 Before being ready to use data to
Supply chain Production make decisions or data that is being
optimisation management fed to software applications, a pro-
Supply chain cess needs to be in place to system-
planning Backcasting
atically assure its quality. It will cost
Production
Production a little more to sort it early on, but
planning
accounting that is better than blindly trusting
Production the data and needing to rectify your
Yield and energy
scheduling
Simulator improvement actions later. Only then is it fair to
Plant-wide declare it as a data store (the ‘data
Unit
optimisation
monitoring lake’) and the system of record.
Real-time Once the data process is estab-
optimisation PI
Equipment
monitoring
lished, the following questions can
and APC
be asked:
Asset performance
Operator
management • ata sufficiency – do you collect
decision support Petro-SIM 7
APM all the necessary values?
Strategic capital • ata trust – are instruments of
project master Operator training
Figure 2 Digitalplanning
twin interactions adequate accuracy and reliability
for their intended purpose?
• ata propagation – when a
Figure 2 Digital twin interactions change is made in the field, how
does the system of record know
greatly enhances what companies most pressing and solvable problem about it?
are already doing well. is at the time. Personal expertise, • ata governance – is there an
The oil and gas industry has seen experience, trusted data sources, ownership record for each data
some effort made in digitalisa- and available tools shape only the point?
tion, but not to the extent of other information available for individ- Individual departments have
industries, and the legacy technol- ual groups. It is well recognised that many data sources, often on
ogy that is firmly established is this is not ideal, and regular meet- locked-down systems or hidden
limiting opportunities for innova- ings are set, in both an operations away in obscurely named folders.
tion. One reason why is that other environment or in project design, to Connectivity covers the methods
industries have reasonably linear update others on the data and infor- and tools needed to make this data
work processes, where steps fol- mation each group has. accessible to all users and systems.
low one another in a well-defined The transfer of information is This can run from physical infra-
path. The oil and gas industry is intended to form more data for structure to cyber security, but
different – it has very complex iter- a group to make a further, more for engineering departments this
ating work processes across many informed judgement. In the case means simulation tools and physics
areas. For instance, in the optimisa- where data is not transferred or models.
tion of downstream feed networks badly transferred, assumptions Currently, throughout the design
and production facilities, there are need to be made, and time is spent stages, many hundreds of simula-
a great many interactions between judging the worth of the assump- tion models are created. There are
strategy, planning, scheduling, pro- tions as well as rectifying them once typically many different revisions
cess engineers, reliability specialists, the assumption is proved wrong. as a project progresses, or a whole
unit licensors, utility engineers, and The cost of all this is time. new model as it assimilates another
asset suppliers, to name but a few There are really two steps when department’s output. With digital-
(see Figure 1 . The final design is a digitalisation enables better out- isation, there is a single model that
myriad of trade-offs, assumptions comes. First, data is ready and is set up as a digital twin, constantly
and assumed overall best value secondly data is connected. This cre- synchronised with the system of
that in some cases has taken many ates a single source of the truth that records via always up-to-date asset
years to manifest across workflows. is available to all stakeholders and models of the plant (see Figure 2).
Digitalisation will enable technol- is constantly updated in real time. A digital twin is relevant beyond
ogy to give deeper integration of the To counter this in non-digital the engineering department. It is a
current engineering silos, quicken workflows, common thinking is to decision support tool that enables
iterative workflows, simplify the share more data. But adding more improved safety, reliability and
complex, and deliver huge value in data without it being reconciled profitability in design and opera-
optimisation across all stakeholders. and understood, what it is, where tions. It is a virtual digital copy of a
it fits, and how it connects is just as device, system or process that accu-
Finding out what’s going on bad. You may have the best tools, rately mimics actual performance
The current problems are well the most experience and the key in real time, that is executable and
known throughout the industry and expertise, but with data: ‘garbage in, can be manipulated, allowing a
everyone has an opinion of what the garbage out’ is often the outcome. better outcome to be developed.

92 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 kbc.indd 2 16/09/2019 10:11

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 The model develops as the asset ing acceptable limits and finally are not at the ideal yet, but develop-
develops and more history of both negotiating an outcome is long. ment teams are heading there.
is attained. Typically, this arrives at a compro-
The core of a digital twin is the mise prone to large margins of error Full stream
simulation model, intrinsically inte- that is only mildly beneficial. Full stream thinking means creating
grated with the required thermo- Digitalisation has enabled all of an end-to-end technology platform
dynamics, data system of records the required expertise to collaborate centred around engineering simu-
and detailed analytical tools, such in optimising change. The expert lation software that revolutionises
as pipeline network or gas turbine can use the digital twin to gain an supply chain optimisation in down-
power models. Connecting all the accurate representation of the asset stream and production optimisation
best tools, such that they run and over its full range of operation, and in upstream across the lifecycle of
update automatically, will mas- capture the full history of the asset. an asset.
sively reduce the time for iterat- Regular model runs enable con-
ing information and the time spent nected analytics to run options for Common environment
in update meetings or costly reme- optimisation and arrive at actions A common environment models,
dial fixes. that are most beneficial over the life simulates, and optimises production
of the asset without the need for and processing facilities at various
Making the change extensive meetings. levels of detail and with the appro-
Breaking each step down into the priate level of fidelity, enabling
questions that need to be asked Doing it faster design, production and process
when considering change can make A digital twin will benefit speed in a engineers to:
that change easier: why and when number of ways. A single version of • Optimise engineering workflows,
to change, what to change to, and the truth with shared data and out- reducing time and effort involved
how to change. from identification of a problem to
or engineers, workflows and implementation of the solution
departments have traditionally
A digital twin is a • ompare different production
been organised to monitor, ana- decision support scenarios and engineering solu-
lyse and answer the why and when tions, to reduce design margins and
questions. The question of what tool that enables improve the accuracy of forecasting
to change is more complex due to • Create realistic plans, and identify
the nature of the industries’ pro- improved safety, the gap between the plan and real-
cesses and extended value chains ity to convert it into an actionable
so that people meet to get inputs reliability and plan on a routine basis that enables
from groups with differing exper- realistic production goals
tise. How to change is the validation profitability in design • Improve production monitoring
of ideas to give the overall opti- capabilities and prevent production
mum outcome. Historically, this
and operations losses
has meant buy-in and trade-offs. • Exploit synergies between dif-
The outcome of this effort is cleanly puts will reduce the time required ferent skills and enhance team-
defined hand-offs for change, which for error checking. Automatic work and the efficient utilisation of
starts many weeks before to ensure updates propagate through the resources.
that change happens at the appro- integrated models to deliver a solu-
priate time. tion that is feasible for all parties. The Cloud
Failure to achieve this level of Integrated models that have a com- The Cloud can engage people and
rigour results in large amounts of mon basis, a simplified and con- technologies from outside corpo-
firefighting with the associated sistent user experience, increase rate boundaries. An example is
increased costs of manhours and the speed of solution through augmentation with georeferenced
effort. owever, if the balance is alignment of outcomes that bal- 3D visualisation models in remote
wrong, with too much emphasis ance complexity with speed. Access or resource-constrained environ-
on the application of workflows, to knowledge allows the user to ments – the Cloud allows remote
this makes a business sluggish and understand the need and priori- subject matter experts to use the
typically builds up silos between tise the change with clear action digital twin as if they were employ-
departments. plans. This enables high speed of ees present on site. The Cloud ena-
A cost-conscious culture has implementation. bles the digital twin to subscribe to
meant that talent is sometimes just external data feeds that can enrich
not available in sufficient quanti- Digital twin its resolution.
ties. Slow responses are a typical A future ideal is one multi-pur-
result as the workforce tackles its pose digital twin which aligns asset Scratching the surface
priorities. Iteration and compromise lifecycle and value chain by run- In a case study of the optimisation
between groups is needed. The time ning off ubiquitous data sources at of a greenfield refinery and petro-
for iteration, checking and recheck- appropriate computing speeds. We chemical complex with associated

94 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 kbc.indd 3 16/09/2019 10:11

 ProMax ®

BR&E Process Simulation Software

Advances in Reactor Modeling

Process Insight: Streamlines Gasoline Production
Debottlenecking
Beginning in 2017, TIER 3 regulations that provide chemical meaning to oil fractions.
will reduce corporate average sulfur in gasoline The AutoKinetic® reactors in ProMax make use
from 30 wppm to 10 wppm. New regulations are of these species to generate reaction sets and
expected to strain existing refinery configurations at their corresponding rate expressions according to
a time when the US gasoline market is increasing the strict chemical rules governing the process.
its reliance on low-octane feedstocks from shale ProMax AutoKinetic reactors provide users with a
and experiencing a turnaround in domestic suite of rigorous reactor models to simulate refining
demand. Uncertainty on future refining margins and other hydrocarbon reactor processes. A typical
requires refiners to place a significant emphasis on process layout for Gasoline Production would
flexible planning and process debottlenecking to include Blending, Fractionation, Caustic Treatment,
meet target quality and product slate. Amine Treating, Naphtha Hydrotreating (Figure
1), Catalytic Reforming, Isomerization, Alkylation,
Planning models make extensive use of Selective Hydrogenation (SHU) and Selective HDS
linear programming to maximize margins through (Post-treating) of Catalytic Naphtha.
stream allocation and blending optimization.
Accurate prediction of future plant performance
in the form of process vector yields is critical.
Likewise, the successful estimation of process
vector yields must include: (1) rigorous modeling of
process equipment, (2) comprehensive simulation
of the process layout, and (3) fast evaluation
of multiple scenarios for optimization. Under
conventional approaches, these models occur at
different levels. The rigorous process equipment
models are utilized to provide generalized
performance criteria to the process simulator.
The process simulator links together performance Combined with the ProMax Scenario Tool™,
criteria from multiple equipment models in a AutoKinetic reactors can be used to debottleneck
process layout. Optimization routines then evaluate and optimize blend stocks and yields in gasoline
multiple scenarios within the process layout. The production trains. By translating regulatory
complexity of the conventional layered approach frameworks into targets for sulfur, Reid vapor
reduces the efficiency of scenario testing and, pressure, and octane number, ProMax users
ultimately, reduces the likelihood of identifying have the ability to evaluate the benefits and/or
bottlenecks and locating the optimum configuration. shortcomings of different process scenarios and
test for imbalances, performance losses, surplus
All of these distinct models may be capacities as well as to identify opportunities
moved into a single simulator using ProMax®. In for new capital projects under variable pricing
refinery simulations, ProMax replaces traditional structures and crude availabilities while getting
boiling-based pseudo-components with species ready to meet TIER 3 gasoline sulfur levels.

sales@bre.com • support@bre.com • www.bre.com • 1-979-776-5220

Or contact USP Trading & Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd. - Energy Division • New Delhi • www.usptm.net/energy.php
9650640798,011-46032975 • Umesh Goel • BR&E Sales Representative • ugoel@usptm.net

bre.indd 1 08/06/2018 19:22

 feed, product and utility infrastruc- accepting built-in inefficiencies. At results have been taken from some
ture, a holistic digital model of all a business level, operating costs of their efforts. Efforts, however,
elements, crucially including water, would be higher than those of peer have been confined to upgrading
steam, power and hydrogen, quickly companies. This would place the one or two elements of the technol-
allowed the owner to save capi- company in the second quartile for ogy or workflows, leaving a partial’
tal, ongoing operating costs, water energy efficiency and there would digital twin. This is scratching the
usage, energy, and carbon footprint. be acknowledgement of a certain surface of the digital transformation
At the centre of this was the con- level of regret capital. and threatens to undermine effort.
struction of a digital twin founded The creation of the digital twin orkflows and processes will trend
on a etro-SIM process flowsheet, and subsequent deeper integra- back to the status quo, optimum
with utility, detailed unit simulation tion of all the stakeholders into the outcomes will not be reached, and
and equipment models. design provided a clearer under- valuable results will be unsustain-
K was asked, as technical advi- standing of what was going on. able. ata driven analysis must be
sor to the billion-dollar project, to The digital twin allowed the utility combined with physics models in
ensure that the strategic goals of system to be reconfigured at the the digital twin.
the project were met using expertise same time that the licensor’s chang- eeper integration of the technol-
and digital twin tools. One specific ing requirements for steam balance ogy will turn a partial digital twin
goal was to be a top quartile energy were updated. into a full one. The latest generation
performer. Early in the engagement, ifferent complex-wide design of simulation tools has native data
it was clear that the licensors, con- configurations were tested, and the connectivity and data models to
tractors and asset suppliers had digital twin focused discussions on allow seamless digital integration.
submitted packages based on the boiler ramp-up rates and the com- The technology packages in the case
limited information they had been plexity of control, which was subse- study are heading towards the digi-
given. They had stuck to their brief, tal twin ideal.
utilising the digital tools they had, The latest generation The result can be completed by
and all played their part to be the all the group utilising the digital
cheapest and simplest solution to be of simulation tools twin with remote expert guidance
built within the project’s time frame. as needed. The optimum is reached
This siloed view was compounded has native data within the iterations of the model
by the inclusion of the utility systems and available to the project as soon
at the end of the stage as a bolt-on’ connectivity and as the solution is reached. Outside
to satisfy the different processes. the operating envelope, impacts are
One of the specific results in this case
data models to allow immediately visualised and alerts for
was several additional utility boilers seamless digital action sent. pdated data or strate-
offsetting imported power by con- gic goal changes can see new results
densing, through turbines, the excess integration quickly, with all the corresponding
steam in normal operation. The si e information fed automatically to
of the utility system was also gov- quently clearly demonstrated to all. those who need it. The project cal-
erned by the reliability of a couple of Meetings took decisions rather than culates the value of the change, its
units for a one-in-multi-year event. providing updates, revising data or impact with mitigating actions and
At this point, it was a business risk to being concerned over the pressing revised priorities, such that the pro-
proceed or not. timescale. ject team can respond faster.
owever, there was a change in The resulting design eliminated The digital twin upgrades technol-
the project’s fundamentals, and this utility boilers and the associated tur- ogy, integrates departments, aligns
is where the need for deeper inte- bines, saving 0 million in capital workflows and captures full value.
gration through the digital twin investment costs. The move away
was demonstrated. The energy costs from condensing turbine power will Petro-SIM is a trademark of KBC (a Yokogawa
were updated to reflect current save an annual 0 million in oper- Company).
levels, and the digital twin imme- ating costs, with a massive reduc-
diately flagged that the power strat- tion in carbon emissions and water Andrew McIntee supports KBC’s global
egy had flipped, favouring power usage. The final utility system real- initiatives with over 12 years’ consultancy
import. The owners now had a ised using the digital twin has lower experience where he has helped evaluate,
risk and financial decision to trade costs and increased reliability and prioritise and decide on the technical
optimisation of clients’ facilities. He is a
against project time in reworks. availability. The digital twin ensured
chartered engineer and holds a master’s degree
istorically, to maintain project a robust and optimal design by ena-
from the University of Leeds.
timescales, this would have pro- bling all possible scenarios to be sim- Arjun Balakrishnan is a senior energy
ceeded with a few tweaks, but with ulated, studied and mitigated. consultant based in Singapore and is the
most of the project being built as Technical Lead of KBC’s Energy Co-Pilot
per the design. Start-up would have Conclusion Hub. He has worked on a number of energy
to deal with excess steam, learning early all companies are progress- efficiency projects, and holds a master’s degree
the lower limits of boiler firing and ing with digitalisation, and valuable from the University of Manchester.

96 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 kbc.indd 4 17/09/2019 13:27

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 Sampling system design
Correct probe orientation is a critical consideration in the design of a sampling
system for process streams

RANDY RIEKEN
Swagelok Company

I
n analytical sampling systems,
probes are a common method
used to extract samples from the
middle of a process stream. They
are typically inserted into a nozzle
at the process tap location to extract
samples for analysis.
The probe is a metal, glass, or fluid
ceramic proboscis that extends
into the process fluid see Figure 1).
rocess fluid enters the proboscis
and the probe withdraws a sample
for analysis. Alternatively, a noz- Figure 1 A probe extends into the process Figure 2 Inertia helps to keep the particles
zle can be used without a probe to fluid and withdraws a continuous flow in a process stream moving downstream
deliver samples to the analyser. for analysis instead of flowing into the probe, allowing
But, for most systems, probe sam- the probe to act as an effective filter
ple delivery offers advantages com-
pared to nozzle sample delivery, accurate and timely sample anal- ators. The following article will
including inherent filtering, faster ysis. For example, one of the most review common probe designs in
analyses, and better samples. commonly used types of probe detail, describing unique challenges
For reliable sampling, it is impor- has angle-cut ends and typically operators should know about and
tant for the probe to be correctly requires the entry port to be pointed what precautions they should take
oriented. A probe acts as a filter in downstream – but not always. to ensure safe and reliable opera-
an analytical instrumentation sys- Other probes have square-cut ends tion. It will explore probe sampling
tem, excluding dust, pipe scale, and therefore no preferable orien- in a variety of environments and
and entrained liquid drops from tation within the system flow. oth applications, as well as demonstrate
the extracted sample. Its filtering designs are shown in Figure 3. the proper placement of nozzles to
effect occurs as particles in a process A good knowledge of probes is ensure sampling system accuracy.
stream move downstream due to essential for sampling system oper- In addition, it will highlight con-
their momentum, rather than tak- siderations for when one should
ing a sharp turn into the mouth of and should not use a probe for sam-
the probe see Figure 2). If a probe pling. Appendices 1 and 2 at the end
is oriented improperly, operators a square-cut of this article provide guidelines
may encounter numerous prob- probe
on sampling accuracy with proper
lems, including particle uptake, nozzle placement and when to use a
analysis time delay, and other fac- probe for sampling.
tors that can negatively impact effi-
cient analyses and operation. More b angle-cut Orienting angle-cut probes
probe
importantly, samples obtained via Angle-cut probes are the stand-
an improperly oriented probe may ard choice in many fluid process-
be inaccurate, leading to poorer ing applications, especially in
quality products and potential Figure 3 These two common probes applications where the entry port
safety issues. c entry
differ in their preferred sample sealed end,
drilled port
faces downstream. They are durable,
Additionally, probes vary in port location. A square-cut probe has no inexpensive, and generally effective.
their design, and it is important for preferred orientation to flow. The entry As Figure 3b shows, angle-cut probes
port on an angle-cut probe typically
operators to know when, where, typically feature 45° or 30° angles.
points downstream
and how to use each type to ensure The angle creates an oval-shaped

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 99

q4 swagelok.indd 1 16/09/2019 10:24

 entry point that is slightly larger point. These conditions can impact
than the pipe bore. Therefore, this the accuracy of a sample.
type of probe is less likely to become In this situation, the liquid in the
blocked or clogged, making it ideal probe is at a lower pressure than
for process streams where solid par- Tip of probe the surrounding fluid. Therefore,
ticles or liquid droplets could con- the liquid starts to bubble and
taminate the sample. uR cool slightly, resulting in a two-
uP
Because of the asymmetric cut, phase mixture that is neither sta-
however, this probe must be prop- ble nor representative. It will
erly oriented to the system flow. therefore result in an inaccurate
Typically, it should be oriented Flow
uA analyser reading.
downstream, with some exceptions. Particle Since the bubble point occurs
No matter the orientation, it is good inside the probe, it is not visible
practice to engrave the desired and the operator may not notice
probe orientation on the flange or this inaccuracy when it occurs. The
valve to help installers. Figure 4 Particles in a process stream vapour may then recondense in the
Figure 4 is a simplified illustration travel at an axial velocity (uA). Upon transport line as the liquid cools,
of the velocity vectors experienced encountering a probe, a radial velocity (uR) further impacting sample accu-
by a particle that is denser than the pulls them toward the probe’s entry port. racy. The sample will have a varia-
With an angle-cut probe, particles follow
process fluid. Shown here, the par- ble composition and will generate
an angular trajectory (uP) that keeps them
ticle has more momentum than the from entering the probe
erratic results.
fluid and tends to travel at an axial If the stream is clean, an operator
velocity (UA) equal to the velocity may reverse the angle-cut probe
of the process fluid in the pipe. The • Sampling a gas containing very so the entry port faces upstream.
sample flows into the probe and fine solids This will cause a pressure increase
creates a radial velocity (UR) that • Sampling for laboratory analysis. in the probe, preventing bubbling.
helps to pull the particle toward In the first three examples, pres- This is a convenient fix but can
the entry port. The resultant parti- sure variations in the process fluid only be done in a clean stream – if
cle trajectory (UP) veers toward the when it streams past an obstruc- the stream is dirty, the reversed
probe at an angle determined by tion – a probe, for instance – can angle-cut probe will collect par-
the relative magnitude of the two create a challenge. Here, the stream ticles, rendering an unacceptable
velocities. The angle cut allows a pressure tends to slightly increase sample.
veering particle to miss the probe as the fluid contacts the probe and Square-cut probes may work in
entry port, while a square-cut probe drops slightly in the probe’s wake. this situation instead, as they can
is more likely to capture those par- ecause of this fluctuation, pres- typically maintain a more even
ticles along the UP trajectory. sure within an angle-cut probe with internal pressure and will help min-
Figure 2 also demonstrates how an upstream entry point tends to imise bubbling. Location here is
the probe’s UR draws particles in. become higher than the pressure in important. Operators may decide
This velocity can be controlled by the surrounding fluid. onversely, to install the nozzle in the bottom
adjusting the internal diameter when the angle-cut probe entry of the line. In this orientation, the
of the probe. A wide-bore probe point faces downstream, pressure probe will reach into the flow, caus-
helps to minimise particle uptake, within the probe is slightly lower ing bubbles to rise up and away
but additional purge time will be than the surrounding fluid. ere, from the probe within the process
required. It is important for oper- a square-cut probe can help yield stream. However, the probe’s width
ators to account for any time delay a smaller pressure reduction in the must be sufficient to realise an inter-
this purge may cause. sampled fluid – and may be pre- nal liquid velocity of around 0.1
ferred to using an angle-cut probe m/s. This will allow the bubbles
Orienting square-cut and other pointing downstream. to escape.
probes Each example listed above has Another more suitable option is
There are several common applica- unique considerations that opera- to find a location with more pres-
tions where angle-cut probes may tors must contemplate when decid- sure to prevent bubbling at the
be less than ideal, and a square-cut ing on proper orientation. The rest probe. Installing a probe after a
probe may be better suited. A few of this article will explore each process pump for example is an
of them may include: in detail. excellent location for this technique.
• Liquid sampling at its bubble If that is not possible, the sampling
point temperature Sampling a liquid at its bubble point tap can be moved to a lower eleva-
• Vapour sampling at its dew point Even the slightest pressure drop tion in the same line. Because liquid
temperature experienced by an angle-cut probe pressure increases at lower eleva-
• Sampling at very low process facing downstream can be enough tions, this location may be enough
pressure to vaporise some liquid when sam- to prevent the liquid from reaching
• Sampling an upward process flow pling from a liquid at its bubble its boiling point.

100 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 swagelok.indd 2 16/09/2019 10:24

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 Vapour sampling at its dew point Sampling a gas containing fine solids
An angle-cut probe with its inlet One of the reasons down-
port pointing downstream is gener- stream-pointed, angle-cut probes
ally an effective method to sample are broadly used is because any
a vapour at its dew point. Lower Tip of probe particles that may be present
pressure within the probe means within the stream are too heavy
that condensation will not occur to follow the fluid flow as it
there and will vaporise any fine turns into the probe’s entry port.
liquid drops that may be present in owever, this is not the case in all
the process sample, resulting in an Flow industrial applications.
accurate sample. hen a gas process stream con-
An angle-cut probe with the entry tains fine solids, these particles
port facing upstream is another Liquid drip may remain with the gas as it is
option to be considered. This ori- taken up through the probe. Eddy
entation slightly increases pres- currents on the downstream side
sure in the probe, meaning liquids of the probe tend to carry fine sol-
will not vaporise into the extracted ids into the angled portion of the
sample gas. Some minor local con- Figure 5 Fast-moving droplets in a probe. Square-cut probes are less
densation may occur, however, due condensing gas stream collide with the prone to this issue and can be an
to the pressure rise. This arrange- exposed portion of a probe’s inner wall optimal choice over their angle-cut
ment may improve aerosol removal and coalesce into larger drops that fall counterparts when dealing with
from the tip of the probe, minimising the
and liquid drainage, especially at fine particles.
amount of fluid in the sample
a low sample extraction velocity.
Figure 5 shows how this process Sampling for laboratory analysis
works fast-moving droplets intrude The best option is to use a special In laboratory sampling applica-
onto the exposed inner surface of probe containing a coalesced ele- tions, angle-cut probes are often
the probe, then coalesce to form ment or membrane filter in the body used with their entry ports facing
larger drops that drip back into of the probe. This device removes upstream – the opposite orienta-
the pipeline from the sharp tip of the liquid phase completely without tion of most examples discussed
the probe. changing sample temperature and in this article. This is because labo-
Gas pipeline operators, who pressure. ratory samples must often include
sometimes want to sample only solid particles and liquid drop-
the hydrocarbon vapour from a Sampling at very low process lets carried in the process stream,
line containing condensed hydro- pressure in adherence with strict industry
carbon liquids, may not find these As mentioned, angle-cut probes standard procedures.
methods suitable. In fact, obtaining facing downstream lead to a small ue to the difference in probe ori-
a meaningful vapour sample from drop in pressure in the sampling entation, it is important to remem-
this two-phase process stream is process. hile not troublesome ber that a difference in analytical
oftentimes difficult and requires in every application, this pressure measurements may occur.
specialised methodology. Angle- drop is not welcome when a sample
cut probes pointing downstream must be extracted from a process The importance of proper orientation
will not work, since the pressure stream that is already at a low pres- roper probe orientation and loca-
drop occurring inside the probe sure. ressure is needed to drive tion for accurate, reliable sam-
will cause liquid droplets to vapor- the sample to the analyser location pling depend on a variety of
ise, immediately, rendering the and to its disposal point. If pres- factors. rocess stream conditions
sample unusable. sure is already low, the time delay and application needs often dic-
A square-cut probe is prefer- for analysis will increase, leading tate both the choice of probe and
able in this situation, as it will to possible issues. Operators run- the best orientation for that probe.
minimise the pressure drop and ning a fast loop back to process can hile angle-cut probes are suit-
liquid content in the extracted compensate for this lost pressure able for most applications, oper-
sample. Subsequent sample con- at the sample take-off probe by ators must pay close attention to
ditioning will remove remaining using the same kind of probe in the the direction the angle cut faces
liquid while ensuring sample tem- return tap. to account for natural pressure
perature and pressure stay con- If the sample is clean, the sam- fluctuations and particles within
stant. The operation is typically ple take-off probe can be pointed the stream.
performed manually and requires upstream and the sample return A working knowledge of the con-
a high level of skill the slightest probe downstream. This technique cepts discussed throughout this
temperature or pressure changes will increase the number of particles article can help any operator extract
can cause the captured liquid to in the fast-loop flow, but will help a representative sample, ensuring
evaporate or can lead to vapour improve the differential pressure accurate, timely analytical measure-
condensation. between each tap. ments for a quality end product.

102 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

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 Appendix 1: Ensuring When a stream contains no solid
sampling accuracy with particles or entrained liquids, the
proper nozzle placement only advantage a probe offers is
Nozzles, which house sampling a faster response. If a large noz-
probes, must be placed at the 2d zle is in place, the reduction in lag
right location within the system to time for triple purging the mixing
achieve sampling accuracy. Poor volume would be a good reason
nozzle placement may lead to for adding a probe. However, if a
5d
analysis delays, sample contami- new tap is simply being added to a
nation, and inaccurate analyses. small line, it may be easier to install
Ideally, sampling system engi- a short ¾in pipe nozzle and run
neers will dictate piping layouts enough sample flow to purge it.
and even process vessel design d On very small pipelines, probes
to ensure the nozzle is properly can obstruct the process flow.
situated. However, it is more Ideal spacing for gases or liquids in
Some project specifications dis-
likely that system engineers will Figure 6 Ideal
horizontal or nozzle spacing for sampling
vertical pipelines courage probes on pipelines
need to work with existing sche- gases or liquids in horizontal or vertical smaller than an 80mm (3in) nom-
matics – and it is possible that the pipelines is at least five pipe diameters inal bore. Operators should use
prescribed nozzle location is not upstream and two pipe diameters their best judgment based on
downstream of any flow disturbances
in the right place or orientation the potential for solid or liquid
to ensure timely, uncompromised entrainment and the practicality
samples. Figure 6) to avoid getting bubbles in of installing a probe.
When determining where to the sample. The installation of a probe and
position the nozzle in a pipeline efore determining a final tap nozzle comes at a cost to the pro-
or vessel, select a location where location, remember that the use of cessor. The capital cost of a probe
the process fluid has been thor- a probe (or no probe) will deter- is greater than a simple ¾in pipe
oughly mixed, so the sample mine the orientation and diameter nozzle, and the probe is likely to
accurately reflects process condi- of the no le and its end fittings. require some ongoing mainte-
tions. If possible, install an in-line Once a probe has been selected, nance. If the fluid is very clean
static mixer in the process line. If revisit the chosen location, and and the line contains no pipe
a mixer is not an option, locate check the physical space available debris, the most economic deci-
the tap downstream from a point for installation and maintenance sion is not to use a probe, if the
of induced turbulence, such as a work. There should be enough slower analyser response to pro-
pump discharge, flow orifice, or clearance for fabricating the noz- cess changes is acceptable.
piping elbow. The turbulence will zle, maintaining the process isola- However, omitting probes from
help mix the process fluid before tion valve, and withdrawing the lines carrying a wet gas or dirty
sampling. Be sure to also consider probe. Also consider accessibil- fluid presents a false economy.
each of the orientation guide- ity and lighting. A simple tap and Any fluid with an expected solid
lines noted throughout this arti- pipe probe might require only a content demands a probe, as does
cle when determining the correct small platform and ladder, but a any gas carrying entrained liquid
orientation. field station will need a full plat- drops. Otherwise, the analyser
For pipeline sampling, the tap form and lighting. will be less reliable.
should be located at least two pipe Finally, avoid a projecting probe
diameters downstream of the last Appendix 2: When not to if the pipeline is subject to pig-
flow disturbance – as long as it use a probe ging. A pig is a shuttle sent down
does not interfere with a flow-me- In most systems, probe sample a pipeline to clean it, or to sepa-
tering element. However, if the delivery offers significant advan- rate one conveyed product from
process fluid is a liquid that is tages compared to simple nozzle another, and it tends to damage
close to its bubble point, locate sample delivery. However, probes probes. For large gas pipelines,
the sample tap where there is are not always necessary, and may a mechanism is available that
at least five pipe diameters of add unnecessary cost to an opera- retracts the probe on command
clear straight pipe upstream and tion. Determining the necessity of a and automatically reinserts the
two diameters downstream (see probe is relatively simple. probe after the pig passes by.

This article was adapted from Industrial Randy Rieken is Market Manager for Chemical providing engineered fluid control components,
Sampling Systems: Reliable Design and and Refining with Swagelok Company. He subsystems, and instrumentation solutions for
Maintenance for Process Analyzers, published is responsible for the development and the most critical applications in the oil and
by Swagelok Company. implementation of chemical and refining gas, chemical, semiconductor, power, and life
market-driven strategies. He has over 25 years sciences markets.
of global business development experience Email: randy.rieken@swagelok.com.

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 103

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Oprex-Ad210x297.indd
yogogawa.indd 1 1 19/07/2019
12/09/2019 13:18
14:14
 Digitalisation in refining and
petrochemicals
The introduction of IIoT technologies is helping two companies improve their
decision making and performance

CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH and JOHNSON DOMINIC

Helium Consulting

R
efiners are increasingly explor-
ing digital tools that take Gas
advantage of the emerging separation ARU
and Sulphur
Industrial Internet of Things IIoT , stabilisation SWS recovery Sulphur
as well as advanced software for ATU
data analysis that can optimise pro- Atmospheric Blending
distillation
cess operations and reduce down-
time. A plant enabled by IIoT is Naphtha Fuel gas
equipped with a combination of sen- hydrotreater
LPG
sors, automation systems and cloud
Gasoline
based technologies that are inte- Kero
hydrotreater Naphtha
grated with its current systems and
data analytics capabilities. Streaming Jet fuels
data from sensors and instruments Crude Diesel Kerosene
oil hydrotreater
enables plants to quickly assess cur- Solvents
rent conditions and identify warning Fluidised Heating oils
signs for abnormal operations. To catalytic
cracking Diesel
strengthen the chances of success,
Asphalts
refinery and petrochemicals compa- HCU Lubricants
nies are using digital tools that ena-
ble plants to access the benefits of the Vacuum Greases
IIoT and cloud computing. distillation Waxes
IIoT enabled digital systems with VGO HDT
advanced analytics help refiners to Coking
make improved decisions by aggre-
gating data from multiple sources.
reviously, cost effective data gen- Figure 1 Refinery sulphur circuit
eration was not available to enable
use of technologies such as pattern els over time, so that the benefits Case Study I: The journey to
recognition and analytics to guide of advanced process control are digitalisation
actions based on generated data. The sustained The following case study explains
benefits of such IIoT enabled tools • Lowering overall process risk, thus how digitalisation and implemen-
include improving safety tation of IIoT helped one of India’s
• ecision making support and • Reducing maintenance costs. leading refineries to deliver value
improved operation through contin- In this article, we discuss two case and optimise processes, as well
uous monitoring and by providing studies from the refining and petro- as meeting environmental stand-
instant access to information chemicals industry. The case studies ards. The project faced several
• Improved monitoring of energy explain how the digitalisation jour- key challenges.
use to increase operating efficiency ney started, the challenges faced, and
• Reducing unplanned down- the path to implementation of IIoT. Core refinery challenge
time with increased rate of asset A value focused approach is taken Sulphur is present in crude oil and
utilisation to leverage IIoT implementation in natural gas in multiple forms
• etection of small to large scale and make refiners more profitable. including mercaptans. Much of
causes of efficiency losses These economics based decisions use this sulphur content is converted
• Maintaining the effectiveness of continuous comparisons between through hydrotreating into hydro-
control loops, controllers and mod- designed and actual performance. gen sulphide in refining and other

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 105

q4 helium.indd 1 17/09/2019 06:27

 Your valves are talking to you.
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 conversion facilities. The hydrogen analysis, and KPIs are generated
sulphide fumes that characterise APC and visualised in the dashboard.
many gas processing, refinery oper- This helps to convert a mountain of
ations and petroleum production data into actionable information and
sites represent a genuine threat to Data Planning translate that actionable information
visualisation
safety and the environment. The into decisions, leading to real, day to
acid gas removal unit is used to sep- day plant improvements.
arate and concentrate H2S and other Mboss for The solution enhances the refin-
acid gases produced in hydrotreat- sulphur system ery’s economic and environmen-
ment. The sulphur recovery process tal performance through a unified
converts H2S to elemental sulphur approach to the entire business
(see Figure 1). Analysis Simulation process, encompassing monitor-
In light of increased emissions reg- ing to control of multiple process
ulations, changing the crude slates Figure 2 Integration of systems using Mboss operations using multiple software
to process lighter, sweeter crude is a applications on one platform. The
potential solution, but this depends through detailed analysis, expedited primary objective of the solution is to
on the availability of sweet crude. A corrective actions and use of auto- optimise the sulphur recovery circuit
refinery where the option of chang- mated algorithms in real time. This and find the best operating parame-
ing feed strategy is not available may platform implements and leverages ters to enhance performance while
need to invest in expensive upgrad- (if not already implemented) multi- minimising cost and bottlenecks.
ing projects. ple independent applications in the The solution provides a seam-
plant on one platform to provide an less stream of actionable insights,
Operating challenges optimised solution. which enables sulphur operations in
The key operating challenges facing Mboss is a proprietary software the refinery to inspect their process
the refinery included running an platform written especially for sul- analyses for optimisation and early
energy efficient process catering to phur systems in the refining, petro- diagnosis of issues to prevent costly
environmental regulations unit una- chemicals and gas industries. The hidden upsets. A single window
vailability operations less than opti- application integrates visualisation gives real time, actionable insights to
mal and lack of availability of real of key performance indicators (KPI) optimise the process.
time process optimisation. and process analytics. The solution
combines ‘deep domain’ knowledge Benefits
Asset challenges from operations technology and Integration and optimisation of mul-
Refineries are generally equipped information technology for online tiple applications gives the refiner
with process automation technolo- analysis. It provides an environment an appropriate platform for mak-
gies including DCS, HMI, SCADA, for an integrated sulphur manage- ing decisions. Measurable benefits
data historian, and so on. These form ment system using a ‘sulphur rich’ include reduction in energy use of
the backbone of automated data col- dashboard with refinery and petro- 1-3%, reduced emissions by upwards
lection systems, process simulation chemical specific K Is, and a high of 50 , and significant gains in the
modelling and scheduling. However, speed integration platform aligned stability of plant operations.
there is still plenty of scope for with high frequency data from Now, data from various sources in
improvement. DCS, APC and other automation the refinery can be combined in one
technologies. place for better investigation. The
Solution Phased implementation of the sys- sulphur dashboard is used to cen-
An approach to such a challenge is tem was planned for the refinery. tralise sulphur operations.
to combine a business process for the Advanced process control was car- The Mboss solution integrates the
sulphur system and create a digital ried out for the sulphur recovery, tail process simulation model and ena-
platform for decision making based gas and sour water units. A process bles automatic running of the model
on sulphur processes. The solution simulation model was also devel- in real time.
focuses on optimisation of sulphur oped for the sulphur system. Sulphur recovery efficiency
removal using analytics based on Users access data from the local depends on the condenser outlet
data from the sulphur circuit. This is area network and make recommen- temperature. The new system pro-
a sophisticated solution that aims to dations for appropriate operational vides an optimum temperature pro-
place a holistic tool in the hands of actions through a system that inte- file guide, enabling the operations
the operator, control engineer and grates advanced process control, soft and control team to take appropriate
top management to comply with sensors, simulation, linear program- actions.
emissions and energy reduction. ming and dashboarding technology Sulphur dewpoint measurement is
The refinery in question decided to to deliver real time benefits. Mboss a very difficult task in industry, yet
implement Helium Consulting’s sul- integration is shown in Figure 2. it is a very important parameter for
phur specific IIoT offering, Mboss, to The software integrates data with Claus reactor performance to avoid
help plan and execute optimisation, multiple applications and layers of liquid sulphur physically deactivat-
followed by monitoring and control data validation and intelligent data ing the catalyst.

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 107

q4 helium.indd 2 16/09/2019 14:09

 An unscheduled shutdown of the
1000 refinery’s tail gas unit occurred as
Actual 0 a result of sulphur dioxide break-
Actual 1 through from the hydrogen reactor
750
Actual 2 affecting the quench column pip-
Actual 3 ing and column internals, leading
Actual 4
to sulphur plugging in the quench
500 Simulated 0 water loop and high emission lev-
Simulated 1 els. Avoiding steps can now be taken
Temperature

Simulated 2 beforehand with Mboss. The system

250 Simulated 3 integrates data generated by the real
Simulated 4 time process model with advanced
process control to achieve better
0
plant economics and more stable
18

18

18

18

18

18

18
operations for better control.
20

20

20

20

20

20

20
Information on plan vs actual vs
l

l
Ju

Ju

Ju

Ju

Ju

Ju

Ju
7

10

11

12

13
optimum result can be available in
one place to help identify suboptimal
Figure 3 Actual vs simulated condenser temperature operations. Figure 3 shows a com-
parison of actual vs simulated con-
denser temperature.
The system helps to translate
1800 276 actionable information into deci-
sions, which in turn leads to bet-

Claus inlet temperature, ºC

ter control and operation. Figure 4
shows system analytics for the sul-
phur recovery unit which enable the
required output to be analysed
1200 264 ross-domain collaboration sup-
port for all functional teams helps to
manage operational decision mak-
SO2, ppm

Reactor 3 outlet
ing in refining and petrochemicals
SO2 in stack
plants, with a deep focus on sulphur.
Claus inlet temperature
600 252
It also provides flexibility and ana-
lytics that were not available to refin-
8

8
01

01

01

01

01

01

01

eries and gas plants until recently.

l2

l2

l2

l2

l2

l2

l2
Ju

Ju

Ju

Ju

Ju

Ju

Ju

The solution is a combination of

7

10

11

12

13

Engineering Data technology from data capture to

Claus inlet temp 270 °C validating and analysis. A solution
Reactor 3 outlet temp °C
focusing on sulphur as a core ele-
ment of operations has added value
160 3.0 to the entire business process see
Figure 5 . The concept can be applied
throughout the refinery to enhance
the digital journey.
Secondary air, MT/d

Next steps
80 1.5 The crude mix in a refinery has a
Primary air big impact on sulphur economics.
HS-SO2 ratio

HS-SO2 ratio
Mboss’s planning model helps to
Secondary air
plan the sulphur circuit as well as

0 1.0 Sulphur circuit composite score

8

8
01

01

01

01

01

01

01
l2

l2

l2

l2

l2

l2

l2

Productivity Compliance
Ju

Ju

Ju

Ju

Ju

Ju

Ju
7

10

11

12

13

Engineering Data Energy Efficiency Emissions

Primary air MT/d
Secondary air 20 MT/d
Figure 5 Sulphur specific refinery and
Figure 4 System analytics for a sulphur recovery unit gas solution

108 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

q4 helium.indd 3 17/09/2019 06:55

 explore various options to create sce- Phased approach for growth and maximising the net
nario based decision making. It also Helium applied the core principles return on production assets. It has
helps management to route capital of Industry 4.0 in a step by step become a strategic priority, and is
as well as revenue expenditures in a approach, first identifying key prob- not just an operational metric.
better way. lem areas and mapping digitalised These challenges can only be
rude operations in refineries can solutions to those problems wher- solved with a greater understanding
be unpredictable through a lack of ever possible. of how the process impacts the asset
real time online measurement of The problems and various data and vice versa. Deep process domain
crude feeds entering the process. sources were identified. A new and modelling expertise combined
He-Crude-IOT can be integrated application system was imple- with data science provides a context
with the system to give the correct mented to deal with them, and to predict and avoid asset perfor-
information on crude quality. Helium’s He-IIoT DB adapter was mance issues accurately. Integration
selected for the integration and of information and operations tech-
Case study 2: Analytics for extraction of real time data. nologies is essential to reach the next
petrochemicals production The petrochemicals company level for such analysis, and phase
The following case study explains now has the opportunity to opti- two of the project is designed for
how digitalisation and implemen- mise maintenance in tandem with making better operational decisions
tation of IIoT helped one of India’s operations, and the ability, through using analytics that are specific to
leading petrochemicals companies analytics, to predict problems early petrochemical operations.
to deliver value and optimise its and mitigate their impact. The most
processes. The petrochemical com- important missing pieces of automa- Christopher Joseph is Head of Industry
pany started its digital journey in tion in the petrochemical company’s Solutions with Helium Consulting. He designs,
2000 by implementing technologies digitalisation journey are in place. delivers and maintains digital projects in
such as management information Data entry mistakes often lead to the manufacturing and supply chain for the
process industries including refining, chemicals,
systems, enterprise resource plan- loss of precious time in tracking, but
pharma and natural resources. He holds a
ning and advanced process control. with IIoT and sensors, human errors
BTech in chemical engineering and a MBA.
The recent digitalisation project can be eliminated. Johnson Dominic is a Manager with Helium
was divided into three stages to Consulting. He is mostly involved in the design,
maintain uptime in operations and Conclusion delivery and maintenance of IIOT projects in
extend the life of assets, with special Asset optimisation and performance the process industries. He holds a BTech in
attention to capex. management is a sustainable driver chemical engineering.

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 Technology in Action

MI catalyst was loaded in sour mode, replacing less

Catalyst responds to cold flow challenges than one-third of the hydrodesulphurisation catalyst.

A reek refiner needed to expand exports of automo- Result

tive diesel oil beyond the saturated market in reece. The MI catalyst technology helped the refiner achieve
orthern markets, especially nearby alkan coun- its goal of producing high quality LS that meets cold
tries, offered opportunities for ultra low sulphur diesel flow specifications in northern markets. The MI cat-
LS exports, if the refiner could meet the more strin- alyst enabled the refinery to produce at -15 to
gent cold flow specifications. hile specifications in - 0 , with the aid of additives, opening new markets in
reece required cold filter plugging point of -5 the alkans. The catalyst cycle exceeded 1000 normalised
in winter and 5 in summer, northern alkan markets days see Figure 2 .
demanded -15 or even lower during cold months. y reaching new, northern markets that previously
At the refinery, engineers used additives to reduce had been closed, the refiner achieved significant profits,
cloud and pour points, as well as , but still could exporting more than 0 of diesel production as LS
not profitably meet specifications. The refiner contacted instead of as lower value heating oil. MI technology
ExxonMobil hemical ompany’s atalyst and Licensing helped improve the refiner’s profitability.
business unit seeking a solution to help them profitably
produce LS for export. ExxonMobil
For more information: www.catalysts-licensing.com
Solution
After analysing the challenge, ExxonMobil engineers
recommended installing a bed of MI catalyst in Automating catalyst evaluation
the heavy atmospheric gas oil A O hydrotreater,
which was designed to accommodate the installation Accurate evaluation of catalysts performance is an impor-
see Figure 1 . MI technology uses a proprietary tant step in optimising catalytic refinery processes with
shape-selective catalyst for isomerisation to convert nor- respect to product yields, run length, energy efficiency,
mal paraffins to isoparaffins. and overall product quality. tilising high throughput
tilising a drop-in solution, MI is easily integrated multiple parallel reactors is key to success in develop-
with other technologies and existing plant equipment ing better catalysts that shorten the innovation cycle and
at diesel producing speed up the time to market. or this, it is essential to
LPG /
refineries. have an accurate distribution of the liquid feed across all
wild naphtha ExxonMobil sug- parallel reactors, so that the reactors operate at the exact
HDT unit gested one minor same space velocity.
modification to the Avantium has developed a microfluidic distribution
Feed + reactor, including add- technology to overcome the practical limitations of the
hydrogen
ing a treat gas quench cumbersome capillary technology conventionally used
MIDW line and a quench for distributing the feed over parallel testing systems.
catalyst
Diesel no le in the inter- The restrictor channels in our microfluidic glass chips
bed area to allow for allow for a very accurate distribution of feed to the par-
Figure 1 Route to ULSD with a lower quenching during allel reactors. Still, for heavy feed applications, an active
cold filter plugging point warm months. The liquid feed control for each reactor is required to ensure
an equal distribution any restriction in the reac-
+40 tors can affect the pressure drop per channel and
therefore the liquid flow rate. To overcome this
Average Rx temperature

+30
major challenge, Avantium has developed a fully
+20 automated Active Liquid istribution AL sys-
+10 tem suitable for a wide range of liquids such as
naphtha, SR O, L O, O, O, and AO
MIDW ART, ºC

Base
see Figure 1 .
This system actively controls the liquid flow dis-
tribution by regularly measuring the flow rate to
each reactor using a single flow sensor without
interrupting the flow to the reactors. The real time,
60

0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
10 0
10 0
11 0
40
00
18

30
12

24

36
42
48
54
60
66
72
78
84
90
96
2
8

accurate and individual flow control of the liquid

12

Normalised time on stream, days

feed distribution and the overall flow control by
Figure 2 The catalyst cycle exceeded 1000 normalised days a coriolis mass flow controller greatly improves

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 111

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 pressure drop per channel and therefore the liquid flowrate. To overcome this major challenge Avantium
has developed a fully automated Active Liquid Distribution (ALD) system suitable for wide range of liquids
such as Naphtha, SRGO, LCO, VGO, HVGO and DAO.

Below, a schematic drawing of a 16-parallel reactors system, the ALD and a picture of the active
microfluidic glass-chip.

N2 MFC Diluent Gas Distribution

Gas 1 MFC

Gas 2 MFC

Gas 3 MFC Mixed Gas Feed Distribution

Gas 4 MFC

Feedback
Active Liquid Distribution (ALD) System
Gas 5 MFC

Coriolis

Reactors

Low P N2

Liquid
Feed
Heated blocks of 4 reactors
ALD

N2 PIC Pressure Controller

PIC Vent

200°C
GC Vent

2nd
Cooling tray 10 – 80 °C analyser

Effluent stove (max 120°C)

30-Aug-19 | High-throughput hydrocracking catalyst evaluation with unmatched precision by Active

Liquid Distribution system (ALD)
Figure
This1 (left to right)
system Schematic
actively of a 16-parallel
controls the liquid reactors
flow system, the ALD
distribution byand the activemeasuring
regularly microfluidic glass chip rate to each
the flow
reactor using a single flow sensor without interrupting the flow to the reactors. The [real-time] highly
the precision of such parallel reac-
accurate individual flow control of the liquid feed distribution and the overall flow control
tors systems. Withby a Coriolis
a liquid distribu-
Mass flow controller greatly improves the precision of such parallel reactors tion error <0.4% RSD, liquid
systems. With a this makes it
distribution
No error <0.4%RSD, makes it the most accurate liquid flow control
Active Feed deviceaccurate
a highly on the liquid
marketflforow 16-
con-
parallel
Active
Control reactors.
Distribution
Mode Another advantage is its auto-calibrating function enabled trol device
by the for
use16-parallel
of a singlereactors.
flow
sensor. Another advantage is its auto-cali-
brating function enabled by the use
ALD Flow sensor output

The figure below illustrates the significance of controlling the flow to eachof reactor
a single fl ow sensor.
over time. Two modes
±0.5 % ±2.0 %
Figure
are shown: Capillary-equivalent mode, without active control of the flow followed by the Active2 shows the signifi cance of
mode
controlling the flow to each reactor
where the ALD is enabled to demonstrate the efficient liquid distribution. Note the difference in RSD from
over time. Two modes are shown:
±2% to <±0.5% for all 16 reactors which directly improves the mass balance. capillary equivalent mode, with-
out active control of the flow, fol-
lowed by the active mode where the
ALD is enabled to demonstrate the
efficient liquid distribution. Note
the difference in RSD from ±2% to
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
<±0.5% for all 16 reactors which
Time [min]
directly improves the mass balance.
AFigure 2 Two
good feed modes of
distribution, gasfland
ow control to reactors:
liquid, directly reflects capillary equivalent
in the accuracy mode,mass
of the overall without active
balance; 1% A good feed distribution for gases
control in
deviation offeed
the isflow, followed
equal by active
to 1% absolute modein mass balance across all reactors.
deviation and liquids is directly reflected in
The capability to accurately measure fine differences in catalyst performance is of greater importance
the accuracy of the overall mass bal-
2 Avantium Catalysis ance; 1% deviation in feed is equal
when evaluating hydrocracking catalysts. Small differences in catalyst performance result in
considerable economic gain. Avantium micro-pilot plant allows for the efficient testing of catalysts for to 1% absolute deviation in mass
b
fixed bed processes , producing the highest data quality (repeatability, reproducibility and scalability) with balance across all reactors.
low amounts of feed (less waste generated). Our technology allows to confidently discriminate 1°C
difference in catalyst activity, and 0.5 wt% in middle distillates yields.
The capability to measure fine
differences in catalyst performance
With the ALD technology, the feed flowrate variation in our 16-reactors systems is less than 0.4% RSD accurately is of greater importance
among the reactors. Combined with the individual reactor pressure control and other Avantium
c
Flowrence proprietary technologies, enables the most precise and accurate mass balances closures for
when evaluating hydrocracking
the most challenging applications. As shown in the Figure below (each color point representing the 16 catalysts. Small differences in cata-
reactors), we can see the extremely accurate mass balance closure well below 1% RSD between lyst performance result in consid-
reactors, at naphtha selective hydrocracking conditions and more than 75% net conversion 190°C+. erable economic gain. Avantium’s
micro-pilot plant allows for the effi-
cient testing of catalysts for fixed
bed processes, producing the high-
est data quality (repeatability,
reproducibility and scalability) with
low amounts of feed (less waste
b
https://www.avantium.com/publications/publication-catalysis-2017/performance-testing-hydrodesulfurization-catalysts-
using-single-pellet-string-reactor
c
Flowrence is a trademark of Avantium generated). The technology enables
confident discrimination of a 1°C
difference in catalyst activity, and
3
Figure 3 Mass balance closure is wellAvantium
below Catalysis
1% RSD between reactors, at naphtha selective 0.5 wt% in middle distillates yields.
hydrocracking conditions and more than 75% net conversion at 190°C+ (with each colour With the ALD technology, the
point representing one of the 16 reactors) feed flow rate variation in the

112 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

tia copy 6.indd 2 31/10/2019 15:34

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 16-reactors systems is less than 0.4% RSD among the reac- ics hydrogenation. Due to the presence of arsenic in the
tors. Combined with the individual reactor pressure con- feed, Porocel supplied the fresh CatGuard As40 (high
trol and other Avantium Flowrence proprietary technol- nickel content) to protect the main bed catalyst from
ogies, this enables the most precise and accurate mass arsenic poisoning.
balances closures for the most challenging applications. The feed and operating conditions were carefully eval-
Figure 3 shows the highly accurate mass balance closure uated to optimise catalyst system design and simultane-
well below 1% RSD between reactors, at naphtha selec- ously meet multiple unit objectives. Throughout the tech-
tive hydrocracking conditions and more than 75% net nical evaluation, there was a commitment to ensure high
conversion at 190°C+. catalyst quality to maximise performance and reliability.
This offers the possibility to compare catalysts with Varo Energy operated the DHT unit in two modes:
similar performance where differences between catalysts 1) Ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD) mode by process-
are precisely and accurately determined. ing a blend of light gasoil (75 wt%), heavy gasoil (3 wt%),
vacuum gasoil (2 wt%), and cracked gasoil (20 wt%)
Flowrence is a mark of Avantium.
2) Heating oil (ECO) mode by processing a blend of light
Avantium gasoil (20 wt%), heavy gasoil (45 wt%), vacuum gasoil (15
For more information: tiago.vilela@avantium.com wt%). and cracked gasoil (20 wt%).
As a result, the unit was able to process a blend of light
and vacuum gasoil with coker distillate to produce two
Rejuvenated catalyst cuts changeout costs grades of final product. The unit achieved the projected
cycle length while reducing catalyst expense. A summary
Today refiners are faced with the daunting task of trans- of the feed and operating conditions is shown in Table 1.
forming an ever changing crude slate into a wide range The Excel rejuvenated NiMo catalyst selected from
of products. ith a continuous emphasis on profitabil- Porocel’s inventory provided high hydrodenitrogena-
ity under increasingly stringent environmental regula- tion activity combined with deep desulphurisation lev-
tions, the most advantageous path is not always clear. els to handle the high nitrogen concentration in the feed
ollaboration between orocel and refiners enables them blends. The primary objectives of the hydrotreater were
to maximise profitability and remain environmentally (see Figure 1):
conscious with their hydroprocessing applications. • To produce ULSD, targeting a product sulphur of
One such refiner is aro Energy in Swit erland. Their 11 wtppm
goal was to upgrade a blend of LGO, VGO, and coker • To produce heating oil (ECO mode), targeting a prod-
distillate to produce two different diesel products. rior uct sulphur of 55 wtppm.
to choosing Porocel, Varo had the option of purchasing Excel rejuvenated catalyst gave Varo Energy the
fresh catalyst which would have amounted to a higher expected performance, while enabling substantial cost
fill cost, at equal cycle length and product quality. The savings versus loading fresh catalyst. A breakdown of the
refill was won by presenting technical projections that fill cost savings is shown in Table 2.
were in line with their performance objectives. Porocel This unit successfully produced on-specification prod-
installed a high activity Excel rejuvenated NiMo cat- uct for both modes throughout the duration of the cycle
alyst to help the refinery extend the hydroprocessing with Excel NiMo on par with the previous cycle loaded
unit cycle until the next turnaround. Excel rejuvenation with fresh alternative NiMo catalyst. The normalised
allows re-dispersing agglomerates on the regenerated weighed average bed temperature (WABT) for both
material to restore its activity to near fresh by utilising a cycles is shown in Figure 2.
proprietary chemical treatment. The refining industry is continually focused on value.
Varo Energy and Porocel worked together to meet an Refiners seeking high activity hydroprocessing catalyst
aggressive timeline for the catalyst changeout and ensure while keeping a close eye on catalysts costs are very well
that unit product quality met all specifications. orocel served by this method of rejuvenation. It can be applied
designed a catalyst load incorporating high activity Excel to catalyst from the refiner’s own units as a service or to
rejuvenated catalyst, CatGuard (top bed
grading) and bed support (Durocel-222). 70
The catalyst was proposed to maximise
Product sulphur, vol ppm

60
HDS/HDN activities and polyaromat-
50
Eco product
Feed and operating conditions for Excel 40
Diesel product
commercial application
30
Parameter ULSD ECO
20
Feed sulphur, wt% 0.29 0.44
Feed nitrogen, ppmw 250-350 400-500 10
Density, kg/m³ 850 867
D-86 (FBP), °C 360 381 0
Operating pressure, bar 71 71 0 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135
LHSV, h-1 3.1 2.6 Time on oil, days

Table 1 Figure 1 Product sulphur for both modes over the cycle length

114 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

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 Preserving equipment health
400
The plant, located in Londonderry, Northern
380
Ireland, was built and is operated by Burmeister &
Wain Scandinavian Contractor A/S (BWSC), one
360 of the world’s leading medium-sized commercial
WABT, ºC

scale power plant providers. The facility uses recy-

340 Previous cycle, fresh NiMo
cled wood as the main feedstock to generate six
Excel rejuvenated NiMo
320 megawatts of heat (MWth) and 18.2 megawatts of
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 power (MWe), 15.8 MWe of which is then used to
Time on stream, days power 30 000 local homes and businesses.
The key piece of equipment at Lisahally plant
Figure 2 Comparison of Excel rejuvenation with conventional fresh catalyst is the two-pass biomass grate boiler, which gen-
erates high temperature, high pressure steam by
Fill cost savings combusting the wood based material fed to its furnace.
The steam is then transferred to a turbine, coupled with
Refiner Unit size, m³ Savings Savings
with Porocel, Euro with Porocel, $ a generator to produce electricity. Waste steam is con-
Varo Energy 60 200 000 222 000 densed into water and fed back to the boiler via a closed
loop system.
Table 2 As corrosion and erosion were affecting the integrity
of Lisahally Power Station’s heat exchange system, plant
regenerated catalyst from Porocel’s own catalyst inven- managers contacted Sulzer to help them conduct the nec-
tory. By combining Excel rejuvenated catalysts with other essary repair work. The company’s Tower Field Service
HPC products, such as Durocel-222 (ceramic support) group is a leading provider of specialised field services
and CatGuard metal traps, Porocel’s HPC solutions ena- with over 40 years of experience in tower, drum and ves-
ble refiners to achieve unit objectives while saving 30-70% sel maintenance, repair and revamps. “The tendering pro-
over the cost of fresh catalyst loads. In addition, catalyst cess was very competitive and Sulzer stood out from the
reuse helps refiners to significantly reduce the cost and competition, as it offered an outstanding service pack-
the environmental impact of catalyst disposal. Porocel age. The company was selected on the basis of its abil-
maintains a global inventory of rejuvenated catalyst for ity to deliver cost-effective and high-quality solutions
use in combination with fresh catalyst or on its own. for boilers,” said Sean Hegarty, BWSC Plant Manager at
Lisahally Power Station.
Porocel
For more information: gvincent@porocel.com Cost-efficient corrosion protection
As an economical and sustainable alternative to replac-
ing the existing structures within the boiler, Sulzer and
Automated welding restores boiler performance BWSC decided to cover the damaged membrane walls
with layers of Inconel 625 to repair and protect the mem-
Biomass is becoming an increasingly popular fuel for brane wall. This is an austenitic nickel-chromium based
power generation. It is one of several technologies being superalloy that is particularly resistant to corrosion and
implemented to improve the sustainability of power sup- oxidation, even in harsh environments with elevated tem-
plies as demand continues to increase. As with all facili- peratures, such as in furnaces. The additional Inconel
ties, regular maintenance is required to ensure operabil- layer would enable the boiler to efficiently maintain high
ity, and any repairs need to be carried out quickly and to steam pressure whilst protecting the surfaces from future
a high standard. When the walls of the boiler in Lisahally corrosion and erosion.
Power Station, in Northern Ireland, had sustained ero- The homogeneous deposition of Inconel onto the cor-
sion and corrosion damage, Sulzer used its automated roded and eroded surfaces was carried out onsite by
weld overlay technology to extend the service life of the automated weld overlay. Using its expertise in this pro-
boiler and ensure that the plant could continue to run at cess, Sulzer has developed an advanced automated tech-
peak performance. nology, CladFuse, to perform accurate welding opera-
The fuels used to operate biomass power plants cause tions for structures such as boilers, furnaces, vessels, and
corrosion and erosive wear in boilers. In fact, biomass towers (see Figure 1).
can release contaminants, such as alkali metals, chlorine, CladFuse uses a carriage that travels along a laser lev-
sulphur dioxide, and other corrosive chemicals, when elled track system fixed to the wall that needs repairing.
burned. As a result, regular maintenance is fundamental On the carriage, a robotic index arm moves the welding
to maximise the lifespan and reliability of equipment in torch and the oscillator in order to create weld Inconel
these power stations as well as ensure plant availability, beads with an overlap of approximately 50% between
performance and efficiency. adjacent weld beads. All the weld overlay process param-
In an effort to increase the durability of its essential eters – carriage speed or bead thickness, for instance –
assets, maintenance planners at the power station wanted are controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC).
to repair the boiler walls with a long-lasting solution that Operators can communicate with it and adjust the param-
could be completed with minimal disruption. eters manually using a human machine interface (HMI).

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 nity’ crudes is increasing the need for desulphurisation
and hydrogen to meet the final product specifications.
Outside of oil refining, hydrogen is a strong business for
the industrial gas industry. ew distribution channels are
being developed to more efficiently deliver their product
and expand the marketplace. In the chemical industry,
hydrogen is used for methanol and ammonia production.
The rising demand for ammonia in fertilizers is expected
to boost this industry’s growth. According to lobal
Market Insights, Inc ydrogen generation industry si e
is projected to surpass 1 0 billion by 0 .
Throughout industry, the bulk of this hydrogen is pro-
duced by steam reforming. It is the most economical pro-
Figure 1 Sulzer’s CladFuse automated weld overlay technology cess due to the low cost and availability of the natural gas
was used to repair the boiler furnace and wall tubing that is used as feedstock to the steam reformer. In addi-
tion, the use of alternative feedstocks has the attention of
In addition to offering a cost-effective method to repair the industry, as feedstocks derived from plant crops, bio-
damaged metal surfaces, the solution developed by mass and other agricultural wastes turn low value mate-
Sul er is fast. This was particularly important for manag- rial into desirable hydrogen. These factors ensure hydro-
ers and operators at Lisahally ower Station, who needed gen produced by steam reforming will continue to grow.
the welding to be completed by the end of a scheduled It is possible that current demand for hydrogen
outage for regular maintenance activities. exceeds refiners’ capacity to produce this essential inter-
Sean egarty said that adhering to a strict timeline and mediate. To meet this increasing need, refiners with low
coordinating this repair with all operations was a must. capital availability are looking for cost-effective options
henever weld overlay is performed within the boiler, to increase their supply. ue to the low capital availabil-
large volumes of different gases are generated. Therefore, ity and longer unit life cycles, new hydrogen plant pro-
it is necessary to segregate the boiler, and it is not possi- jects are diminishing. In addition, costs can be 1-1.
ble to carry out any other maintenance work in its imme- million/ mmscfd of hydrogen. Revamps including heat
diate vicinity. As the power station needs to run contin- exchange reformers and pre-reformers also require sig-
uously, extended shutdown and downtime would have nificant capital investment.
greatly affected the plant. To ensure that this did not hap- ohnson Matthey’s atacel SSR technology allows
pen, Sul er set up a number of measures and controls to increased production with minimal capital expense. In
ensure we could carry on conducting planned mainte- fact, increases of 15- 0 have been observed in plant
nance activities along the steam path. rates. atacel SSR is a structured catalyst coated metal
The application proves how the correct repair operation foil that is precisely engineered to provide a very large
can not only reduce maintenance costs, but also improve reactive surface, resulting in improved activity and a
the efficiency of power stations, delivering sustainability controlled process gas flow to improve heat transfer
whilst reducing the costs to generate energy. properties. The SSR is designed to address the bottle-
necks of an individual plant to maximise production and
Sulzer can be installed in the existing tubes of the steam meth-
For more information: dorota.zoldosova@sulzer.com ane reformer.
The fan’ structure, created by the manipulation of the
foil, directs the process gas onto the tube wall, destroying
Meeting increased hydrogen demand any stagnant gas layer that limits heat transfer. This gas
flow repeats itself down the tube, lifting heat transfer to
ydrogen is a simple molecule, yet around 70 million t/y levels never observed by pelleted catalysts. In addition,
are produced today mostly for oil refining and chemical this directed gas flow ensures contact with all the active
production and the demand is growing. urrently, the surface of the atacel SSR. Randomly loaded pellets do
global hydrogen market exceeds 5 growth annually. In
the refining industry, the popularity of petroleum prod-
ucts in emerging economies and the strengthening of
environmental regulations are some of the driving forces
behind this growth. ydrogen is vital to hydrocracking
which is widely used to produce these consumer petro-
leum products. The tightening of environmental regu-
lations to reduce sulphur oxide emissions also supports
the strong projected growth as hydrogen is utilised by
refiners to remove sulphur from finished products. These
restrictions are broadening to reduce sulphur oxide emis-
sions in the marine, aircraft and rail industries as well.
urther, the usage of heavier, lower quality opportu- Figure 1 Activity of Catacel SSR

116 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

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 not interfere with the stagnant gas layer on the tube inte- energy, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, manufactur-
rior wall to this degree, and rely on diffusion and ran- ing, materials handling, laboratories and research, aero-
domness of flow to reach the active surface see Figure 1). nautics and space industries. It offers a range of gas sup-
The improvements in heat transfer and activity allow ply modes, including cylinder and bulk delivery, pipeline
increased production rates. This increased production is distribution, and onsite production. These companies
achieved while maintaining a similar pressure drop to have substantial gas consumption needs and demand
conventional pellets. With production rates maintained a reliable and continuous supply of oxygen, nitrogen,
at current levels, 10-20% lower pressure drop has been hydrogen and syngas. Delivery is made either through a
observed compared to pelleted catalyst. The high void dedicated plant or via the Air Liquide pipeline network.
space and stability of the SSR structure means no increase Air Liquide is present in 80 countries with approxi-
in pressure drop is observed over time as the foil stacks mately 65 000 employees and serves more than 3.5 mil-
expand and contract with the tubes, unlike pellets. lion customers and patients. It employs more than 5000
urthermore, the operating benefits of using atacel people in the US in over 200 locations. About 100 of
SSR have been documented and proven in commercial them are employed at its Bayport complex situated near
units. Some of the benefits are Houston, Texas. This facility covers 88 acres of land and
• Substantial trim fuel savings at the same tube wall supplies oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, electric-
temperatures ity, steam, and industrial and demineralised water. It is
• Removal of pressure drop limitations central to the company’s extensive Gulf Coast Pipeline
• Lower tube wall temperatures at similar feed rate System, which encompasses approximately 2000 miles of
• Increased hydrogen production by higher throughput pipeline along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. The
• Shorter reduction times. facility also includes a major bulk distribution depot.
In addition to all the operating benefits of atacel The Bayport Complex, near Houston, Texas, is unique
SSR, it can be loaded within a normal changeout sched- compared to all other Air Liquide facilities. It is the only
y, ule; there is no need to extend the turnaround period to facility to have on-site air separation units, cogeneration
accommodate the increase in plant capacity which is nor- units, boilers, industrial water treatment, and a steam
mal for other revamp options. methane reformer. It has long served as the heart of the
ombing the operating benefits with the ability to company’s Gulf Coast operations, supplying product to
be loaded within a normal changeout schedule allows customers via pipeline, truck and rail.
hydrogen producers to see very short payback times, typ- However, the facility needed a major upgrade to
ically 9-12 months. The additional hydrogen produced by increase capacity while meeting stringent emissions
higher throughput or the removal of current production requirements. Accordingly, Air Liquide invested around
barriers adds value to the bottom line. $230 million to upgrade its cogeneration plant. The
investment is supported by a long-term contract renewal
Susan Simpson, Josh Siegel, Matthew Wilson, and Ken Chlapik within the Bayport Industrial District and will also help
Air Liquide meet the growing needs of other customers
Johnson Matthey throughout the Texas regional basin.
For more information: Susan.simpson@matthey.com This included energy efficient upgrades made to four
cogeneration units to increase production capacity and
extend the life of the units by more than 20 years. The
Custom boilers meet capacity, emissions facility now has the capacity to produce 300 MW of elec-
challenges tricity and more than 1300 t/h of steam.
The project included replacement of three auxiliary
Many refinery complexes in Texas are ageing. It is not boilers and steam plant infrastructure upgrades that sup-
uncommon to find boilers that are 50 or more years port the existing air separation units. The previous boilers
old. As a result, these facilities can be liable to costly were installed in the 1 0s. They suffered from poor relia-
unplanned outages, as well as higher fuel costs due to bility and efficiency.
inefficiency. In addition, ever stricter environmental reg- Rentech Boiler Systems supplied three 400 000 lb/h
ulations can require upgrades to bring refineries within direct fired boilers. These factory assembled natural cir-
acceptable limits. culation water tube boilers include drainable convective
Take the case of the Air Liquide Bayport Complex. superheaters that operate at lower gas side temperatures
A variety of factors drove the decision to initiate the to extend superheater life. Two stage convective super-
upgrade of its cogeneration units to raise efficiency, pro- heaters greatly improve performance over turndown
duction capacity and lifespan. This included replacement Rentech custom engineered these boilers for the
of boilers from the 1 0s that suffered from poor reliabil- Bayport facility. In addition to conservative steam drum
ity and efficiency. Rentech oiler Systems supplied three sizing, the company employs chevron vane separa-
new auxiliary boilers to support the existing air separa- tion technology to minimise moisture carryover. The
tion units at the complex. boiler design also accommodates high cycling operation,
Air Liquide Large Industries US supplies large quanti- and 100% membrane wall fabrication provides a fully
ties of industrial and speciality gases in an array of vol- water cooled furnace with zero gas bypass and lower
umes and purities, along with related technologies and emissions. As a result, there is no need for refractory
services to customers in the metals, chemicals, refining, walls or refractory seals. This design approach reduces

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 operating costs as it requires less maintenance to repair eter for accurate combustibles measurements, provid-
or replace damaged refractory, while enabling faster ing a complete combustion control solution in a single
start-up and cooldown. instrument.
The maintenance manager at Air Liquide notes the boil- The operating range for the luegasExact 700 is from
ers are installed and operating well. Reliability is much -20 to +70°C (-4 to +158°F), so it is already able to cope
higher, and emissions have been considerably reduced. with a variety of ambient temperatures. In addition, its
integral sampling system is custom designed for opera-
Rentech tion in some of the hottest and most challenging combus-
For more information: hkumpula@rentechboilers.com tion environments.
Even with these advantages, it was clear to Servomex
that further modifications were required to overcome
Gas analysis in a hot climate the issue of higher ambient temperatures. So each of
the analysers was fitted with a ortec cooler to provide
Servomex has developed a customised combustion mon- a continuous supply of cool air and purge the analyser.
itoring solution to meet the specific challenges faced by This flow of air through the analyser lowers the inter-
a global petrochemicals producer. As part of its ethylene nal temperature by preventing a build-up of hot gases.
glycol manufacturing process, the company uses ethyl- This maintains a ‘normal’ temperature within the device,
ene cracker plants in Kuwait to produce ethylene from allowing a normal lifespan for the electronic components.
natural gas. The furnaces within these plants require ifferent molecules move at different speeds and direc-
effective gas analysis solutions to ensure efficient com- tions depending on their mass and temperature, lead-
bustion control. ing to the creation of a hot end and a cold end within the
The key to a well-controlled combustion process is an cooler. This technique ensures that instrument air can
optimised air-to-fuel ratio. High excess air leads to inef- provide a regular blast of cool air to the analyser, keeping
ficient burning and costly fuel consumption. owever, it at a lower temperature than ambient. While this was
low oxygen, fuel rich conditions may lead to a potentially a simple solution in principle, it required expert appli-
dangerous explosion. cations knowledge and engineering expertise to ensure
To maintain an optimised air-to-fuel ratio that is both the air flow was correct for the process conditions at the
safe and fuel efficient, plant operators use gas analysers to Kuwait site.
monitor oxygen levels, and often add a carbon monoxide Twelve luegasExact 700 systems were delivered,
or combustibles analyser to maximise efficiency. with installation and commissioning carried out by
Chemical plants around the world generate very hot Servomex engineers. They have operated successfully for
conditions. When the natural climate of Kuwait is fac- -5 years, showing none of the ill effects normally experi-
tored into the equation, the analysers are typically oper- enced by analysers in hot environments.
ating in an environment with an ambient temperature
around 70-80°C (158-176°F). Servomex
The usual nominal ambient temperature for a com- For more information: info@servomex.com
bustion gas analyser is around 50-60°C (122-140°F). The
internal temperature of the analyser is typically around
10-15°C (18-27°F) above ambient, so in this case the Overcoming overhead corrosion
inside of the analyser was reaching temperatures close to
100°C (212°F). In the pursuit of efficient and profitable refinery opera-
Under hotter conditions, the components of these tions, owner-operators must balance feedstock flexibil-
analysers will age prematurely so the device will fail and ity and product optimisation with asset availability and
will need early repair or replacement. In addition to the long-/short-term protection. Limited ability to deter-
costs incurred by increased maintenance or the require- mine which operational adjustments are most impactful
ment to install a new analyser, a failing analyser will complicates this process. Refineries today face periods of
be less accurate, affecting combustion efficiency and severe corrosion and fouling in overhead systems. Often,
increasing fuel costs. iven the significant amount of these problems are tied to crude changes and are consid-
fuel required to keep cracker furnaces at around 1200°C ered largely unavoidable, leading to overly conservative
1 , just a small drop in efficiency can be very costly. solutions at the exclusion of more complex but effective
Heat damage to analysers is a common issue for plant ones. This situation increases the costs and operational
operators in regions with high background tempera- risks at a refinery.
tures. While it is possible for manufacturers to build gas Introducing equipment with real time monitoring can
analysis equipment that operates normally in ambient help reveal a variety of short-term episodic system fluc-
conditions of 80°C (176°F) or more, they are much more tuations with significant impact on corrosion. In parallel,
expensive than analysers developed for more temper- high frequency and low latency amine speciation brings
ate environments. Servomex’s solution was to supply ongoing information about crude contaminant changes
the plant with modified Servotough luegasExact 700 and their impacts on the overhead system. To take advan-
analysers for this application. This combustion analyser tage of the new information, digital platforms that effec-
uses zirconium oxide sensing for fast response, reliable tively handle the data are needed. By increasing the fre-
oxygen measurements. It also has a thick film calorim- quency and sophistication with which salt formation data

118 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

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 Salting Boundary
Salting boundary Map
map
No Salting Ris k Mini Run - 1 Actual Operational

is collected and analysed, refineries can proactively Boundary Curve for Salting Above
Points

Overhead Temperature
control corrosion and fouling, while achieving pro- Water Condens ation Point at 1-σ Salting Boundary
Salting boundary map Map Synthetic
Operational Points

duction and quality targets.

Salting Ris k over Water
Condens ation Point
Mini Run - 1 Actual
SysOperational
Emerging opportunities or unforeseen events can Boundary
No Salting Ris k Control tem
Curve for Salting in PathPoints

Overhead Temperature
Tower Top Section at 1-σ
force quick changes to an existing crude diet. If the
Boundary Curve for Salting Above
Water Condens ation Point at 1-σ Control Variability
Synthetic

refinery has no previous experience with the chal-

Salting Ris k in Operational Points
Tower TopRis k over Water
Salting
Condens ation Point Severe Salting
lenges of the new crude slate, unforeseen prob- Boundary Curve for Salting in
Reference
ControlPoint
Path
Sys tem

lems with salt fouling and corrosion can occur. Tower Top Section at 1-σ Reflux Rate
Control Variability
Traditional methods of salt point analysis do not Salting Ris k in
Tower Top Identify risk pattern, predict next risk event
provide enough information to mitigate salting Severe Salting
Reference Point

proactively. The following example shows how Reflux Rate

the Safe one platform rapidly and effectively out-
lined specific strategies to allow a refinery to reach Identify risk pattern, predict next risk event

production goals and prevent salt formation in the

overhead system as it was processed. Without the Figure 1 Salting boundary map
new tool, initial runs resulted in undetected aggres-
sive corrosion and rapidly increasing delta P, lead-
ing to shutdown. Operational
Operational dataData mapping Mapping
Many refinery overhead systems use reflux

Overhead Temperature
Overhead
to provide temperature and pressure control.
Salting Risk Over Before Tool, History of
Water Condensation Severe Salt Plugging &

Independently changing the flow and tempera-

Point Shutdown / Raw Data

Operational
No Salting Risk
Data Mapping 4
ture of the reflux circuit can cause simultaneous Operational data mapping
Severe Salting Risk
manipulation of both temperature and pressure,

Temperature
Reference
Salting RiskPointOver Before Tool, History of
dramatically affecting salting potential. Additional Water Condensation Severe Salt Plugging &
Point
Mini Run - 1 Shutdown / Raw Data
2 3 4
dynamic variables that can also affect salting No Salting Risk 4
Reflux Ratio

include steam rate, product rate, distillation profile, Severe Salting Risk
chloride concentration, and amine concentration. Reference Point

Figures 1 and 2 show how correlated control Mini Run - 1 2 3 4

changes during four mini-runs of a new crude
Reflux Ratio

slate in a orth American refinery led to aggres-

Time
Time
sive salt fouling, then to mitigation of salting risk
by implementing the SafeZone platform. Salting in Identify risk pattern, predict next risk event
the air coolers is initiated characteristically as the
water dew point (WDP) salting boundary, shown Time
Time
in Figure 1 by a yellow/orange shaded region, Figure 2 Operational data mapping
is crossed. In this specific case, temperature was Identify risk pattern, predict next risk event
being lowered by increasing the reflux ratio to make used to rigorously colour code the data to evaluate salting
additional diesel. As temperature is further lowered and risk quantitatively.
approaches the lower boundary curve, probability of salt- Because of combined impacts described in Figure 2,
ing in the tower top also increases. This behaviour hap- as the reflux ratio approximately crosses the red anno-
pens when both temperature and pressure are affected tated line, the probability of salt deposition over the
as reflux rate and temperature are changed at constant water dewpoint in the air cooler tubes increases dramat-
crude rate. These relationships, and those of other key ically. As the reflux ratio further increases in Figure 2,
variables, led to a pair of dynamically changing yetwww.eptq.com pre- the lower TT boundary region is subsequently crossed
dictable salt point boundary curves having well-defined in Figure 1. When this occurs, the probability of salt dep-
uncertainty bands dictated by data fluctuations of con- osition in the tower top also increases. During mini-runs
trolling variables and their measurement uncertainty. 2-4, by computing these and other relationships during
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, for mini-run 1 combined ongoing operations, improvements to corrosion risk were
tia test.indd 1 www.eptq.com

process changes initially caused the system to cross achieved with minimal impact to overall production tar-
the WDP salt point boundary, indicated in yellow, and gets. This case study shows how small changes to the
begin to form inside the tower top. Colour coding shows operational envelope can dramatically lessen corrosion
the degree of salting risk and compares key operational and fouling problems. The key to balancing these factors
tia test.indd 1

parameters that affect salting potential and the system’s is rapidly detecting and computing salting probability
position on the salt point boundary map. The red dot on boundary curves and sensitivities to driving factors using
the salting map, temperature chart, and reflux ratio chart dynamical data. Coupled with an advanced digital sys-
shows a system point with respect to these data, where tem, the changing boundaries are used to continuously
salting in the air cooler tubes is highly likely. This is a monitor and improve the ratio between risk and profita-
reference for comparison, but these data sets are not the bility in a precise and controllable way.
only factors affecting the salting phenomenon, so these
annotations are a loose reference. The salting bound- SUEZ
ary map and generalised salt relationships are, however, For more information: collin.cross@suez.com

www.eptq.com PTQ Q4 2019 119

tia copy 6.indd 8 16/09/2019 12:19

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120 PTQ Q4 2019 www.eptq.com

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