Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 737 views

    Cracked Gas Compressor

    Uploaded by

    Marco Bertoldi
    This document summarizes experiences with fouling in an ethylene unit's cracked gas compressor (CGC) and efforts to mitigate fouling. The CGC is a five-stage centrifugal compressor driven by a steam turbine. Fouling was identified between the 2nd-4th compressor stages and in the steam turbine. Countermeasures included improving wash oil quality and injection, trialling an antifoulant injection, and improving boiler feedwater quality. The antifoulant trial showed improved compressor efficiency and reduced temperatures. Future improvements proposed enhancing wash oil systems and evaluating high-efficiency impeller blades.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Cracked Gas Compressor

    Uploaded by

    Marco Bertoldi
    737 views28 pages
    This document summarizes experiences with fouling in an ethylene unit's cracked gas compressor (CGC) and efforts to mitigate fouling. The CGC is a five-stage centrifugal compressor driven by a steam turbine. Fouling was identified between the 2nd-4th compressor stages and in the steam turbine. Countermeasures included improving wash oil quality and injection, trialling an antifoulant injection, and improving boiler feedwater quality. The antifoulant trial showed improved compressor efficiency and reduced temperatures. Future improvements proposed enhancing wash oil systems and evaluating high-efficiency impeller blades.

    Original Description:

    Intro to Cracked Gas Compressor

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    This document summarizes experiences with fouling in an ethylene unit's cracked gas compressor (CGC) and efforts to mitigate fouling. The CGC is a five-stage centrifugal compressor driven by a steam turbine. Fouling was identified between the 2nd-4th compressor stages and in the steam turbine. Countermeasures included improving wash oil quality and injection, trialling an antifoulant injection, and improving boiler feedwater quality. The antifoulant trial showed improved compressor efficiency and reduced temperatures. Future improvements proposed enhancing wash oil systems and evaluating high-efficiency impeller blades.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    737 views28 pages

    Cracked Gas Compressor

    Uploaded by

    Marco Bertoldi
    This document summarizes experiences with fouling in an ethylene unit's cracked gas compressor (CGC) and efforts to mitigate fouling. The CGC is a five-stage centrifugal compressor driven by a steam turbine. Fouling was identified between the 2nd-4th compressor stages and in the steam turbine. Countermeasures included improving wash oil quality and injection, trialling an antifoulant injection, and improving boiler feedwater quality. The antifoulant trial showed improved compressor efficiency and reduced temperatures. Future improvements proposed enhancing wash oil systems and evaluating high-efficiency impeller blades.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    You are on page 1of 28
    At a glance
    Powered by AI
    Some of the key takeaways from the document are that fouling of the cracked gas compressor and turbine led to decreased efficiencies and increased temperatures and pressures. Antifoulant injection was trialed and helped improve performance. Future improvements discussed optimizing wash oil selection and injection of antifoulants.

    Some of the issues experienced with the cracked gas compressor included decreased polytropic efficiencies, increased discharge temperatures, higher intercooler pressure drops, maximum governor valve opening, and increased turbine steam rates.

    Turbine fouling was identified when the turbine was unable to maintain speed at maximum steam flow and both the high pressure and low pressure valves were fully open, indicating backpressure from the low pressure turbine.

    Ethylene Unit Cracked Gas Compressor Case Studies on Fouling

    Visagaran Visvalingam - Presenter Cyron Anthony Soyza Sew Nyit Tong Karl Kolmetz

    Outlines
    ?
    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Overview of Equipment and Setup CGC Fouling Experiences Identification of Turbine Fouling Impacts of Compressor-Turbine fouling Turnaround Inspections Countermeasures for Fouling Control Future Improvements Conclusions

    Overview of Equipment & Setup


    CGC is a five stages centrifugal compressor Caustic wash and drying are facilitated between 4th and 5th stage 5th stage is a heat pump for DeC3 system where C4 and heavier are removed CGC is driven by a SHP steam turbine Turbine extracts HP steam while condensing is controlled by CGC power demand

    Compressor System Flow Diagram


    Wash Oils

    Stage 1

    Stage 2

    Stage 3

    Stage 4

    Cracked Gas

    Acetylene Converters Caustic & Dryers To Recovery Section

    Stage 5

    HP DeC3

    Compressor Overview
    Diffusers Inlet Vanes

    Wheels

    Balance Line

    Fouling Phenomenon - What,Why and How


    Organic : Free radical mechanism catalyzed by peroxides, transition metals and heat Inorganic : Quench water carryover Organic or inorganic deposits dehydrogenate over time leaving behind
    R-H

    Initiate
    R

    heat

    H
    O2

    Propagate

    ROO
    R-H

    ROOH + R

    Terminate
    R + R

    CGC Fouling Experiences


    Polytropic efficiencies dropped Discharge temperatures increased Inter-cooler pressure drops increased Governor valve opening maximum Turbine steam rate increased Max continuos speed not sustainable

    CGC Polytropic Efficiency


    90 85

    AFTER TURNAROUND 96

    AFTER TURNAROUND 99

    TURNAROUND 2001

    80

    Efficiency (%)

    75

    70

    65

    60

    55

    50

    01 1/ /0 05 00 2/ /1 12 00 1/ /1 04 00 9/ /0 07 00 7/ /0 10 00 5/ /0 03 00 3/ /0 06 00 1/ /0 02 99 2/ /1 25 99 0/ /1 07 99 7/ /0 16

    9 /9 /3 23 98 2/ /1 05 8 /9 /9 16

    8 /9 /5 21 97 2/ /1 23 7 /9 /9 29

    7 /9 /4 30 96 1/ /1 25 6 /9 /6 28 6 /9 /4 23

    2nd stg Polly. Eff

    3rd stg Polly. Eff

    4th stg Polly. Eff

    5th stg Polly. Eff

    23 /4

    30

    35

    40

    45

    50

    55

    60

    65

    70

    /9 6 /9 6

    28 /6 25 /1 1/ 96

    30 /4 /9 7 /9 7 /9 29 23 /1 2/ 97

    AFTER TURNAROUND 96

    21 /5 /9 8 /9 8 /9 16 05 /1 2/ 98

    Compressor Delta T

    Stage 1 delta T
    23 /3 /9 9 16 /0 7/ 99 99 99 00 /0 03 10 07 04 /0 /0 /0 /1 3/ 5/ 7/ 9/ 1/ 00 00 00 00 00 0/ 2/ 1/ /1 /1 /0 07 25 02 06

    AFTER TURNAROUND 99

    Stage 2 delta T Stage 3 delta T Stage 4 delta T

    TURNAROUND 2001

    Identification of Turbine Fouling


    ?
    ? ?
    SHP HP Valve

    Unable to maintain speed at max steam flow HP and LP valve fully open Backpressure from LP turbine

    P1 LP Valve

    P2

    HP Casing

    LP Casing
    HP Steam Extraction Exhaust Steam

    Causes of Turbine Fouling


    BFW quality upset
    High Sodium / Silica due to capacity overrun or improper regeneration of demin train

    Water Carry-over
    Steam drum level control high

    Water level

    Steam contamination
    Attemporating water high in sodium or silica

    Impacts of Compressor-Turbine Fouling


    Throughput limited due to maximum driver governor valve opening Increased suction pressure Energy inefficient due to higher steam rate Short run length, 3 years down for cleaning

    Turnaround Inspections
    Inspection done during TA99 and TA 2001 1st and 5th stage - relatively clean 2nd, 3rd & 4th stage - heavily fouled Polymer deposits and most samples were organic component Inter-coolers fouled with polymers and tars Discharge piping layered with polymer

    CGC Inspection- TA99 & TA2001


    Summary of the Inspection Findings
    Suct/Disch piping 1st stage 2nd stage 3rd stage 4th stage 5th stage Turbine Impeller/ Diffuser Volute

    1st to 4th Stage Discharge Condition during Turnaround 2000/01

    1st Discharge

    2nd Discharge

    3rd Discharge

    4th Discharge

    Rotor

    Casing

    2nd stage intercooler bundle

    Bundle entrance

    Polymer laced inlet pipeline

    Inlet to intercooler

    Turnaround inspections - CGC Turbine

    Countermeasures for Fouling Control


    Compressor wash oil review
    Feed points available at the suction piping Injection spray atomizers enhance distribution Increased wash oil injection rate to 3-4% vol. Quality monitoring - existent gums Quantity monitoring - dP

    Antifoulant Injection
    Trial run at the 4th stage - worst case

    Improved BFW quality Proper Demin regeneration and lower steam drum level

    Compressor Wash Oil Review


    ? 1st to 3rd stage ? 4th stage ? Specific gravity ? Aromatic content ? Existent gums ? Distillation D-86 IBP End point - HPG + C5 - HPG - 0.77-0.80 - 65 % - < 5mg/100ml - 70 oC - 185 oC

    Anti-foulant Injection

    Trail run at 4th stage Start of run - 9 May 02 Co-injection with the existing wash oil Injection rate at 2-5 ppm by weight Monitoring parameters :
    Polytropic Efficiency Suction / Discharge Temperatures Pressure Drop Across Inter-cooler Steam Consumption Vibrations

    Antifoulant Trial Run


    Wash Oils

    Antifoulant : 2-5 ppm wt based on the 4th stage charge rate


    Stage 4

    Stage 1

    Stage 2

    Stage 3

    Cracked Gas

    Acetylene Converters Caustic & Dryers To Recovery Section

    Stage 5
    HP DeC3

    Antifoulant Trial Run Findings


    Polytropic efficiency improved - 4-5% Comp discharge temperature reduced - 3-4oC Delta T reduced Pressure drop across inter-cooler maintained Vibration normal

    4th Stage Polytropic Efficiency, % 76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65


    05-01-02 15-01-02 25-01-02 04-02-02 14-02-02 24-02-02 06-03-02 16-03-02 26-03-02 05-04-02 15-04-02 DT 25-04-02 05-05-02 15-05-02 25-05-02 04-06-02 14-06-02 Efficiency (%)

    Dosage 2ppm

    4th Stage Polytropic Efficiency and Delta T

    Dosage 3-4 ppm 61

    51

    52

    Compressor Delta T, degC

    53

    54

    55

    56

    57

    58

    59

    60

    4th Stage Polytropic Efficiency and Delta T

    24-Jun-02 19-Jun-02 Ave eff = 1st to 3rd stage 14-Jun-02 09-Jun-02 04-Jun-02 30-May-02 25-May-02

    2nd stage

    C-300 Efficiency

    4th stage

    20-May-02 15-May-02 10-May-02 05-May-02 30-Apr-02 25-Apr-02 20-Apr-02 15-Apr-02 10-Apr-02 05-Apr-02 31-Mar-02

    80

    78

    76

    74

    72

    70

    68

    66

    64

    62

    60

    Eff, %

    Future Improvements
    Wash oil quality
    C8+ High aromatics, low gums & higher FBP Intermittent or Continuos - 0.5% wg High volume flush - 2% wg

    Wash oil and Antifoulant injection to casing


    Revamp or TA modification

    Wash water injection


    max 1% throughput to minimize rotor erosion

    Inter-coolers
    Antifoulant injection facilities for online cleaning

    High efficiency 3D impeller blades (new service)


    More efficient and larger gas passage

    Conclusions
    ? A review of equipment and maintenance records are essential to each producer ? Part of this review should include turbine and compressor fouling ? Adequate wash oil selection and antifoulant injection enables cracker extension of cracked gas compressor run lengths by reducing the amount of polymer fouling. ? Any review should also include future optimizations

    Thank You

    Q&A

    You might also like