Control improves fractionator performance

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · Hydrocarbon Process.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6357188

Ayral, T E

Computer control of a coker fractionator head temperature increases production of valuable coker gasoline. Under normal operation the coker head temperature must be held below the desired point to avoid producing too high an end point gasoline for feed to the reformer with attendant reduction in cycle length of reformer catalyst. Immediately after feed has been switched out of a coke drum, steam is added to strip off any light fractions remaining in the coke drum. This steam causes the coker fractionator gasoline endpoint to increase approximately 25/sup 0/F for about 1 hour. Most refinery operations are continuous, but not operation of the delayed coker, which is actually semi-batch. Coke drums work in pairs, one drum in coking and one being steamed, cooled, drilled and prepared for its next coking cycle. Since the coker operation is not continuous, coke drum products fed to the coker fractionator vary during a coker cycle. Before any control was started, a benefits estimate was determined. This estimate showed that an increase of 5/sup 0/F in the coker fractionator endpoint is worth approximately $300,000 per year in increased gasoline product. Fig. 3 shows that the Coker gasoline endpoint excursion during steaming is minimized to less than 5/sup 0/F as a result of computer control. Performance has been good with an onstream factor of over 90% since commissioning.

• Research Organization: ARCO Petroleum Products, Co., Carson, CA
• OSTI ID: 6357188
• Journal Information: Hydrocarbon Process.; (United States), Vol. 64:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM
FRACTIONATION
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
PERFORMANCE
COKING
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
PROCESS CONTROL
CARBONIZATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTROL
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
020400* - Petroleum- Processing