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European Delayed Coking Operations & Technologies Seminar 30 September 1 October 2004
Raffineria di Gela C.da Piana del Signore, 93012 Gela (CL) - Italy A cooperation of ENI R&M Raffineria di GELA - ConocoPhillips
Introduction
Delayed Coking Units, in the world, like all refinery units in common have the basic process whereas every unit, essentially, has different features like capacity, performances, metallurgy, operation, etc. that give, for a single unit, different troubles. However, even in the diversity, many problems are common. Inspection methods, corrosion and metallurgic knowledge, with the aid of RBI, NDT, assessment or remaining life, consolidated repair welding methodologies, etc. contribuite to provide reliability of operation and security.
A review of knowledges that can help to manage Delayed Coking Unit inspections are given.
COKE DRUMS
API Survey of Findings 1996 Final Report Nov.2003 - Design - Operation - Shell Deterioration - Shell Bulging - Shell Cracking - Shell Materials - Skirt Deterioration - Cladding
Percentage
18,5
31,5
29,6
16,7
3,7
The average time until the first observed bulge was 11 years. This coincided with the reported experience of the newer drums.
SHELL CRACKING
Cracking did not only occur at bulges but mostly in non-bulged areas (in the weld of shell)
After crack repairs had been performed, has been reported that cracking, mainly, had re-occurred.
SHELL MATERIALS
Table below gives the average, minimum, and maximum cycles for surveys reporting cracked and noncracked drums.
SKIRT DETERIORATION
1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
Skirt cracking is a great problem Many cracks propagated into the shell Skirts with slots experienced cracking Many in-line skirts did not experience cracking Many skirts that had flush ground welds were found without cracking
There are two different primary areas of skirt cracking: 1. On either side of the skirt to shell weld, and 2. Associated with slots and keyholes
1) Some cracks had occurred in the cladding (30% of survey). 2) No one indicated that corrosion had initiated any cracking but that pitting and general corrosion had occurred. 3) Often is some type of corrosion damage, such as pitting, general corrosion or other types of corrosion.
OVERHEAD PIPING
1) Coke formation 2) Foam carry-over 3) Pressure drop 1) Failure of drill stem 2) Maintenance 1) Type bottom gasket 2) Associated problems
DRILL STEM
BOTTOM GASKET
1) Welding cracking
OVERHEAD PIPING
Coke formation The vapor overhead line runs from the top of the coke drum to the fractionator. The temperature in the line is around 450C . The temperature is decreased by about 30C by injecting hot heavy coker gas oil into the line as quench oil. This prevents coking in the line. The heavy coker gas oil is a wash oil coating the inside of the pipe. If the liquid layer dries out, coke starts to form and often the line plugs, particularly in the elbow.
Foam carry-over and Pressure drop Possible foam carry-over in overhead lines is even due at radiation level meter of the coke drum that is not accurate. Also, high pressure drops in overhead lines can cause foaming in the coke drum during the drum switch. Prevention of coke in the line is important since this will increase the pressure in the coke drum thus increasing reflux of gas oil in the drum. Decreasing coke drum pressure increases liquid yield (decreases coke yield). Leave the insulation off the overhead lines helps drop the temperature and keep the inside wetted. Vapor line sizes are very large in order to obtain the minimum amount of pressure drop.
DRILL STEM
Failure of drill stem is largely dependant on the type of coke to cut, particularly if coke is hard. It should have periodic checks. Free fall arrestor aux. cable lubrication, check/replace rotary joint gear box lube oil,greasing of air hoist wire rope & its guide, replace air hoist motor lube oil, lubricating all pulley blocks, inspection of nozzle tips can all be monthly activities. Without periodic checks is possible failure of stem in welding and, particularly, in threaded zone.
BOTTOM GASKET
Type bottom gasket can be a problem. If the gasket is double jacketed, flat metal or other sheet material should only be used once since they rely on being compressed to seal. Ring type gaskets can be reused since they rely on a metal-tometal contact line that does not degrade significantly after each use, but will eventually need to be changed.
Normally, after some year of operation is possible to have cracks in welding of radioactive source pad supports. Any plate of support or attachment to weld in the shell of coke drum must be avoided. If is not possible all weld attachment (see a nozzle reinforcing pad or support bracket or insulation supports) because the drum is heated and cooled, this will result in a cyclical force applied at the perimeter as unequal expansion rates that can cause cracks to develop in the weld or drum metal even insulated. In this case, every turnaround should be checked regularly for cracking
FURNACE/S
Main factors to consider for a coker furnace are : Design Coker Tube Furnace Heater Tube Decoking Design Normally the modern-day furnace has two to four passes per furnace. The tubes are mounted horizontally on the side and held in place with alloy hangers. The furnace tubes are around 100 mm ID with 6 to 12 mm wall thickness and are at least a 9% chrome alloy even if someone uses 5% Cr. Higher alloy tubes are being used with the more rapid steam spalling and steam-air decoking methods. Aluminized tubes have been tried, but offer no advantage.
The coker tube furnace is the true heart of the delayed coking process. The heater furnishes all of the heat in the process. The outlet temperature of a coker furnace is typically around 500C with a pressure of about 4 bars. Heater Tube Decoking When coke forms in the heater tubes, it insulates the inside of the tube which results in elevated temperatures on the outside of the tube. Normally, when temperatures approach 677C (1250F) on the exterior skin thermocouple, the furnace must be steam spalled and/or steam-air decoked or cooled down and cleaned by hydraulic pigging.
Heater tube deposits Internal coke formation is part of process. Thickness of coke depends of many factors. Coke deposits have very high content of iron, silica and sodium. Deposits recovered from return bend clean-out plugs are sometimes long cylindrical shapes and in another case looked like a thick scallop shell. These depend of feed, steam, water, etc.etc. Iron sulfide is probably not totally removed in steam-air decoking and deposits are mostly sodium, silica and calcium. Nevertheless, normally, shutdown of furnace depends always from achieving skin temperatures and if heater tubes are not designed adeguately can depend even pump feed high pressure to obtain 4-5 bar in outlet piping.
Skin temperature Skin temperature is important for decocking and for life of furnace. Relatively to tube materials API RP 530 gives maximum allowable temperatures. Allowable max temperature for 9% Cr is 705C. Nevertheless, there are furnaces with 9% Cr that operate with skin temperature until 730C and appropriately designed overcome 100.000 hours. Flame impingement Flame impingement is a matter. Needs to check periodically burners efficiency to avoid higher skin temperatures that not are possible to look in control room because can be far of skin thermocouples.
Internal tube corrosion Internal tube corrosion depend of sulphur contents of feed. 9% Cr or P91 are compatible with rate of corrosion by sulphur. McComony curves gives indications about corrosion rates by sulphur content. Upgrade materials like 347 or H grade SS can be used with some precautions even if there are experience with 347 SS without precautions (steam or Soda ash) by many years. Creep Furnace radiant zone operates in creep range with ferritic or austenitic steels. Creep is a mechanism that above 400C produces, into a material, a intergranular microvoids until microcracks that decrease mechanical strength of material producing failures. Normally, tubes heater design is 100.000 h. It is possibile to operate until 730C (End Of Run) with 9% Cr. Considerations about allowable stress, corrosion rate, carburization, etc., must be carefully taken.
1) Piping stress analysis and pipe support engineering consideration of thermal expansioncaused by operating temperature and cyclic operating conditions in piping around coke drums. 2) Special consideration for piping subject to coke deposition and 3) Valving considerations that locate valves close to the drum to wich they are connected such that they appear to be associated with the drum near which they are located.
The most complex system is the coke drum overhead vapour piping attached to the top of coke drums and are subject to: 1) coke drum thermal growth, 2) coke drum banana effect which is drum bending of about 8 to 10 in any horizontal direction and according to operators happens in varying degrees of severity and regularity on some cokers that can occur if uneven drum wall quenching take place due to quench water channelling to one side of the drum. 3) most severe cyclical operation on coke drum inlet and overhead piping such that the piping pairs are subject to the alternative hot, during coking, and cold, during quench-decoking operation of any pair of drums and 4) a different set of operating conditions during startup as coke drums undergo commissioning and decommissioning typically every 24 hours.
Other piping and fittings that need annual check, in this case, for corrosion or to verify if has been mounted a CS material instead that 9% Cr or Alloy Steel generally, is related at feed and outlet piping heater. Often is replaced pipe or fitting in CS where needs alloy steel. In this case corrosion rate is higher with possibility of leakage and/or fire due at high temperatures of stream.
The 4 old coke drums were in C-Moly (1963) with about 6 mt in diameter with the drilling deck and derrick at the top of the two drum pair. New 4 coke drums from 2001 with same size are in 1- % Cr % Mo and until now there is not some evidence
SHELL DETERIORATION Gela Refinery experiended, with 4 old drums (C-Moly) (1963), the first crack after about 2500 cycles (7 years) (1970) due at improperly water quench. After 15 years (1978) the drilling deck and derrick at the top of the two drum pair have been made independent for cracks in welding support plates. Until 1980 internal inspections were made, filling the drum with water and slowely empting, with rubber dinghy. Were old times because it was impossible to inspect accurately the shell apart security matters. Complete internal inspection, with scaffolding was made in 1983 (20 years 7000 cycles). Were found, with dye penetrant, cracks in bottom four shell courses, bulging and tilting by measurements.
Cone Skirt
DESIGN
SHELL DETERIORATION The first evidence of cracks (1997) were in welding of radioactive level meter pad supports. In 2003 other cracks in the same zones with wrinkle of 190 mm. With video laser scan circumferential crack in 4# - 5# shell course (1# from bottom) was found. In maintenance turnaround, with scaffolding, the crack was 25 mm deep. Always video laser was found others circumferential cracks only in HAZ of cladding in 3# - 4#, - 2# - 3#, 1# - 2# shell courses. Bulging was measured in all two drums with some major evidence (see Figure)
32 mm
Crack 25 mm x1500 mm
Profile of bulging
SKIRT DETERIORATION
Every maintenance turnaround has been performed magnetic particles in external welding and all zone with shear waves UT without no evidence. Attachment skirt-shell welding has a new design that like will say below give better reliability.
DRILL STEM In Jan 2003 a failure of drill stem involved a shutdown of unit
CORROSION AND METALLURGICAL ASPECTS The knowledge of metallurgy, damages, welding and NDT techniques give an effort to plan an inspection program with costs optimitazion and a best reliability and operation security. METALLURGY Normally, in Delayed Coking Units, main materials used, for piping and associated components (pumps, valves, etc), related to corrosion, are CS where temperature is low and 5% or 9% Cr for temperatures exceeding 260C. For temperature lower of 200C, vessels, heat echangers, columns are in CS except bottom of column that is AISI 410 SS cladding. Metallurgy of Coke Drums can be from CS to 2 Cr-Mo, with AISI 405-410 cladding. Tubes of furnace/s, normally, are 9% Cr (P9 or P91), but in some case can be AISI 347 SS or 347H SS or 5% Cr.
CORROSION Main types of corrosion in delayed coking units are the following: Sulfidic Corrosion Sulphide Stress Corrosion Cracking HIC (Hydrogen Induced Cracking) and SWC (Stepwise Cracking) Caustic Embrittlement Thermal Fatique Creep
Sulfidic Corrosion Items involved Bottom piping of Fractionator Feed preheat exchangers and related piping Furnace/s tubes Furnace/s outlet piping Overhead Coke Drum piping
Sulphide Stress Corrosion Cracking Items involved Column Process and Ammine Absorber Reflux Vessel, Gasoil Stripper Vessels in suction Compressor Fractionator Condenser Compressor Cooling Exchanger, etc.
HIC (Hydrogen Induced Cracking) and SWC (Stepwise Cracking) This phenomena occurs at room temperature until at about 120C with . presence of H2S > 50 ppm. Reaction is accelerates by presence of CN-. Hydrogen Induced Cracking is due at the formation of nascent hydrogen from reaction between H2S, metal and water Hydrogen penetrates in metal and, in presence of internal discontinuities (inclusions, segregations or microstructural vacancies) forms even molecular hydrogen that increase in pressure and it gives blistering or SWC (Step Wise Cracking). Whereas blistering is easy to detect (visually or with thickness UT measurements), SWC needs accurate testing (see below in section NDT).
Items involved Reflux Drum, Gasoil Stripper Vessels in suction Compressor Fractionator Condenser Compressor Cooling Exchanger, etc.
Caustic Embrittlement The term caustic embrittlement is a misnomer Presence of NaOH in CS should be considered regard % of NaOH, operation temperature. The loss of ductility characteristic of caustic embrittlement is due to the reduction in load-carrying capability caused by the formation of a network of cracks The cracks are caused by alkaline stress corrosion cracking Stress relieved should be considered or choice of other materials regard graph for caustic soda service.
Caustic Embrittlement
Items involved
All items where is utilized Caustic to low pH (Heat Exchangers, Vessels, etc)
Water quench time is many important. Shorter water quench time gives major probabilities to have cracking in short time (always thousand of cycles) If during warm up fill the Drum before to achieve an adeguate temperature to receive the feed, material of shell has a thermal shock Material appears not much important, but adeguate design for types of shell plates, attachment, skirt welding, pads, with thicker and C-Mo material are the best choice Items involved Coke Drum and associated components
4. Consider special inspection measures where temperature gradients and fatigue are likely 5. Be alert for wrong material installations, particularly CS vs Low-alloy Steels 6. Watch locations where conditions may result in low-temperature hydrogen attack (HIC or SWC) 7. Check vent, drain pipes and dead points where concentrate moistures can lead to heavy corrosion with leakage 8. Check plug and connection pipes of pump casing
Be careful !!! Many accidents, about 95%, occur for leakage or failure of small components vent, drain pipes, dpcell pipes, pressure gage pipes, termowells, lubricant oil pipes, plug and connection pipes of pump casing, etc. etc.)
Possible troubleshooting are following: Shell welding cracking and bulging Bulging Skirt welding cracking External attachment or bracket or pad welding cracking Cladding cracking Overhead piping plugging Bottom Gasket failure Drill stem failure
Cracking of circumferential welding is due at thermal fatique related at variations of temperature during a cycle. Most severity is during water quench. Start of crack depends from number and severity of cycles. Often, before cracks, bulging appeared, but can be, in some case, associated. Normally, interested shell courses are until 5# or 6# starting from bottom.
Circunferential crack
Circunferential bulging
To minimize or delay welding cracks is possible. Elimination of welding internal/external crown with a smooth grinding is, securely, a way to delay crack welding formation because, for thermal stress or thermal fatique, presence of initiated zone like non-linear profile increase stress levels in these zones.
Grinding smooth
Grinding smooth
Welding crown
Circumferential welding
Another approach to minimize circumferential cracks and bulging is to use vertical plates in Coke Drum. Because thermal fatique involves, principally, until 6# shell course, starting from bottom, it is possible, with an appropriated design, to built or repair old Drums with vertical plates.
Vertical plates
Shell
Cone
Skirt
With this design scheme there are lower probabilities to have cracking.
Pad support
Secondary cracks
Clad material (type 405 or 410 or 410S) is a ferritic stainless steel and, at operation temperature, it suffers by embrittlement and in HAZ with any type of welding (Inconel 182 or Austenitic stainless steel), after several cycles, starts the crack. Is rarely to have pitting or corrosion and even it is occurs do not is a big problem. Disbonding can be occur, but often is due to cladding process.
Crack in HAZ of cladding
Type bottom gasket can be a problem. If the gasket is double jacketed, flat metal or other sheet material should only be used once since they rely on being compressed to seal. Ring type gaskets can be reused since they rely on a metal-to-metal contact line that does not degrade significantly after each use, but will eventually need to be changed.
New
Failure
This technique combines a laser mapping technique with a visual inspection via video camera to detect defects in coke drum shells.
Shell
Guide wave
Some trouble to consider in overhead piping of coke drum is: Coke formation Corrosion
NDT techniques used to check overhead piping are: 1. Infrared Termography 2. Tube Thickness Measurements
Tube
Probe UT
NDT techniques used to check the furnace are: 1. Infrared Termography 2. Tube Thickness Measurements 3. Replicas
External temperature of heater to verify refractory conditions and for Energy Conservation
- Skin temperatures - Hot spots in tubes by flame impingement - Hot spots in tubes for heavy coke deposits in tubes
Infrared Camera
Tube
Heater tubes are designed for 100.000 h at design conditions (pressure and temperature). Should be checked tube deteriorations due to creep for assessment and remaining life, after 100.000 h or before if skin temperatures have reached values above design, particularly for long time. Replicas are stamps of external microstructure that are examined with an optical microscopic to verify presence of creep (microvoids, linked microvoids, microcracks).
Magnetic particle testing This method is used to check internal welding for presence of cracks due to SCCC or where is possible for Caustic Embrittlement
Tube Thickness Measurements Applications of this method has been explained in OVERHEAD PIPING
NDT techniques used to check these zones are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Tube Thickness Measurements Infrared Termography Magnetic particle testing Digital Radiography (Digital X ray) PMI (Positive Material Identification)
Tube Thickness Measurements - Infrared Termography Applications of these methods have been explained in OVERHEAD PIPING
END OF PRESENTATION
Several companies have performed implementations for security operations in Coking Unit, particularly, in Coke Drums. Are listed follow some companies that have implemented or patented some security systems.
A)
COKE DRUM TOP AND BOTTOM UNHEADING SYSTEM PATENTED FOSTER WHEELER BOTTOM UNHEADING
These companies have developed an Automated Coke Drum Switching and Safety Interlocks.