Once again, a debottleneck project is finished, and the plant is complete and coming on line. As it turns out, Process Engineering identified ways to achieve more pounds per hour by upgrading a quench tower with new trays and by adding a couple of new nozzles in the tower.
The turnaround went smoothly, and testing went well. One of the key components in the system was a turbine compressor train pushing cracked gas through the system. Things are looking good and, as the plant rotating equipment engineer, you have made your rounds and all the equipment is within allowable ranges regarding temperatures and vibration. You go home with a good feeling and rest easy as you get ready for the next day when the plant is slated to reach full production and start making product.
While the quench tower modifications were easy, the major part of the project involved the compressor upgrades that consisted mainly of tilt pad bearings, impellers and controls. New recycle lines, knockout drums and so forth were installed to handle the added capacity. It was not anticipated that there would be any problems, as this unit had previously run well in all aspects.
Share / Bookmark