New ideas for energy savings – Creative approaches to \"Improving steam injection in coking heaters\"

Thread Content

In delayed coking units, water or steam is generally used as the medium for accelerating the heating process: Disadvantages: 1. Due to the high heat capacity of water as well as its high latent heat of vaporization, more fuel is consumed； 2. Water and steam injection will eventually turn into wastewater, increasing the burden on wastewater treatment ； 3. The cooling load at the top of the distillation tower increases, resulting in higher water and electricity consumption ； 4. The water vapor partial pressure at the top of the distillation tower is high, making salt formation likely. Advantages: Low investment, easy to operate, and the technology is relatively mature. Dry gas: Used as a pressurization medium. Disadvantages: 1. 2–4 additional compressors are required to increase the pressure of the dry gas, resulting in high investment costs ； 2. Increasing the load on the compressors as well as that on the absorption and reabsorption towers leads to higher energy consumption (I’ve seen some people say that it increases the load associated with desulfurization; I don’t think that’s correct, as the dry gas cycle has little impact on the dry gas production) ； (Additionally: I’m not sure yet whether there is a corrosion issue; sulfur corrosion hardly occurs at high temperatures, but I’m not entirely certain about other types of corrosion. As for the risk of leakage, I think as long as it is properly controlled and the furnace tubes are not damaged, there shouldn’t be too many problems.) Advantages: 1. Low fuel consumption ； 2. The cooling load at the top of the distillation tower is low ； 3. Salt formation is unlikely at the top of the distillation tower ； 4. The wastewater treatment load is reduced. Modified waste hydrogen: Used as a acceleration medium. Disadvantages: 1. Increases the load on compressors as well as on absorption and reabsorption towers, leading to higher energy consumption ； 2. The impact on product quality is uncertain ； 3. The pressure is too high and difficult to control ； Advantages: 1. Low cooling load at the top of the distillation tower ； 2. The wastewater treatment load is reduced ； 3. Energy recycling ； 4. As long as the usage amount is well controlled and there is sufficient pressure, no additional equipment costs are required.