【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】Breakthroughs were achieved in the domestic substitution of seals for large-scale rich gas compressors from 2011 to 2021

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Looking at the decade-long development of chemical technology, I praise the prosperity and strength of modern China. This is just a starting point to encourage further discussion – more participation will make things even more lively. With you here, HaiChuan becomes even better. [A decade of progress in chemical equipment] – continuous updates and summaries available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html. Happy National Day! ! ! As of October 15, 2021, the diaphragm sealing devices of grades 8–15, developed jointly by CNPC Bohai Equipment Lanzhou Petrochemical Equipment Branch and CNPC Lanzhou Petrochemical Company, have been in stable operation in Lanzhou Petrochemical’s 1.4 million tons per year catalytic cracking unit for 180 days, with all performance indicators meeting the expected standards. “After replacing our American-made units, which had been in use for many years, with their seals, both the compressor speed and vibration levels decreased, and the steam consumption of the associated turbine also dropped significantly. It seems that domestic seals are in no way inferior to imported ones. ”The facility equipment managers expressed approval of this. After 4 years of continuous efforts, Bohai Equipment finally broke the foreign technological monopoly and achieved domestic substitution for the seals of the rich gas compressors in catalytic cracking units. The rich gas compressor used in catalytic cracking units serves primarily to raise the pressure of the rich gas coming from the distillation system before sending it to the absorption system; it is an essential piece of equipment for the operation of the entire plant. The gas-rich compressor has a total of 15 sealing stages, whose primary function is to prevent gas from the high-pressure chamber from leaking into the low-pressure chamber. The quality of these seals directly affects the compressor’s performance and energy consumption. However, sealing technology has always been monopolized by foreign countries. In 2017, the Lanzhou Petrochemical Equipment Branch of Bohai Equipment carried out research and development for domestic substitution in this regard. Faced with unknown areas, technical personnel consult industry materials, visit customers, study the structural characteristics, operating features, and technical requirements of compressors, while making full use of the geographical advantages provided by being in the same area. During the product design phase, technicians made over 50 trips to the site to conduct comparative measurements, working closely with the managers in charge of the equipment. They first overcame the challenges associated with mapping the components of the unit, and subsequently broke through various technical barriers related to material research, manufacturing processes, and tool design, thereby producing qualified seals. In 2019, the inter-stage seals of grades 1 to 7, developed through cooperation between the two parties, were first applied to Lanzhou Petrochemical Company’s 1.4 million tons per year catalytic cracking unit, where they achieved stable operation for 28 months. In April this year, the newly manufactured diaphragm seals for levels 8 to 15 were put into use. As a result, the compressor’s speed decreased by about 10%, while its vibration levels dropped by 280%. The turbine connected to the compressor saved 7.4 tons of steam per hour, demonstrating significant benefits. Compared to importing a set of seals, it saves over 1 million yuan in costs. At the same time, reducing steam consumption can save more than 13 million yuan in costs each year. “Domestic refining and chemical companies use a lot of the same equipment. ”A technician from Bohai Equipment’s Lanzhou Petrochemical Equipment Branch said, “Using domestic sealing devices can save a large amount of money and reduce a company’s production costs.” ”