The commissioning of 62 large-scale units at the Zhong’an United Coal Chemical Plant was successfully completed!

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The commissioning of 62 large-scale units at the Zhong’an United Coal Chemical Plant was successfully completed! Author/Source: Yahuahua Coal Chemical Industry Date: 2019-06-06 Clicks: 18 On June 1, with the successful commissioning of the 3# steam turbine generator set 5400-ST-3001 at Zhong’an United Thermal Power Department and the completion of the 72+24 hour performance testing, the commissioning process for the 62 large-scale units at Zhong’an United Coal Chemical Industry was successfully concluded! As a key energy transformation and upgrading project jointly funded by Sinopec and Anhui Province, Zhonganlian has successfully completed the construction of its main facilities since resuming work in 2017; it is now in the final stages of testing and ensuring the full operational capability of the facilities. The commissioning of large-scale units has strengthened organizational support. At the end of 2017, in order to accomplish the challenging task of commissioning the large-scale units for the Zhong’an Coal Chemical Project, the company established a dedicated leadership team for this purpose. It also formed four commissioning teams – one for coal gasification, one for methanol production, one for olefins production, and one for thermal power generation – thereby creating a strong management and technical team responsible for the commissioning of these large-scale units. For key units such as syngas compressors, extrusion granulators, air separation units, steam turbine generators, and high-pressure feed water pumps, enhanced management is implemented by establishing core commissioning teams. During the commissioning process, the commissioning leadership team organized 18 monthly regular meetings, held 47 special meetings regarding the large-scale units, and prepared 38 briefing reports on the commissioning of these units, thereby effectively advancing the commissioning work ； In connection with the commissioning of key units, the company hired experts from Guangzhou Petrochemical to form a strong team of experts that was integrated into its organizational structure. Significant results were achieved in addressing issues such as excessive shaft displacement of high-pressure feedwater pumps, excessive vibration in steam turbine generators, inaccurate readings from thermocouples located before the quick-shut valves of air separation turbines, and faults related to the rotation of booster pumps ； Furthermore, professional maintenance teams are selected during testing to improve the organizational structure. Yangzi Power, Anhui Yingchuang, Jinling Jianan, and Yangzi Inspection & Safety were involved in the maintenance tasks related to the testing; Hefei Huasheng Pump Industry took charge of the repair of the feed water pumps as well as high-speed dynamic balancing tasks; Nanjing Chuangju provided excellent guidance on the diagnosis of the steam turbine generators. The advanced skills of the professional maintenance team provided excellent technical support for the commissioning of large-scale units. During the commissioning of large-scale units, quality is controlled throughout the entire process. Clarify the list to assign responsibilities. The Equipment Engineering Department organized a revision of the A1 quality control points. Categorizing them by screw compressors, extruders, centrifugal compressors, steam (flue gas) turbines, reciprocating compressors, centrifugal (axial flow) fans, large-scale centrifugal pumps, medium-speed coal mills, dry gas seals, high-pressure steam pipelines, etc., it identified 57 sub-items under 10 main categories as A1-level quality control points. It also conducted a detailed comparison between these quality control points and 62 large-scale units, documenting everything in written form and assigning responsibilities to specific teams ； Restrict permissions to control deviations. The authority to grant approvals despite exceeding specified limits has been tightened; it is stipulated that the operation department shall not approve operations when technical parameters such as clearance, vibration, and temperature exceed the allowed limits. Only the head of the trial operation leadership team for large-scale units has the authority to make such decisions, which improves the quality of unit installation ； Strict control at the production stage to address the root cause. By focusing on the FAT stage, personnel were sent to manufacturers such as Shenyu, Shangyu, and Dalian Shenlan to participate in factory acceptance tests, thereby ensuring quality control from the source ； Strict supervision at the site to ensure quality. Strict quality control and inspection are carried out in accordance with standards at every stage, including welding, flaw detection, grouting, tile gaps, alignment, and stress-free installation. It is precisely the strict control over quality that ensured the smooth commissioning of the large-scale units, with no serious failures occurring during the commissioning process. The commissioning of large-scale units has strengthened the professional foundation. The leading group for the commissioning of large-scale units requires that we take the lead throughout the commissioning process, with management, technical, and operational personnel actively participating in every stage of it. Based on practical operations, the leading group for the commissioning of large-scale units organized the commissioning team to compile guiding documents such as the \"Guidelines for Oil Flushing of the Lubrication System in Large-Scale Units\", the \"Guidelines for the Installation and Use of Metal Bellows Expansion Joints\", the \"Guidelines for the Installation and Inspection of Pipe Supports and Hangers\", the \"Guidelines for Stress-Free Installation and Inspection of Equipment and Pipes\", the \"Guidelines for Motor and Pump Alignment\", and the \"Guidelines for Handling Faults During Individual Motor Tests\". These documents standardized the commissioning process of large-scale units and improved the precision, standardization, and consistency of the operations ； At the same time, the leading group for the commissioning of large-scale units promoted fault analysis and experience sharing, organizing analyses of faults such as the 4 shutdown incidents that occurred during the startup of Unit 2 of the air separation plant, boiler tube leakage, breakage of the pin in the control valve of Unit 1’s temperature and pressure reduction device, shutdowns of Units 1 and 2’s feed water pumps, and overheating of the bearings in the air separation plant’s expansion engines. It also facilitated the sharing of experiences related to the commissioning of the syngas compression units and the cycle gas compressors. The operation departments learn from each other’s lessons from commissioning trials, share their experience in such trials, and identify the key aspects of successful commissioning, which has led to a significant improvement in the skills required for starting up and operating large-scale units. Furthermore, tackling technical challenges has become a common practice during testing. During the installation of Unit 1# air separation plant, it was found that rust on the gearbox might affect the subsequent commissioning process. Due to various reasons, Siemens was unable to be on site for guidance. Under the leadership of the trial operation steering committee for large-scale units, technical experts were assembled into a task force to tackle the technical challenges. They carefully studied the gearbox drawings, proceeded with opening the gearbox, disconnected the instruments, marked the bolts, and created special lifting equipment. From testing and rust removal to reassembly, the task was completed with complete success! During the first commissioning of Unit 1 steam turbine generator, a problem of high vibration in bearing 2 occurred, with the vibration level reaching up to 103 μm. The crew attempted two more attempts, but the vibration of bearing 2# remained high, approaching the critical value of 254μm that triggers a shutdown. At the critical moment when difficulties arose during the startup of the turbine, a task force was organized to conduct research, and innovative solutions were proposed, such as cutting open the throat section of the condenser to relieve stress, reducing the number of support spring shims, digging beneath the circulating water pipelines to replace the rigid supports at the bottom of those pipelines with rubber soft supports in order to eliminate the force exerted by the blind flanges. After the implementation of this solution, the prime motion of Unit 1 turbine generator was successful; the vibration of bearing No. 2 was brought under effective control, and it was subsequently applied to Units 2 and 3 turbine generators as well. The commissioning of large-scale units has helped build a learning-oriented team. Mentors guide apprentices to nurture new talent. The company arranged for equipment experts to mentor the newcomers, pairing 18 individuals in mentor-mentee relationships. During the testing phase, the mentors provided hands-on guidance on professional knowledge and experience, enabling the young apprentices to grow rapidly and become key members of the team ； Using exams to promote learning and boost motivation. Professional examinations such as those for A1 quality control points, instrument control interlocks, the regulations on production preparation and commissioning for Sinopec construction projects, and equipment-related technical competitions were organized successively; 268 people participated in these examinations, which enhanced the motivation of technical personnel to learn and contributed to the improvement of their technical skills ； Specialized training improves skills. Experts from similar manufacturers in the industry were invited to conduct various technical training sessions, including those on \"Analysis and Reflections on Main Grid Faults,\" \"Instrument Management and Technical Exchange Training in Coal Chemical Industry,\" \"Lubrication Reliability Management and Oil Monitoring Training,\" \"Basic Principles and Operation/Maintenance Techniques of Extrusion Granulators,\" \"Development of Equipment Integrity Management Systems and Professional Equipment Management Training,\" \"Chemical Plant Electrical Safety Operation Management Training,\" and \"Dry Gas Sealing and Pump Operation/Maintenance Management Training,\" all aimed at improving the professional skills of technical personnel. The leading group for the commissioning of large-scale units encouraged everyone to learn while working and work while learning, placed emphasis on identifying and developing talent, and was willing to assign responsibilities to younger colleagues. During the installation, debugging, and startup phases of the units, a large number of skilled technicians emerged, which facilitated the growth of a strong team of young technical professionals and helped create a learning-oriented team. The commissioning of the large-scale unit yielded good results. The commissioning of the company’s large-scale units began in November 2017; 18 turbines were started up, 45 motors underwent individual tests, and all 62 large-scale units passed their joint commissioning tests! The Equipment Engineering Department, the Operations Department, the Electrical and Instrumentation Center, etc. thoroughly studied the drawings and relevant documentation, overcame various difficulties, and successfully completed the submission process for 992 items of spare parts in the first batch, 2281 items in the second batch, and 470 items in the third batch. Together with 5005 items of spare parts that were included as part of the standard supply, this totals 8748 items, which constitute the company’s reserve of spare parts and components, providing a solid material foundation for the commissioning of large-scale machinery ； The Equipment Engineering Department, the Operations Department, the Project Branches, and other units worked together to obtain usage permits for 1,160 special equipment units, thereby ensuring compliance with legal requirements for the commissioning of large-scale machinery ； The oil transportation work for the large-scale units took ten months in total; the commissioning team worked overtime, showed creativity, and strived for excellence, completing the oil transportation tasks for 44 sets of fuel stations, thereby providing valuable lubrication support for the commissioning of these large-scale units ； The Equipment Engineering Department and the Electrical and Instrumentation Center took preemptive action and organized tasks in an orderly manner to complete the power reception and transmission operations for 48 substations, including 1 220kV substation, 1 110kV substation, 13 35kV substations, 28 10kV substations, and 5 0.38kV substations, thereby providing power support for the commissioning of large-scale generating units. Especially during the peak period for testing, from March to May, 30 units were tested simultaneously. Departments such as scheduling, technology, safety, equipment, electrical and instrumentation teams, as well as the supply and marketing department, worked together in coordination, with professionals from mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation fields collaborating to achieve a unified effort and thus secure successful results in the testing process.