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100 days! The operation cycle of the process nozzle in the gasifier of China National Energy Baotou Coal Chemical Project – the world’s first coal-to-olefins facility – has set a new record! Author/Source: Gasification World Date: 2022-12-09 Clicks: 21 Recently, two process nozzles for gasification furnaces, which were innovatively repaired by Shaanxi Xinli Nozzle R&D Co., Ltd., were taken out of service during a planned shutdown at Guoneng Baotou Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. Both of these nozzles operated for 100 days each, setting a new record for the longest continuous operation time of such nozzles at Guoneng Baotou Company. The gasification unit of Guoneng Baotou Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. is equipped with 7 gasifiers with a daily coal feeding capacity of 1,500 tons (on a dry basis), operating in a 5-active/2-backup configuration. The gasification pressure is 6.5 MPa. The two process nozzles, 122X101# and 122X301#, that were subject to this innovative maintenance are installed in Unit 3 and Unit 6 respectively. During operation, the pressure difference across the burners remained stable and the atomization effect was good; the concentration of useful gases (CO+H2) reached 81%, meeting the requirements of the production process. The specific operating conditions are as follows: 1) The 122X101# process nozzle was put into use in Unit 3 on July 7, 2022, with an operating load of 70–95 m3/h of coal slurry. The pressure difference across the burner was 0.42–0.63 MPa. Of this, 70 m3/h corresponded to short-term operation, while the overall load remained at 90–95 m3/h. The unit operated steadily until October 15, when it was shut down after 100 days of continuous operation. 2) The 122X301# process nozzle was put into use in Gasifier No. 6 on May 24, 2022, with an operating load of 60–93.5 m3/h of slurry, and a burner pressure difference of 0.43–0.66 MPa. The load was high during the initial period of operation; later, due to other reasons, it dropped to 85 m3/h of slurry. The unit operated steadily until September 1, when it was scheduled to stop after 100 days of operation. Currently, the average operating cycle of the nozzles in 6.5 MPa water-coal slurry gasification furnace processes in the industry is around 80 days. The fact that two process nozzles in succession have achieved operating cycles of over 100 days without scheduled shutdowns indicates that Guoneng Baotou Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. has reached a new level in terms of the service life of its process nozzles, with this lifespan now reaching 6.5 MPa – a level that is ahead of the industry standard for water-coal slurry gasification. After being taken offline, the end faces of the two process nozzles were as follows: ▲ Cracking on the end face of the 122X101# process nozzle after it was scheduled for shutdown; ▲ Cracking on the end face of the 122X301# process nozzle after it was scheduled for shutdown. From an examination of the end faces, the main areas of cracking in both nozzles were within a 20-mm radius around the circumference of the outer oxygen nozzle opening, and the cracks were mild and normal. Slight wear was observed on the slurry nozzle and the central oxygen nozzle, indicating that the stable operation period of these process nozzles had exceeded 100 days. With the extended cycle of the process nozzles, only 3 nozzles are required per furnace per year, which is far less than the industry average of 4-6 nozzles. This reduces the frequency of equipment maintenance as well as the associated costs, thereby saving money for the company. The next goal is to ensure the efficient and stable operation of the process nozzle for 120 days, so that its maintenance can be synchronized with that of other related equipment in the gasification furnace system. This will reduce the number of times the furnace needs to be shut down, providing strong support for Guoneng Baotou Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. in achieving energy savings and cost reduction while improving efficiency, thereby generating economic benefits. Shaanxi Xinli Nozzle R&D Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise specialized in the research and development and manufacturing of equipment related to gasifiers in the coal chemical industry. Headquartered in Xi’an, Shaanxi, it has a branch in Jingbian, Yulin, as well as a purchasing company overseas in the UK named Lawrence-Wang Ltd. The Jingbian branch is located about 300 kilometers away from the chemical plants in northern Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia; it takes only 3 hours to reach the clients’ sites for service, giving it a clear geographical advantage ； Lawrence-Wang Ltd., the procurement company, is primarily responsible for arranging direct overseas purchases of Category A materials such as cobalt-based and nickel-based alloys, as well as related welding materials, for the company. ▲ Shaanxi Xinli Nozzle R&D Co., Ltd. The main products of Shaanxi Xinli Nozzle R&D Co., Ltd. include process nozzles for vaporization furnaces, quenching rings, brick-supporting plate protection rings, downcomers, upcomers, preheating nozzles, burner nozzles, Venturi washers, silencers, and more. To date, 16 related patents have been obtained, and in 2014, corporate standards for the \"Slurry Coal Gasification Nozzle\" and the \"Slurry Coal Gasification Preheating Nozzle\" were formulated and issued.