Inspection and safety assessment of coke towers

Thread Content

Inspection and safety assessment of coke towers. Coke towers are key equipment in delayed coking units. Their operating conditions are characterized by low pressure but high temperatures, with both temperature and stress varying periodically. As a result, the stress conditions experienced by these towers are quite complex, including thermal stress and mechanical stress. The interaction between these stresses accelerates the failure process of the coke towers; the main modes of failure occur due to the combined effects of thermomechanical fatigue and creep, manifesting itself as deformation of the tower structure (bulging) and cracking of welds. In the field of research on the remaining service life of carbon steel under the interaction between thermal fatigue and mechanical fatigue, the Special Inspection Center has accumulated a large amount of experimental data through scientific research and on-site sampling simulations. These data have been successfully applied to the inspection and safety assessment of several coke towers that are in operation for extended periods in China, including the remaining service life analysis of China’s first delayed coking unit. This approach not only ensures safe production for these enterprises but also generates significant economic benefits for them.