The problem of blockage in the slurry vent line at the catalytic fractionation unit
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The problem of blockages in the slurry vent lines at the catalytic fractionation unit – vents often get blocked during operation. I was wondering if anyone has any good solutions. Larger vents can be cleared using steam, but how can blockages in smaller vents, such as those with a diameter of DN25, be prevented?
1. Steam blowing. 2. Puncture with wire. 3. The vent outlet should be arranged horizontally at the bottom of the pipeline, rather than being directly at the bottom as is commonly done
Question regarding the second floor: If the drain is installed horizontally for backflow prevention, how can the oil slurry in the pipelines be completely drained? I have consulted many manufacturers, but none of them have an effective solution to the problem of blockages that occur due to the backflow of slurry.
The key lies in the raw materials and the reaction process. Heavy raw materials, excessive reaction depth, catalyst degradation, and insufficient removal of slurry are the root causes of blockages; unless these problems are resolved, the blockages will reappear even if they are cleared temporarily
There’s no good solution; if it’s blocked, one has to use wire to poke it through, and doing this is a dangerous task that requires skill. Slurry scale inhibitors can provide some degree of mitigation, but the key factor remains the solid content in the slurry. Once the raw materials, catalysts, and reaction depth are fixed in production, the only thing that can be done is to increase the amount of slurry that is removed. Our unit no longer reprocesses the slurry oil.
Now, as the operating cycle of catalytic units lengthens, the backflow of slurry generally leads to blockages. No particularly effective solution has been found yet; for small-diameter pipes, the catalyst in the slurry accumulates over time, which easily causes blockages. Using steam to clear such blockages is not very effective, and trying to clear them with a wire also doesn’t work well. I hope someone can come up with a good solution that can be shared with everyone
First, use a steam blowtorch to heat the oil slurry inside the tube, and then just use steam to blow it away
Forcing is the key; I think it’s more practical to use a dredger. Have you used plug-type samplers? With some minor modifications to the air vents, the problem can be easily solved. It’s necessary to avoid those direct vents that are too low above the ground.
That’s what I do: generally, we don’t pay attention to things at low temperatures. At high temperatures, I install two sets of drains – one at the bottom of the pump, and the other on the horizontal line in the middle of the pipeline – to prevent blockages at the lower part, which could prevent fluid from flowing out. We can’t use tools to clear such blockages, and blowing air doesn’t work either. This helps to resolve some of the problems; I hope it can be useful to you.
Connect a short pipe directly from the flushing oil pump to the drain valve, and then use the flushing oil to clear it out. It’s like flushing oil into the gauge. A special metal hose can also be made to address such issues.