【Haichuan’s Best Practices】Optimizing the operating conditions of the inlet filter in gas cylinders has extended the service life of the filter elements from 6 months to 1 year

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Recently, the Yan’an Refinery, which is part of Yanchang Petroleum Refining Company, carried out modifications to the filter at the inlet of the gas holder, with significant results. 　　In recent years, as more installations have been added to the plant, the flow rate and composition of the low-pressure gas recovered by the plant’s gas holders have become increasingly complex. This change reduced the replacement cycle of the filter elements at the gas holder inlet from once every 2 years to once every 6 months, putting pressure on maintenance efforts. 　　In response to this situation, the plant decided to optimize the operating conditions of the gas holder inlet filter. The high-pressure gas originally from the compressor outlet of the gas holder was routed back to the low-pressure gas system in front of the gas holder filter; this resulted in an increased gas flow rate through the filter and a higher pressure difference, thereby shortening the service life of the filter elements. During the modification, the technicians moved the location where the high-pressure gas is returned from in front of the filter to behind it, which significantly reduced the gas flow rate passing through the filter. As a result, the pressure difference was decreased, allowing the service life of the filter element to be extended from 6 months to 1 year. This reduced maintenance costs and improved production efficiency. 　　This technical upgrade was made possible by the plant’s technical staff’s in-depth analysis of the production process and their precise control over technical details, thereby supporting the company’s sustainable development. Next, Yanlian will also continue to optimize and improve the performance of the gas tank filters, in order to achieve more efficient and environmentally friendly safety production goals.