Operation of the stabilizer tower
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The water separation in the top reflux tank of the stabilizer tower occurs very frequently, and there is a lot of water involved. How can this problem be solved?
Figuring out the source of the water is the key to solving the problem. There are many related topics on the forum; you can search for them!
One should figure out where to find water, rather than how to operate the stabilizer tower
After reading so much, no one has mentioned where the water comes from. Considering the entire stabilizer as a whole, factors such as oil and gas at the top of the tower and internal leaks in the heat exchanger can be ruled out; the operating pressure of the stabilizer is higher than that of the circulating water ； Regarding the heat source for the bottom reboiler, some units use one type of medium as the heat source; this unit is different, and so are its issues ； The feed to the stabilizer tower is deethanized gasoline; for sampling and analysis at the inlet, a plastic bottle can be used to hold a sample and let it settle. Under normal operation, there is almost no water in the reflux tank. If your installation relies on manual drainage of water, this approach carries some risks and is not very safe; a liquid control valve can be installed to drain the liquid into the acidic water tank
Check whether there is water in the backup condensate oil pump; it’s possible that the separation in the condensate oil tank is not proper
What I want to ask is where water might come from
There are three sources of water: that carried in from raw materials, that is generated as a result of reactions, and leaks from heat exchange equipment.
If the amount is large, consider internal leakage in the tower top cooler; if the amount is not very large, it is likely that the oil-water level control in the upstream equipment is set too high, or emulsification has occurred
If it is water from the feed belt, how can the amount of water on the belt be reduced?
Theoretically, everyone understands the overall approach; the question is as to from which aspects the problems should be addressed. If it’s a problem related to operation rather than the equipment, how should it be solved? Specific measures rather than ideas
It is possible that the level of the oil-gas separator at the compressor outlet is too high, or that the level sensor is malfunctioning