In 2018, the top ten “national key equipment” in China’s petrochemical industry”

On June 1, 2018, Sinopec Luoyang Engineering Co., Ltd. announced that the world’s largest petrochemical equipment, developed, designed, and manufactured by the company – the Zhenhai fluidized-bed residue forge-welded hydrogenation reactor – had been installed as part of Sinopec Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Co.’s 2.6 million tons per year capacity enhancement project. The scale of this equipment set a new world record for petrochemical equipment. The reactor vessel weighs 2,400 tons, is 70 meters tall, has a diameter of 4.85 meters, and its wall thickness exceeds 300 millimeters; it is currently the largest petrochemical processing equipment in the world. The evaluation by an expert panel in April this year demonstrates that China’s capabilities in the design, production, and lifting of ultra-large-tonnage petrochemical equipment once again lead the world, thereby providing new impetus for the robust development of China’s petrochemical industry. The volume of this reactor far exceeds that of conventional hydrogenation reactors; it is commonly referred to as a \"double-ultra\" hydrogenation reactor, characterized by an extremely large diameter and thick wall thickness. It is used in the hydrogenation of heavy residual oils, which are difficult to process in the petroleum industry, in order to convert them into lighter oils that can be used to produce gasoline, diesel, and other products.

This integrated construction technology for “dual-high” hydrogenation reactors has been successfully applied in the 2 million tons per year residue hydrogenation projects at Yangzi Petrochemical and the 1.8 million tons per year project at Jinling Petrochemical. Compared with using imported equipment, it saves enterprises nearly 100 million yuan in investment; the reactors operate stably, resulting in significant economic and social benefits.

2. The Shaanxi Gas Natural Gas Long-Distance Transmission Compressor Units passed the appraisal. On June 7, 2018, the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation organized a meeting in Xi’an to conduct an appraisal of the scientific and technological achievements related to the development of EB80-type compressor units for natural gas long-distance transmission pipelines, as well as a promotion event for these units. The experts from the evaluation team unanimously agreed that the comprehensive performance of the EB80 type compressor units developed by Xi’an Shanggu Power Co., Ltd. for natural gas long-distance transmission pipelines is at a leading level in China; key technical parameters such as compressor efficiency and operating range reach an internationally advanced level.

This project developed high-performance model-level software and specialized aerodynamic calculation software for natural gas long-distance pipeline compressors, addressing the technical challenges related to the efficient operation of such compressors over a wide range of operating conditions； The use of advanced structural analysis and design software, along with rotor dynamics sensitivity analysis methods, has significantly improved the operational stability of the unit ； The developed intake-side snap-ring structure, among others, significantly reduces the time and cost associated with on-site maintenance. This project has innovatively developed a high-efficiency model series specifically for Shanggu pipeline compressors, with a polytropic efficiency of over 88% ； The specialized pneumatic calculation software developed, along with the high-performance basic series suitable for various natural gas applications, have solved the technical challenges related to the efficient operation of compression units in large long-distance pipelines over a wide range of operating conditions ； A structural design for long-distance pipeline compression units with a new structure has been developed, significantly improving the operational stability of these units ； The newly developed structures, such as one-sided disassembly/montage, one-sided clamping rings, and a turntable device, significantly reduce the time and costs associated with on-site maintenance, ensuring the stable, reliable, and safe operation of compressors in long-distance pipelines.

3. CNPC 7th Construction Company builds the world’s largest p-xylene adsorption tower

On June 16, 2018, the world’s largest adsorption tower – the adsorption tower for Hengli Petrochemical’s 2×2.25 million tons per year p-xylene production facility – which was manufactured by CNPC No.7 Construction Equipment Manufacturing Branch, was loaded onto a ship at Huangdao Port and shipped away. It is the equipment with the largest annual production capacity and the most advanced design among similar products in the world today. Hengli Petrochemical’s 2×2.25 million tons per year p-xylene plants are two separate units with a combined annual production capacity of 4.5 million tons. They form an important part of Hengli Petrochemical’s 20 million tons per year integrated refining and chemical processing project, aimed at addressing the shortage of p-xylene, a key chemical raw material in China, and the over-reliance on imports for its supply. CNPC 7th Construction Company manufactured 4 adsorption towers for this xylene plant; these towers have a wall thickness of 84 millimeters, a diameter of 9.7 meters, and a length of 38.5 meters, with each tower weighing 850 tons. The manufacture of adsorption towers is complex; Zhongyou No.7 Construction Company utilizes patented technologies from the French company Axens and the American company UOP to produce such towers. The quality control teams of these two patent holders have approved the products, as the internal cleanliness and the precision of pipe connection installation meet the acceptance standards set by those patent holders.

4. The extra-large styrene exhaust compressor was successfully put into operation

As of August 27, 2018, the 816mm screw exhaust compressor, the first domestically produced super-large model for Anhui Haoyuan Chemical Group Co., Ltd.’s 260,000 tons per year styrene production facility, had been in operation for 22 days. The successful application of 816mm screw compressors in domestic styrene plants has ended the practice of importing most of the exhaust gas compressors used in such plants from abroad, marking China’s achievement of world-class standards in the field of screw compressors. The 816 extra-large styrene exhaust screw compressor was developed through independent research by the 711th Research Institute of CSSC, and it is the first of its kind in China.

5. The evaporator for the largest seawater desalination project has been manufactured