【Major Equipment in the Chemical Equipment Industry】183 – Sinochem Refining’s first domestically produced dry gas seal has been operating stably for over 500 days
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This post was last edited by Desert Fish on 2022-5-9 15:24: Red May for Chemical Workers! Reply reward! ---------------------------------------------- The past decade has been a period of rapid development in China’s chemical industry, marked by the emergence of many new processes, products, and equipment. There has also been significant progress in China’s chemical processing equipment, which has contributed to the swift advancement of the petrochemical sector. Here, we have compiled some of the achievements and breakthroughs made by Chinese equipment manufacturers in terms of larger-scale production and increased use of domestic equipment. We invite everyone to share their insights and engage in discussions, to cheer for Made in China and to support the development of chemical processing equipment! ===================== At Sinopec Refining & Chemicals, the 12 dry gas seals and 6 control system seals for the ethylene cracking unit’s \"three machines\" are in good condition; all technical parameters meet the required standards. The unit has been operating safely and stably for over 500 days, marking the first instance in China of domestic-made dry gas seals functioning for such a long period of time at this facility. Previously, due to challenges such as large shaft diameters, high rotation speeds, and low temperatures in the development of dry gas seals for ethylene processing equipment, Sinopec relied entirely on imports for such dry gas seals and their control systems. To break foreign monopolies, in 2017, Sinopec carried out the development and application of the first domestically produced sets of dry gas seals and control systems for ethylene production at Zhongke Refining & Chemical. The successful application of domestically produced dry gas seals has **saved costs associated with the maintenance and replacement of these seals as well as their control systems; each replacement can save nearly 18 million yuan, while maintenance costs are reduced by 5 million yuan, resulting in significant cost savings.
At 10:08 on September 28, 2020, the 800,000-ton-per-year ethylene plant of Sinochem Refining and Chemicals began operating. At 08:34 on September 30, the plant produced qualified ethylene, marking a successful first commissioning of the facility. For the key equipment of this facility – namely the pyrolysis gas compressor, propylene compressor, and ethylene compressor – domestic dry gas seals and control systems produced by Zhongmi Holding were used for the first time. The commissioning was successful from the outset, and the equipment is now operating well. This marks a complete success for the project aimed at replacing imported components with domestic ones for the dry gas seals and control systems of the ethylene production units at Zhongke Refining & Chemicals, a project undertaken by Zhongmi Holding. This will be an important milestone in the development history of Zhongmi Holdings. A solid step has been taken toward the localization of ethylene tri-machine dry gas seals, which has greatly inspired the employees and staff of Zhongmi Holdings. Zhongmi Holdings will continue to strive in the field of high-end sealing, aiming to make greater contributions. The success of this project is expected to break the long-term foreign monopoly on this product, laying a solid foundation for the full domestic production of the three key machines required for China’s vital million-ton ethylene project.
Previously, due to challenges such as large shaft diameters, high rotation speeds, and low temperatures in the development of dry gas seals for ethylene processing equipment, Sinopec relied entirely on imported dry gas seals and control systems for such equipment; domestic production and application of such technologies remained non-existent at that time. To break the foreign monopoly, in 2017, Sinopec launched the development and application of the first domestically produced sets of dry gas seals and control systems for ethylene production at Zhongke Refining & Chemical, as part of a project aimed at achieving domestic production of key equipment. The three key equipment that constitute the \"heart\" of Sinopec’s steam cracking unit have all adopted the first domestically produced dry gas seals. The dry gas seal end face features dual-direction grooves, offering advantages such as wear resistance, low power consumption, and minimal leakage. It can rotate in both directions, effectively preventing damage caused by the reverse rotation of the compressor. During operation, Sinopec Refining paid close attention to the changes in the dry gas seals, organized competitions for the \"Pioneer Units,\" had Party members lead the workforce, and strengthened regular inspections as well as special maintenance efforts. By taking these measures simultaneously, a solid foundation was laid for the stable operation of the dry gas seals and control systems.