【Weekly Topic】Maintenance of Liquid Sulfur Tank
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There is a leak in the heating coil inside the liquid sulfur tank of the unit, and repairs are required to seal the leak. How do each unit handle the liquid sulfur tank to meet the conditions for maintenance?
Remove as much sulfur as possible and outsource it; there’s no need to do it yourself. The bottom of the tank should be filled with water before carrying out hot work.
Is there a team specialized in cleaning liquid sulfur tanks?
The heating coil is usually connected by flanges. First, use a pump to empty the sulfur tank as much as possible, then stop the steam supply to lower the temperature, and proceed with cleaning the sulfur deposits (using explosion-proof tools). Once the coil is exposed, the flanges can be removed, and the coil can be taken out to seal any leaks. The carbon steel coils we used to replace every two years; last year we replaced them with 316L ones, and I’m not sure how long they will last
Control the amount of liquid sulfur extracted to clean out the bottom as much as possible. Use a fan to draw in air for internal cooling. A fan can also be used to continuously exhaust air during operation.
Is this not too slow? It’s very difficult to lower this temperature.
During the process of stopping the steam supply until people can enter, there is a phase of displacement and cooling – what is the fastest and best method?
Generally, we first open two manholes and supply purified air into the sulfur tank for a period of time. Then, an exhaust fan is placed over one of the manholes to remove air from the area. Once the temperature reaches the appropriate level, samples are taken for testing; if they pass the tests, people can enter.
Generally, our sulfur ponds are not nodes; they have two openings, and extraction takes three to five days. Emergency repairs are too slow. Can we put dry ice in and then ventilate it? That would be much faster
How long did it take for this method to cool down to a level suitable for displacement?
We usually carry out this task during major overhauls; indeed, this cooling process takes three to four days, and we do this work only after cleaning and pressurizing the other heat exchangers are completed.