Start-up of the atmospheric and vacuum distillation tower
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How should the start-up of the intermediate circulation pump in the semi-extraction column at atmospheric pressure be carried out to prevent the pump from running dry, and what precautions should be taken during operation? Is it necessary to apply oil to the blind tray of the vacuum tower at startup and to raise the temperature in a cyclic manner?
First, carry out proper dehydration during the heating phase. Second, add an oil filling line to the reflux line to pour in diesel from the tank area, ensuring that the middle section of the reflux line is filled with oil before the side line is opened
This year, our plant has started up its atmospheric and vacuum distillation units. As mentioned earlier, we carried out heating and dehydration processes in the preliminary stage, and before the units began operating, water was drained from all pump inlets and outlets. Moreover, no matter how careful one is at the time of startup, there may still be water left that doesn’t get drained, causing the pump to run dry; therefore, someone must always be on site during startup to switch to the backup pump as soon as it becomes apparent that the pump is running dry.