Can’t the raw material tank of the etherification unit maintain pressure?
Thread Content
Recently, a new gasoline hydroetherification unit was installed. The raw material tank in the etherification unit is sealed with nitrogen, but the pressure cannot be maintained; 150–200 cubic meters of nitrogen are continuously supplied to compensate for the loss of pressure. The tank itself is airtight, and the raw material tank goes through a washing process. However, nitrogen is insoluble in water. I’m not sure what the cause could be; I’d appreciate it if anyone could help me out. Thank you!
Is the pressure too low, causing the oil and gas to keep evaporating?
0.44 MPa as per the design
It could be a leak in the safety valve, or the fluid might have flowed to another unit – for example, through the extraction pump and into an underground tank. Determine which unit in the system is discharging fluid to the flare, and then inspect the process on site.
The current situation is that sampling and analysis of the oil and gas components at the flare end are carried out on the equipment downstream of the raw material tank; the nitrogen content accounts for 50%–70%. It is suspected that this nitrogen comes from the nitrogen seal in the raw material tank. However, since the nitrogen seal is meant to prevent oxidation of the oil and the formation of gums, and given that the liquid level in the raw material tank remains stable, the nitrogen seal supply valve should not remain open at a high degree all the time – it is sufficient to adjust its opening degree appropriately to maintain the set pressure in the tank. Does nitrogen also travel to the downstream equipment along with the material?
Thank you for your patient guidance; I have learned a lot from it.
If the flow meter is fine, it must be passing through from somewhere else; check the process flow
Is this still happening nowadays? We are the same; the reflux tank at the top of the tower is constantly discharging gas to the flare, with about 40 percent nitrogen in it
Why choose nitrogen sealing instead of gas?