The heat exchange pressure drop in atmospheric and vacuum distillation units is high; can pipeline pumps be added to reduce this pressure drop?
Thread Content
In the small atmospheric and vacuum distillation unit, multiple modifications have resulted in a high pressure drop across the heat exchange network; as a result, crude oil has to flow through bypass lines in many of the heat exchangers. Now, it is considered to install a pipeline pump or some other booster pump after electrodialysis in order to reduce the pressure drop and increase the final temperature after heat exchange. Is this idea feasible? Have any colleagues done this? We also conduct risk identification to determine whether the electrodialysis safety valve will activate if the pipeline pump trips.
In my previous atmospheric and vacuum distillation units, there were transfer pumps after the desalination tank, and it did happen that the failure of these transfer pumps caused the safety valves of the desalination tank to activate. However, after replacing the crude oil pump in front of the desalination tank with a variable-frequency one, the outlet pressure remained at no more than 10 kilograms, which is far below the setting pressure of 12.83 kilograms for the safety valve of the desalination tank; thus, this potential hazard was eliminated.
What type of pump do you use for transfer purposes? Is it a pipeline pump or a centrifugal pump? Our crude oil pump is controlled by frequency conversion, with the outlet pressure kept at no more than 2.0 MPa. The normal pressure for electrodialysis is 0.7–0.9 MPa, while the setting pressure for the safety valve is 1.2 MPa.
What is the outlet pressure of the crude oil pump? If the outlet pressure of the existing pump reaches 2.0 MPa, adding another booster pump will result in excessive pressure on the heat exchanger, making leaks and fires likely to occur. The pressure drop of a normal heat exchanger is only around 0.05 MPa; could it be that the heat exchanger is clogged due to scaling? Is it that the manual operator or control valve for the crude oil line is too small, resulting in excessive pressure drop? It is recommended to check first
After electrodesalination, just use two separate heat exchange paths, right?