Discussion on the differential pressure issue of backwash filters
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The differential pressure of the backwash filter rises rapidly; high differential pressure affects feeding, and it is necessary to activate the filter bypass. What are some good solutions? The mixed feed consists of coker diesel, coker gasoline, catalytic diesel, straight-run diesel, and oil from the storage tank area; how can testing be used to determine which of these fluids has the greatest impact on the filter differential pressure?
Opening a secondary route isn’t a sustainable solution; either the raw material issue needs to be resolved
What analyses can be performed to determine the gel content? ? There’s no other choice but to bypass it; the pressure difference is too high and it’s affecting feeding
Coking is a bit more likely. This phenomenon usually occurs when we switch the raw material tanks.
Regardless of the type of oil, large fluctuations upstream will cause a rapid increase in differential pressure, requiring slow operation of the upstream equipment such as pump switching, heat exchangers, and adjustments to the product volume. Additionally, coker diesel is generally considered to be dirtier and is the most likely suspect.
Take a detour? I must say the measures you have taken are quite bold. Once the pressure difference in the reactor increases, it’s no longer a matter of using a bypass; generally, it is the oil in the storage tanks and the coker diesel that affect this pressure difference. The bottoms of the oil storage tanks are often not cleaned properly, and as for coker diesel, its effect is quite obvious
First, rule out issues with the backwash filter itself, such as an inappropriate selection of the filter screen pore size, and so on. Based on experience, coking oil and catalytic oil are the most likely suspects; straight-run oil generally contains fewer impurities, but it still depends on the actual situation, as fluctuations in the operation of upstream units can also have an impact. It would be best to conduct a raw material analysis to check for mechanical impurities. If there are other empty containers available, they can be used as substitutes; try emptying the container completely and then testing it again
Follow the steps outlined above for a thorough inspection; do not operate the equipment by relying on the hope that a bypass will work. Otherwise, if any problems arise, you won’t be able to take responsibility for them!
Was steam used to clean the filter in the previous backwashing attempt?