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ENVIRONMENT

Energy absorption probes


control oily-water discharges
New technology monitors oil-emulsion often attainable through improved instrumentation and
process control. New technology for process control in
layer in water separation processes separation processes must help in achieving compli-
and reduces pollution source-points ance with increasingly rigid EPA regulations such as
Benzene NESHAPS. Other interface control methods
G. Agar and P. Clewis, Agar Corp., Houston, procedures for separation process control such as sight
and C. Spencer, Litwin Engineers & Constructors, glasses and capacitance probes have been ineffective
Inc., Houston in detecting the hydrocarbon/water interface. Result—
undercarry of hydrocarbons (and benzene) in wastewater
nergy absorption instrumentation is rapidly streams. A new solution, energy absorption technology,

E emerging as the preferred method of interface


control for separation processes. This high-fre-
quency electromagnetic measurement technique accu-
measures hydrocarbon concentration in water, rather
than the interface. This highly reliable method greatly
reduces hydrocarbon undercarry.
rately senses volume percentages (not level) in phase
separations such as water and oil. Instead of searching Two case studies. A midwestern U.S. refinery and a
for or assuming a clean interface, the instruments mon- large petroleum bulk terminal in Taiwan demonstrate
itor percentages of water at points in the system, and the benefit of energy absorption. Both facilities expe-
can measure either water in oil or oil in water mixtures. rienced significant improvement in loss control and
This sensitivity gives the operator “vision” inside the sys- reductions in effluent treatment costs from this tech-
tem and consequently, more reliable control. nique. The refinery met the latest Benzene NESHAP
Now unit operations can effectively monitor and standards and reduced total benzene discharged 82%.
reduce their oily-water releases. Reducing the work Other project benefits included reduced capital costs
load on existing wastewater treatment systems lessens for the same project. This refinery spent approximately
oil-grease levels in effluent water. Tighter hydrocar- $4 million on a source reduction project (less than
bon-release monitoring can bring discharges into com- $400,000 was spent on related instruments) and avoided
pliance and diminish overall emission levels. investing over $70 million on a wastewater treatment
unit (WWTU) project to meet the same regulatory com-
A need is met. This new technology confronts one of pliance. A petroleum bulk terminal in Taiwan achieved
many problems associated with pollution source-point similar results and cut oil-discharge concentrations to
control: detection. less than 10 ppm.
Because operators cannot see through vessel walls,
they must rely on other methods that show fluid lev- Source reduction—prevention is better than cure.
els. The emulsion’s nature further complicates level Numerous studies detail the advantages of source-reduc-
detection and adds to the dilemma. For most emulsions, tion over treatment programs. 1–3 A good example is
the interface is not a clean-cut line. Rather it is a hydro- compliance with the NESHAP Benzene Waste Opera-
carbon/water transition zone where component con- tions regulation (40 CFR 61, Subpart FF—revised Jan-
centration varies especially with vertical position. Con- uary 7, 1993, 58 FR 3072). This regulation requires that
sequently, traditional level control techniques have not all facilities discharging 10 metric tons per year (mtpy)
acknowledged this phenomenon. Thus they often gave or more total benzene must treat all wastestreams con-
false information that ultimately released hydrocar- taining 10 ppm or more benzene.
bons into wastewater. In a refinery, benzene originates from hydrocarbon
New solution. State-of-the-art source-reduction undercarry in wastewater streams. Therefore, a source-
solutions that are both effective and economical are reduction program that segregates total wastewater

Reprinted from HYDROCARBON PROCESSING® magazine, August 1993 issue, pgs. 55-59. Used with permission.
change (i.e., no clear-cut interface) exists. Instead, a
transition zone or rag layer exists between the phases.
Sight glass. A basic level-reporting technology, the

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Outlet Transformer
sight glass, is intended to give visual indication of the
collector interface. This method rarely, if ever, shows the pres-

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ence or size of an emulsion that may exist in the ves-

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sel. If the emulsion is positioned between the upper and

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lower sight glass connections, it cannot enter the sight
glass and, therefore, cannot be detected. Also, poor fluid

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To chemicals exchange between the sight glass and the tank ensures
Inter- injection control longer residence time. Even if some of the emulsion does

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face
level enter the sight glass, this level is not indicative of the
2 actual level.

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Dump valve
4 1 controller Other technologies indicate a supposed interface level
based on differential specific gravity. Some examples

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P+1 To
recorder are floats, displacers and differential pressure cells.
Solids
buildup 3 However, all these methods give false indications of a
alarm
Inverter pan Brine clear-cut interface when there is an emulsion. These
distributor Crude indications are unreliable in emulsions, and the hydro-

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and supports
carbons dispersed in the water will not measurably
affect their output.
Installation at tank farm Capacitance probe. Another traditional technol-
ogy is measurement of the liquid’s capacitance or dielec-
Fig. 1. Bottom injected desalter or dehydrator.
tric with a capacitance probe. This technique’s benefits
are direct process contact and no dependence on spe-
flow into individual streams by using advanced control cific gravity. However, when installed vertically the
strategies can meet the required 10 ppm limit. Segre- capacitance probe acts as an averaging device, reporting
gated low-concentration (< 10 ppm) streams would be total water and oil along the active antenna but pro-
exempt from treatment. Even in instances where stream viding no information as to the distribution of the two
exemption is not the goal, lessening the load on the phases. For example, if it is immersed in a 50% emul-
WWTU justifies source reduction. sion, it could give the same reading as if it were half
immersed in water and half in oil, with a clear-cut inter-
Defining sources. These EPA references show sepa- face. When installed horizontally the capacitance probe
ration processes as the most significant contributors to can sometimes act as a point alarm, but it suffers from
generated wastewater. These can include both batch an inability to detect the presence of hydrocarbons in
processes (tank dewatering, batch separators, etc.) and the aqueous phase. A capacitance probe relies on an
continuous processes (desalters/dehydrators, in-line insulating media (e.g., oil or oil with water droplets)
separators, etc.). between the capacitor’s plates. When process water
When manually controlled, these processes offer the (which is conductive) becomes the continuous phase,
greatest opportunity for improvement. Separators with even if there is significant hydrocarbon in the water,
older technology can contribute significant pollutants to the capacitance will short-circuit and the output will
wastewater. Typical oily-water contributors for a refin- peg at full scale and falsely indicate 100% water.
ery are:
• Desalters—40% Instrumentation requirements. When evaluating
• Storage—20% control instrumentation to minimize effluent under-
• Slop oil recovery and tanks—15% carry, and detect/control emulsions and dispersions,
• Other processes—25%. certain guidelines must be considered:
Thus, by cutting hydrocarbon undercarry from the • Direct contact with the process
primary contributors, one can achieve fewer losses and • Measurement of 0% to 100% hydrocarbon/water
much less pollution. concentration (not level) in both oil-continuous (water in
hydrocarbon) and water-continuous (hydrocarbon in
Traditional approaches. Separation control schemes water) phases.
have traditionally been designed to control the height or • Local or point measurement, instead of averaging
level of a supposed clear-cut interface between a hydro- over a large area. This method avoids errors due to
carbon phase and an aqueous phase in a separator. With hydrocarbon/water distribution or rag layer.
very light hydrocarbons that rapidly and cleanly sepa- • Minimal effect on measurement from fluid proper-
rate from the aqueous phase (e.g., gasoline and water), ties (specific gravity, pressure, temperature, viscosity
and without any turbulence, this approach is a capa- and coating buildups).
ble, acceptable control form. However, in processes
where mixing energy and physical properties play a Innovative technique. A new technology, known as
greater role, the phases tend to mix, inter-disperse energy absorption, has been developed specifically to
and/or emulsify. When this occurs, the concept of level meet the previously described requirements. The output
becomes meaningless, because no distinct point of phase of energy absorption instruments is expressed in units
HYDROCARBON PROCESSING / AUGUST 1993
of volume percentages (concentration, not level) of the
water in the near vicinity of the probe’s antennae. The Crude Finished Product
instruments are positioned to penetrate the vessel at tank Desalter Refining product
farm tank farm
points where the measurement is desired. Consequently,
the instruments not only serve to monitor the position
Tank Tank Tank
of an interface, but also to track changes in the size, dewatering dewatering dewatering
rate of growth or shrinkage and water content of rag system system system
no. 1 no. 2 no. 3
layers, emulsions and dispersions. Wastewater API Effluent
The energy absorption probe transmits a band of very sep-
arator
high frequency electromagnetic energy impulses into
Recovered
the fluid around its antenna and measures the energy oil Recovered
Skimmer control
system no. 5
absorbed. Energy absorption allows for remarkably Slop slop oil
oil
accurate measurement under varying process condi- tanks
tions of the hydrocarbon-in-water phase. Its ability to
measure a small amount of hydrocarbon in water makes Tank dewatering
the most significant contribution when controlling the system no. 4
separation processes without allowing hydrocarbon
undercarry.
Fig. 2. Oily-water process flow diagram.
Example—desalter control. Energy absorption tech-
Table 1. Refinery benzene source
nology has been used with great success in refineries
and petrochemical operations throughout the world.4 Source Contribution,%
Control applications have varied from the relatively Crude and product storage tanks (50 total) 45
Crude unit desalters (2) 45
simple storage tank dewatering processes to complex Slop oil tankage and others 10
desalter control systems. The typical control strategy
for a low velocity desalter is shown in Fig. 1.
In the desalter control system, probes provide con- a typical block diagram for refining. A review of the pri-
tinuous 4 to 20 mA output signals that are proportional mary sources contributing to the refinery’s benzene dis-
to the water concentration at their locations. Probe 1 charge before modifications is summarized in Table 1.
controls the brine outlet valve, using its ability to mea- At times, the existing ref inery control systems
sure small amounts of oil in water to maintain a very allowed undercarry of free hydrocarbons from desalter
high (and unstable) percentage of water several feet operations because of their inability to accurately detect
above the bottom of the vessel. This allows suspended oil the interface between the hydrocarbons and aqueous
in the water phase to separate, thus inhibiting oil under- phases. This project used two methods to improve the
carry (as a primary control function). While probe 1 undercarry quality: a hydrocarbon detection instru-
establishes this lower limit for the emulsion layer, probe mentation system and the addition of recycled water to
2 monitors the water content below the lower electri- the desalters. Testing showed that energy absorption
cal grid to detect and alarm on emulsion growth (which instrumentation was able to detect the first traces of
must, by control, occur in the upward direction). This suspended hydrocarbons above the water draw-off in
monitoring function allows the operator to avoid down- the desalters that virtually eliminated free-hydrocar-
stream upset by advance warning of such growth, and bon discharge in the undercarry.
allows time for corrective measures preventing under-
carry or carryover. Probe 3, installed on the crude oil Results. To control costs, all crude and product stor-
feed line near the tank farm, monitors the line for exces- age tanks were modified to use the energy absorption
sive water in the feed to the unit (also providing an probes as a portable system. The probes would be
advance warning). Probe 4 monitors the water phase installed on the vessels for tank-bottom-draw opera-
of the desalter below the distributor, alarming on the tions. This method significantly lowered total capital
presence of suspended oil that does not readily sepa- costs on the project. End-of-project results yield the
rate and threatens contamination of the brine (“reverse” refinery these benefits:
emulsions). • Total benzene discharge level dropped to approxi-
mately 3 mtpy
Case studies. A U.S. midwestern refinery is an exam- • Improved operations yielded a 82% decrease in total
ple of an economic source reduction program using the benzene emissions
advanced technology. The refinery’s total level of ben- • Project investment cost less than 5% of the origi-
zene discharge was nearly 17 mtpy. Initially additional nal estimate for the additional stripping capacity.
stripping capacity for WWTU was considered and Consequently, the refinery avoided a capital waste-
planned. However, the new stripping system would water treatment project estimated over $70 million.
reduce the benzene discharge by 41% and cost several Total capital investment for energy absorption instru-
million dollars. A project team consisting of company mentation was less than $400,000.
engineering and refinery personnel and a major engi-
neering firm evaluated the available level control tech- Bulk storage. Another rigorous test for tank-dewa-
nologies and selected energy absorption to bring the tering control was conducted at a large petroleum bulk
refinery into compliance more economically. Fig. 2 shows storage operation in Taiwan. Average hydrocarbon
HYDROCARBON PROCESSING / AUGUST 1993
undercarry in effluent water from mixed-crude tank- had a range of 80% to 90% water (in high-water-con-
age was several percent. Sidewalls of the tanks were tinuous or oil-in-water regime). The range control would
hot tapped to allow entry of two energy absorption con- shut down the system at the first signs of hydrocarbon
centration control instruments. The instruments were mixture nearing the vessel’s effluent discharge point.
inserted at a 45-degree angle downward to allow for A series of tests were conducted by the Environmental
adjustment of the points of measurement (antenna loca- Inspection Division, an independent auditing group
tions). The setpoints that closed water-drainage valves that found oil and grease concentration in the effluent
water decreased from percentage levels to a residual of
The authors 7 to 8 ppm.
Gideon Agar is president of Agar Corp. Mr.
Agar holds a BS degree in computer science The challenge. Refining and petrochemical industries
from Brown University, Providence, Rhode must balance environmental responsibility, tougher eco-
Island.
nomic competition and increasingly rigid regulations
governing air and water discharge limits. In some areas,
new and/or larger units and other large-scale capital
projects may be required to achieve the legislated pol-
Paul Clewis is regional applications manager
lutant removal levels. However, in many systems, the
at Agar Corp. and has 12 years of experience
in petrochemical and production markets. He best place to start is the source(s) generating those pol-
has extensive experience in refining unit oper- lutants. Advanced technologies such as energy absorp-
ations, specializing in the chemical and equip- tion allow control approaches that can eliminate many
ment technologies of oil/water treatment and
streams as pollutant sources. Only after reviewing the
peripheral operations. Mr. Clewis holds a BS
degree in chemical engineering from Rice Uni- potentials for source reduction is there a certainty that
versity, Houston. cost-effective compliance can be achieved.
Calvin Spencer is technology director at Litwin
Engineers & Constructors, Inc. He has 21 years LITERATURE CITED
of multi-media environmental regulatory and 1 Internal and Environmental Audits of the Industrial and Transportation Operations
technology experience in refining, petrochemi- Can Identify Areas that Need Improved Control Management, 1987.
2 U.S. EPA, Development Document for Interim Final Effluent Limitations Guidelines
cal and polymer industries. Mr. Spencer holds a and New Source Performance Standards for the Significant Organics Products Seg-
BS degree in chemical engineering from the ment of the Organic Chemical Manufacturing Point Source Category, EPA 440/1-
University of Texas, Austin. 75/045, 1975.
3 U.S. EPA, Development Document for Effluent Limitations Guidelines for the
Petroleum Refining Point Source Category, EPA 440/1-79/014b, December 1979.
4 Putman, “What’s the Best Way to Control an Interface When an Emulsion Tends to
Form Between the Phases?” Control Magazine, July 1992, pp. 47– 49 .

Article copyright © 2000 by Gulf Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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