Unit 8 Abnormal Operating Situations ‘This final unit of Practical Distitation presents s series of abnormal situations in the operation of the fractionating tower. In each situation, data lke instrament readings and test results add up toa significant abnormality in the apera- tion, ‘The program gives practice in applying the same orderly pattern of thought which the operator uses in normal opera- tions Collect the data, Consider the problem. Correct the operation Check the results Calling upon the knowledge of the fractionating. tower ‘an the refining prooess which has been developed in preced- ing units, the operator is able to identify the canse of abnor- rulity, choose « correction from the alternatives available, and verify his judgment by observing its effects. By this means he becomes more able to meet abnormal situations successfully as they develop on the job,SITUATION 1 > ois ot } TEMPERATURE “GRADIENT 3 mt Current operating conditions: ‘Temperature difference between Tt and T2 was 300°F. It thas decreased to 50°F. Gas oil end point was 650°F. It has inereased to 120°P. Product. is heavier than specications call for. Pressure difference (pressure drop) across tower was 12 PSIG. It has increased to 15 PSIG. ‘Tower top pressure is irregular (Buctuates between 70-75 PSIG). Liquid feed rate was raised from 600 barrels per hour to 650 barrels per hour, on a previous shift 1, Temperature gradient in the affected section has de- creased. ‘This condition occurs in (flooded trays/dry trays/high levelsupeettrays/trays with trapped water all of these) all of these 2, Product quality has been impaired ‘This condition occurs in (flooded trays dry trays/bigh Tevels/upaettrays/trays with trapped water all ofthese) all of these [21]‘There has been an inerease in pressure drop across the tower. Increased pressure drop occurs in (Nooded trays/dry traya/high lovels/upact traya/teays with trapped water/ all of these). ‘Tower top pressure has become irregular. ‘This occurs only In—__trays, 5. Thus, «section of this tower is To correct flooding you must (Inerease/eerease) the liquid flow down in the tower, (inerease/decresse) the vapor flow up in the tower, or both of ther The food rate to the tower has increased. Correction can be accomplished by (ineressing/decreas- ing) the feud rate to the tower. ‘This decreases the (vapor/liquid) flow In the tower. [221 Aooded trays, and high levels flooded ooded decrease ecrease decreasing liquidSITUATION 2 Current operating conditions: ‘Temperature difference between the feed zone and the tower bottom was 200°F. Tt has decreased to 50°F. Specifications call for a bottom product with an LBP. of 400°F. It has decreased to 180°F. Pressure drop between feed zone and bottom was 10 PSIG, It has inereased to 14 PSIG. Pressure drop between feed zone and tower top has remained unchanged. Tower bottom level is high and out of sight. 1, Decreased temperature gradient and impaired product quality are found in all abnormal situations. Increased pressure drop is found in flooded trays and 2 The situation is possibly flooded trays or a high liquid level ‘The decreased temperature gradient appears in the (bottom /top) of the tower. 8, The affected area is xt the — of the tower. [23] high levels bottom bottom. Bottom level is high and out of sight, ‘The liquid level has risen into the section of the tower. 3. The tower appears to be. 5. The level of liquid in the bottom of the tower must be (decreased increased), ‘This can be done by (increasing/decreasing) the amount of feed. Or by (increasing/decreasing) the bottom draw. (24 ooded decreased decreasing increasingSITUATION 3 —> cas on 17 TEMPERATURE ‘GRADIENT 5 FEED 72 Current operating conditions Gas oll draw has increased from 100 barrels per hour to 125, barrels per hour. ‘Temperature difference between the gus ofl draw and the feed zone hes decreased from 300°F to 10°F. Gas ofl has a ther end point than specifications call for. Pressure drop across the tower has decreased from 12 PSIG to 10 PSIG ‘The decreased temperature gradient has occurred in a section below the gas oil draw tray. 1. Decreased temperature gradient and impaired product quality can occur in — abnormal situation. any 2. Observe the pressure drop. A small pressure drop occurs in trays and ary trays, ‘upset 3. A dry tray ean be corrected by making some adjustment to the operation. ‘An upsot tray (can/eannot) be corrected by adjusting cannot ‘the operation. (25110 a. ‘To discover whether the section is dry or trays are upset, you should make a correction for trays If the correction returns the operation to normal, you know that the trays are dry, not ‘The trays are dey between the feed zone and the draw-off tray. Liquid entering this section must be (increased decreased). ‘You can send more reflux down to this section by (redueing/inereasing) the amount of gas oil being drawn from the tower. Or you can itcrease the flow of reflux to the gas oil draw tray by drawing less of the next product (above below) sas oll. ‘The choice rests between the desire for gas oil or the next lighter preduet. If gas oll is more desirable, you should decrease the amount of (gas oil/the next lighter product). Assuming that an adjustment has corrected the situation, the trays wre (dry/upset). 126) ary upset sus ofl increased reducing shove the next lighter product arySITUATION 4 Current operating conditions: ‘Tower is operating at 30 PSIG. ‘Top temperature is 180°F. Bottom temperature is 350°F. ‘Temperature difference (T1-T2) has gradually decreased 85°F to 10°F. ‘The temperature of both TI and 2 is about 240°F, ‘The end point of the overhead product has risen. 1. ‘The operating conditions listed above, temperature gras ent and product quality, appear i abnormal situations. 2, The temperature between T1-T2 is about 240°R, ‘This‘is roughly the at 30 PSIG. temperature of water 8. This peculiar temperature indicates that water may be im this seetion of the tower. Lary all boiling trapped10. nL, Possibly, this water has entered the tower as moisture in the or in the For this section of tower to become efficient, this water mana he Zi ee ‘The temperature at the top of the tower is (above/ below) the bolling point of the water. ‘To remove the water overhead, the top temperature must bbe (decreased increased). Tt must be inereased to a point the boiling temperature of the water. ‘To remove the water at the bottom of the tower, (inerease (decrease) the bottom temperature. ‘The bottom temperature must be decreased from 350°F to 40°F, Product removed from the tower during this time must be discarded. ‘This produet would not mest (281 feed, reflux removed below above ecreave below speeitleationsSITUATION 5 OVERHEAD PRODUCT ae FEED Current operating conditions Decreased temperature gradient between T1 and 72. ‘Overhead product has « high end point ‘Small decrease in pressure drop across the tower. 1. Current operating conditions indicate that a section of tower is operating with — trays or trays, dry, upset 2, Decreased temperature gradient and impaired product quality appear in ‘abnormal situations. all 8, To discover whether trays are dry or upset, proceed with adjustment for trays. ary 4. Increasing reflux to the section does not alter the situ- ation ‘Trays are upset 5. You (can/cannot) correct this situation conveniently. cannot 6. If tower efficieney is seriously impaired, the tower will have to be taken offstream, or down (23)7. Then the ___will have to be repaired or replaced trays by hand. 8. Unless the upset trays ave making the produets unusable, you probably (will/will not) continue to operate the tower will ‘with the upset trays. ‘The eight units of Practical Distitiation have presented the essentials of the fractionating process and the tower. Now that you have worked through this program to its end, you now the essentials of refining, the how and the why of it, and you can use this knowledge on the job. Getting this far, you can go on to further learning: deeper Into the proves itself, or into other aspects of refinery operations. You have completed PILOT 1. Why not so on to other PILOTS, and keep going until you have worked through the PILOT series? The more you know, the more valuable you are to the company, and the more satisfaction you find in your job. [80]