Effect of ‘Banana Effect’ in Stress Analysis of Coke Drum Piping of a

Delayed Coker Unit

Anirban Datta, Gautam Gangopadhyay
Department of Mechanical & Piping Engineering
Richard Design Services India Private Limited (A fully owned Subsidiary of Richard Industrial Group, USA)
(PS Srijan Corporate Park, Tower-1, Unit - 602, 6th Floor, Plot - G2, Block-EP & GP, Sector-V, Salt Lake
City, Kolkata-700091)
Corresponding author’s email: ani_dat@yahoo.co.in

Abstract – Heated feed is fed to a coke drum and coke
forms in the drum. After coking, the coke drum is full of
coke and it is then removed using water jets. The process
is called delayed coking because in this process the coke
is heated using a complex system, and it consists of
multiple furnaces or coke drums. Depending on
metallurgical quality and design, thermal stresses can
lead to the so-called ‘Banana Effect’, leading to
development of a cold spot on one side of the drum and
a hot spot on the drums other side, thereby distorting the
drum into the shape of a banana. The combined effect
these movements of drum vessel is transferred to the
pipe connected with coke drum, particularly the top gas
lines and relief lines connected with drum top nozzles.
Therefore, these pipes experience a large amount of
thermal stress in different operating cycles of a Delayed
Coker Unit DCU), particularly in installations with
multiple coke drums, because when one coke drum is
under coking operation, the adjacent one would be
under decoking and quenching.
Keywords – Piping; Stress; Design; Analysis; Coker.
INTRODUCTION
Delayed coking is a residue conversion process, or may be
called “bottom-of-the-barrel process where residues from
heavy, high-sulfur crudes are converted to transportation
fuels. It first came into operation in 1928[1]. In refineries
prior that severe thermal cracking of residue used to result
in the deposit of unwanted coke in the heaters. With advent
of this process, it became possible to raise the temperature
of the residue rapidly above the coking point without
depositing the coke in the heater. Hence, an insulated surge
drum was introduced downstream of heater so that coking
was to take place after the heater, but before subsequent
processing. Thus, the process was named ‘Delayed Coking’.
Next step came as adding a second coke drum, doubling the
production and leading to the art of switching coke drums
while keeping the coke plant operation running.
In a delayed coker drum, heated feed is fed and coke forms
in the drum. Lighter products are withdrawn from the top
section of the drum. After coking, the coke drum is full of
coke which is then removed using water jets. Coke is heated
at a lower temperature for shorter periods of time, which
removes water and other by-products more slowly than the
conventional process, thereby increasing overall time span.
Coke drum susceptibility to bulging and cracking are
common concern among most refiners operating coke drums.
Different metallurgies react to coke drum thermal stresses in
different ways, such as development of a cold spot on one
side of the drum and a hot spot on other side, thereby
distorting the drum into the shape of a banana. This
phenomenon is called ‘Banana Effect’.
BRIEF PROCESS DESCRIPTION OF DELAYED
COKING’
Coking Section
Reduced-crude/vacuum-residue feed (fresh) is preheated
with exchanging heat against gas oil products before
entering Coker-fractionator bottom surge zone. Fresh feed is
mixed with recycle condensed in the bottom section of
Fractionator and is pumped through the Coker Heater, where
the charge is rapidly heated to the desired temperature level
for coke formation in the drums. Steam is often injected into
each of the heater coils to maintain the required minimum
velocity & residence time and also to eliminate the
formation of coke in the heater tubes. Vapour-liquid mixture
leaving the furnace enter the coke drum, wherein the trapped
liquid is converted to coke and light-hydrocarbon vapours.
The total vapours rise upward through the drum and leave
through overhead vapour lines. There are a minimum of two
drums (or multiples of two). One drum receives the feed
from furnace, converting it to coke and gas while the other
drum is being decoked.
Fractionation Section
Coke-drum overhead vapours flow to the coker fractionator
and enter below the shed section, often quenched and
washed with hot gas oil pumped back to the trayed wash
section above the sheds. These operations clean and cool the
effluent-product vapours and condense a recycle stream at
the same time. This recycled stream, along with the fresh
feed, is pumped from the fractionator to the coking furnace.
Washed vapours pass to the rectifying section of the tower.
A circulating heavy gas oil pump-around stream, withdrawn
from the pump-around pan, is used to remove heat from the
tower, condensing the major portion of heavy gas oil and
cooling the rising vapours. Hot pump-around stream of
heavy gas oil withdrawn from fractionator can be used to re-
boil the towers in vapour-recovery plant, to preheat the
charge to the unit, or to generate steam. The heavy gas oil
product is partially cooled via exchanging heat with the
charge and air-cooled to storage temperature. Light gas oil
product is steam-stripped to remove lighter ends, then
partially cooled by exchanging heat with the charge, and air-
cooled to storage temperature. Overhead vapours are
partially condensed in the fractionator overhead condenser
before flowing to fractionator overhead drum. It is separated
from liquid in this vessel, and flows under pressure control
to the suction of the gas compressor in the vapour-recovery
unit. Top of the fractionator is refluxed with a part of the
condensed hydrocarbon liquid collected in overhead drum.
Balance of this liquid is sent with the compressed vapours
to the vapour-recovery unit. Sour water is taken out from
overhead drum and subsequently pumped to off-site
treatment facility.
Fig. 1 Simplified Process Flow Diagram of Coke Drums.
Blowdown System
Coke-drum blowdown system recovers hydrocarbon and
steam vapours generated during quenching and steaming
operations. Its purpose is to minimize air pollution during
normal operation. It includes a coker blowdown drum,
blowdown condenser, blowdown settling drum, blowdown
circulating oil cooler, vent-gas compressor system, and
associated pumps. During coke-drum cooling cycle, steam
and wax residues flow to the coker blowdown drum,
wherein they are condensed and diluted by contact with a
cooled circulating oil stream. Diluted wax residues are
withdrawn from the bottom of the drum and recirculated
after cooling in the blowdown circulating-oil cooler. Excess
oil is returned to the fractionator. Steam, and light
hydrocarbons from top of the coker blowdown drum are
condensed in the blowdown condenser before flowing to the
blowdown settling drum, where oil is separated from the
condensate. The oil is pumped to the slop-oil recovery
system of the refinery, and the water is pumped either to off-
site water treatment plant or to the decoking-water storage
tank for reuse. Light hydrocarbon vapours from the
blowdown settling drum are compressed in the vent-gas
compressor after being cooled in the vent-gas cooler and
separated from the resultant liquid in the vent-gas knockout
drum. The recovered vent gas flows to the inlet of the
fractionator overhead condenser, or to the fuel gas recovery
system.
Steam Generation
Heat removed from the fractionator by the heavy gas oil
pump-around stream is used to preheat feed and to generate
steam.
COKING/DECOKING SCHEDULE
Coking/decoking operation follows following steps:
1. Steaming: Full coke drum is steamed out to remove any
residual-oil liquid. Steam and hydrocarbon mix is
transferred first to the fractionator and then to the coker
blowdown system, where the hydrocarbons (wax residues)
are recovered.
2. Cooling: Coke drum is water-filled, allowing it to cool
below 93°C. Steam generated during cooling is condensed
in the blowdown system.
3. Draining: Cooling water is drained from the drum and
recovered for reuse.
4. Un-heading: Top and bottom heads are removed in
preparation for coke removal.
5. Decoking/Cutting: High-pressure water jets are used to
cut the coke from coke drum. Water is separated from the
coke fines and re-used.
6. Heading and testing: After the heads are again placed on
service, the drum is tightened, purged, and pressure-tested.
7. Heating up: Steam and vapors from the coke drum are
used to heat up the cold coke drum. Water condensate is sent
to the blowdown drum, where hydrocarbons condensate are
sent to either the coker fractionator or the blowdown drum.
8. Coking. Heated coke drum is placed on stream for coking
operation, and the cycle is repeated for the other drum.
SIGNIFICANCE OF ‘BANANA EFFECT’
‘Banana Effect’ is observed during quenching of decoking
cycle, based on most severe and possible temperature
distribution when water being introduced to coke drum for
cooling, thus having one side of coke drum at quenched
temperature, while other side being still at coking
temperature. In addition to this horizontal bowing, there are
vertical and radial expansions of coke drum. Combined
effect these movements of drum vessel is transferred to the
pipe connected with coke drum, particularly the top gas lines
and relief lines connected with drum top nozzles. Therefore,
these pipes experience a large amount of thermal stress in
different operating cycles of a Delayed Coker Unit (DCU),
particularly in installations with multiple coke drums (coke
drums are normally installed in a pair), because when one
coke drum is under coking operation, the adjacent one would
be under decoking and quenching. There would be
differential thermal movements acting upon pipes connected
with coke drum top, as the top outlet pipes from both coke
drums would come down to Switch Deck level and finally
join into a common header. Therefore, on the overall piping,
there would be uneven stress distribution, leading to
unbalanced forces & moments on coke drum top nozzles and
supporting structural members.
Fig. 2 ‘Banana Effect’ of Coke Drum.
CALCULATION OF ‘BANANA EFFECT’
For calculation of the ‘Banana’ movement, coke drum
height is divided into two stages. First stage is subject to
temperature difference between diametrical shell sides
which is taken from bottom fixation point to normal coke fill
level. Second stage having diametrical constant temperature
(average temperature), which is taken from normal coke fill
level to top of nozzle. Finally, both of the horizontal
movements calculated from these two stages are combined
to obtain total horizontal movement at top of coke drum due
to ‘Banana Effect’ [2].
Fig. 3 Calculation of ‘Banana Effect’.
Following are the input parameters:
Shell Material: SA 387 Gr. 11 Cl. 2
Temperature of Shell during Coking (T1): 480°C
Temperature of Shell during Quenching (T2): 150°C
Temperature of Skirt during Coking (T3): 400°C
Ambient Temperature: 21°C
Thermal Exp. Coeff. at T1: 14.22 x 10-6 mm/mm/°C
Thermal Exp. Coeff. at T2: 12.43 x 10-6 mm/mm/°C
Thermal Exp. Coeff. at T3: 13.86 x 10-6 mm/mm/°C
Following are the output parameters:
Horizontal deflection at normal coke fill level: 108 mm
Horizontal deflection at top nozzle outlet flange: 209 mm
Drum vertical movement (upward): 185 mm
Drum bulging movement (radial): 32 mm
STRESS ANALYSIS OF TOP VAPOUR PIPING TABLE II
Displacement on Coke Drum Nozzles without Considering ‘Banana
Effect’
Option – 1 Node
Load DX DY DZ
RX deg. RY deg. RZ deg.
In first case, the top vapour outlet lines from both coke Case mm. mm. mm.
10 5(OPE) 0.301 208.797 0.009 0.000 -0.0136 -0.0283
drums are modelled in CAESAR II pipe stress analysis Drum 1
6(OPE) 0.271 100.509 0.003 0.0003 -0.0017 -0.0247
Nozzle
software along with the drums, with temperature profile 410
5(OPE) 0.035 100.511 -0.002 -0.0004 -0.0001 -0.0034
mentioned above. Piping flanges connected with coke drums Drum 2
Nozzle 6(OPE) 0.068 208.799 -0.009 -0.0001 0.0117 -0.0073
are represented by node nos. 10 and 410. The Drum – 1 is
under coking and Drum – 2 is under quenching under load
From TABLE II above, it is evident that the stress analysis
case 5, and vice-versa under load case 6.
under Option – 1 did not consider the ‘Banana Effect’.

Option – 2
In second case, the top vapour outlet lines from both coke
drums are modelled in CAESAR II pipe stress analysis
software without the drums, and movements of coke drum
top nozzle calculated with the help of Fig. 3 are put as
imposed displacements in nodes 10 and 410. It may please
noted that ‘Banana Effect’ for the drum under quenching
operation can take place in either of +X, –X, +Z or –Z
directions; however, for this study, it has been considered in
–Z direction for coke drum 1 and in +Z direction for coke
drum 2.

Fig. 4 Coke Drum Top Piping without ‘Banana Effect’.

Stress levels are within the allowable limits of ASME B31.3,

although SUSTAINED stress is predominant. The forces
and moments acting on coke drum nozzles are as below in
TABLE I:
TABLE I
Forces & Moments on Coke Drum Nozzles without Considering ‘Banana
Effect’
Load MX MY
Node FX N. FY N. FZ N. MZ N.m.
Case N.m. N.m.
10 5(OPE) -176 -7509 981 -598 -5667 -15328
Drum 1
Fig. 5 Coke Drum Top Piping with ‘Banana Effect’.
6(OPE) 730 -7813 -39 190 -711 -12805
Nozzle
410
Drum 2
5(OPE) -138 -4737 217 -344 -59 -1885 In this case also, the Stress levels are within the allowable
Nozzle 6(OPE) -1038 -4476 -790 430 4848 -4566 limits of ASME B31.3, although EXPANSION stress is
predominant. However, the forces and moments acting on
coke drum nozzles are as below in TABLE III, which are
significantly different from the numbers in TABLE I:

TABLE III
Forces & Moments on Coke Drum Nozzles Considering ‘Banana Effect’
Load MX MY MZ
Node FX N. FY N. FZ N.
Case N.m. N.m. N.m.
10 5(OPE) 1219 -14949 1580 -1344 -8756 -47954
Drum 1
6(OPE) -1232 3728 8839 -37320 -48095 30319
Nozzle
410
5(OPE) -1844 5449 -8659 37135 47289 36641
Drum 2
Nozzle 6(OPE) -1418 -5829 -978 724 6105 -14249

TABLE IV
Displacement on Coke Drum Nozzles Considering ‘Banana Effect’
Load DX DY DZ
Node RX deg. RY deg. RZ deg.
Case mm. mm. mm.
10 5(OPE) 32.250 185.000 0.000 -0.0000 -0.0000 -0.0000
Drum 1
6(OPE) -0.000 0.000 -209.0 -0.0000 -0.0000 0.0000
Nozzle
410
5(OPE) -0.000 0.000 209.0 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
Drum 2
Nozzle 6(OPE) 32.500 185.000 -0.000 0.0000 0.0000 -0.0000

CONLCLUSIONS
As the consideration of ‘Banana Effect’ plays a very crucial
role in coke drum top vapour piping design and analysis, it
is of utmost importance to either obtain the ‘Banana’
movement from coke drum manufacturer/licensor or, in case
it is not available, calculate the movement. If pipe stress
analysis is done without taking into account of this, the
forces & moments acting on coke drum top nozzles would
not obtained as realistic numbers. However, modern day
coke drum manufacturers/licensors are recommending
installation of Centre Feed Device (CFD) in coke drum
bottom transition piece inlet in order to ensure
minimum/‘zero’ ‘Banana Effect’ [3]. So, it is always better
to consult manufacturers/licensors and seek their advice on
the extent of ‘Banana Effect’ to be considered in coke drum
top vapour pipe stress analysis.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Authors acknowledge Mr. Mahendra Pandya, Principal

Mechanical Engineer, Richards Design Services, Houston,
Texas, USA, for his practical advices and guidance on the
subject.

REFERENCES
[1] Robert A. Meyers, Handbook of Petroleum Refining Processes , 3rd Ed,
McGraw-Hill, pp. 12.33, 12.35-12.41.
[2] Consortium of Chiyoda Corporation / Samsung Engineering,
Calculation of Coke Drum Horizontal Movement due to BANANA
EFFECT, Document No. : SA-JER-DC021-CYSE-073201.
[3] Steve Beston, Feed Entry Systems for the Modern Delayed Coking
Unit, International Refcomm, Budapest, Hungary, 2017