Types of Steam used in refineries and their

uses
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 Contents

1) Introduction.

2) Steam Generation in refineries.

3) Types of steam used in refineries.

4) Uses of steam in refineries.

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 Introduction

Steam generation in refineries usually takes up to one third of the total fuel
consumption in the refinery. So along with the generation and distribution of
electricity, the generation and distribution of steam included as major part of
the utility system of the refinery.

Steam Generation in refineries

When it comes to the generation of steam the input is a mixture of condensed

and de-mineralized water. Then this mixture’s oxygen (air) is removed or
reduced before feeding to the boilers. According to the application, the
produced steam’s pressure varies. Typically a high pressure steam at abut
psig is produced. An example of such application is hydrogen and sulphur
plants. They usually use a waste heat boilers which produce high pressure
steam.

There are several methods of generating steam for refinery uses. Depending
on the requirement, one or more of the following generating methods can be
used. Fired steam generators, Unfired steam generators and turbine exhaust
or extraction. In each process, there are steam generators and distribution
network for each different pressure levels for process and utility requirements.

Types of steam used in refineries

There are four types of steam used in refineries for different requirements. At
first, the steam is generated in refineries with in house power generation
processes at a higher pressure. This pressure of the steam is usually at about
1450 psig. Even though the usual highest requirement is about 900psig,
1450psig steam is generated in order to increase the power generation
efficiencies in the process. Following are the four types of steam used.

1. 900psig steam. : This steam is usually used by the turbines which use to
drive recycle compressors, charge pumps, and other hydroprocessing units
which are used in refineries. They also use this steam as a makeup steam for
475psig headers after reducing or sending through a desuperheating station.

2. 475psig steam : This is the steam from the exhaust of turbines and
makeup from previous 900psig steam. They are usually used in steam
turbines, reboilers, etc. They are also used in certain process plants like
hydrogen process plants. And the remaining of the 475psig steam is then sent
to be reduced and desuperheated.

3. 150psig steam : This steam is generated from reducing and

desuperheating process of 475psig steam. They are mainly taken from steam

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turbine exhaust, waste heat boilers in process units or makeup. In processes
such as process stripping, reboilers, steam tracing use this steam. And the
additional is then sent to be reduced and desuperheated.

4. 50psig steam : This steam is also taken from steam turbine exhaust,
waste heat boilers in plants such as sulphur plant condensers and also from
boiler plant DF fans. Also the make up steam from 150psig is reduced as
50psig steam. They are also used in similar applications to 150psig steam.
Such as steam stripping, reboilers, steam tracing, etc. And the remaining
50psig steam is then condensed for sending to the reboiler as feedwater.

Uses of steam in refineries

The use of steam in refineries can be divided into three main categories
according to the type of the usage as heating loads, open steam loads and
power loads.

1. Heating loads : The steam which required for heating applications such as
heat exchangers, reboilers, steam tracings, and off-site and utility plant
heating are included in this category. The required maximum and minimum
loads are determined by differences in feedstock quality and the flow.

2. Open steam load: Also known as process loads. These types uses steam
for processes such as atomizing fuel, smokeless flares, ejectors of vacuum jets,
fractionators, stripping steam, etc. If the condensation return of the heating
steam is not justified such as steam in remote areas, they are also included in
this category.

3. Power loads: The loads which used to generate power is included in this
category. Such as turbine drivers on pumps, compressors, generators, etc.
There are some necessary requirement on these types of loads such as
reliability, economy, good control, etc.

The demand for the steam in refineries usually calculated by adding the
individual demands for each process units of the refinery. The factors which
determining the maximum demand for steam in a refinery are usually the
major peak loads for turbines during power failures. But in colder climate
countries or seasons, the winter heating load will be the maximum demand
because of the frequent winter power failures. In normal conditions the
maximum demand is usually fixed by demand for peak start - up.