Save The Date to Attend The "Measuring the Difficult to Measure Symposium"

Posted by Margaret Bletsch

Feb 25, 2019 2:44:06 PM

 "Measure the Difficult to Measure"
2019 Innovative Process Diagnostics Symposium
May 21, 2019 in Deer Park, Texas, USA - 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
May 23, 2019 in Gonzales, Louisiana, USA - 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
Reserve your space today.
 
New call-to-action
 
Tracerco is happy to announce that we have rescheduled our symposium "Measuring the Difficult to Measure" to be held in Deer Park, Texas and Gonzales, LouisianaThese new dates allow both our refining and petrochemical customers the ability to schedule their time to attend the symposium. Read more to learn about the topics of discussion.
Read More

Topics: solids buildup, exchangers, gamma scanning distillation columns, pipeline blockage, flare gas meter, Flow Study, fccu studies, flare flow measurement, fugitive flare flow, verify flow meters, flare flowrate data, flow rate calculations, Process Diagnostics Technology, tray fouling, gamma scan, fcc services, level detection devices, packing mal-distribution, liquid distribution, quantitative analysis pack beds, PackView Analysis, packed bed towers, packed bed scan, monitor wash bed coking, tomography scan, off spec product, online leak detection, chemical leak test, feed/effluent heat exchangers, exchanger bundle leak testing, Tracer Study, packed bed performance analytics, Damage to vessel internals, trayed tower, mass transfer diagnostics

Think of us as more than your tower scan provider

Posted by Margaret Bletsch

Sep 20, 2018 9:52:39 PM

OtherService Infographicrev7

You may recognize Tracerco as the world leader in providing a wide range of scanning applications, but we would like to provide you some insight as to how we are the industry leader in tracer studies, heat exchanger leak testing, flowrate measurements, gas meter proving, monitoring for pipe blockage and FCC studies.

If you are looking to isolate mystery flare flows, detect heat exchanger leaks, optimize your desalter or to detect blockages within your piping system, Tracerco has the technology that can provide you with all the information you need.

If you would like to schedule an onsite presentation to learn more about our Process Diagnostic technologies or receive case studies on how our tracer and specialty scan technologies are able to help minimize unit downtime and optimize processes, please click here to submit your request.

Read More

Topics: leaking exchangers, Liquid maldistribution, optimising plant production, Suspected maldistribution in packed beds, Flow Study, fcc diagnostics, flare system tracers, flare flow, excessive flare flow, fcc troubleshooting, fcc unit process, fluid catalytic cracking unit, fugitive flare flow, verify flow meters, flare lines, gas meter proving techniques, fcc services, coke drum, coker optimization, delayed coke drum, liquid distribution, tomography scan, off spec product, online leak detection, chemical leak test, feed/effluent heat exchangers, exchanger bundle leak testing, Tracer Study, density of liquid

Crude Vacuum Tower Wash Bed Optimization

Posted by Margaret Bletsch

Jun 6, 2017 5:58:02 PM

The crude unit of today’s modern refinery is where it all starts.  Good, clean fractionation from the crude atmospheric and crude vacuum towers greatly impacts the operation of downstream units.

The wash bed in the Crude vacuum tower is one of those so-called evil necessities.  When it operates well, it does not seem to garner much attention but, when things go wrong challenges can occur.  The wash bed of the Crude vacuum tower is prone to coking/fouling due to the low liquid rates along with high vapour rates and high temperatures.  Generally, the wetting rate at the top of the wash bed is minimised to prevent high-value product loss, but lower wetting rates lead directly to coke formation in the bed.  The operating condition or the rate and severity of coking in the Crude vacuum tower wash bed is also one of the key variables determining the cycle time or run length between turnarounds.  So, the typical refiner works to balance the economics of product Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil (HVGO) recovery versus unscheduled or premature downtime to replace a coked bed. 

Marathon Petroleum Company LP’s (MPC) approach for operation of the vacuum tower wash bed is based on a novel approach.  MPC regards the packing in the wash bed as a consumable item.  The goal – fully consume the useful life of the packing by the end of the operating cycle to maximise operating profit, by maximising HVGO yield.  MPC uses Tracerco’s ThruVision™ technology to routinely monitor the wash bed density to help manage the wash bed useful life during the operating cycle.  The ThruVision™ technology provides a detailed density map at a specific vertical elevation that can pinpoint specific areas of liquid maldistribution or solids/liquid build-up. 

This case study shows the learning process over short operating cycles and an example of the operating stratagem to manage the operating life of the vacuum column wash bed over a multi-year operating cycle.

 CLICK HERE To download the full article that was published in the April 2017 issue of Hydrocarbon Engineering.

Read More

Topics: Gamma Scanning, Tru-Grid Scan, ThruVision scan, gamma scan, liquid distribution, quantitative analysis pack beds, PackView Analysis, monitor wash bed coking, tomography scan

Oil and Gas Comment and News 

Tracerco's news and comment on measurement and diagnostics in Oil & Gas and processing industries

Tracerco brings comment, news, how tos and more on their blog. Sign up for regular notifications of new posts. 

Subscribe to Email Updates

Recent Posts

Posts by Topic

see all

Contact us today or email us at tracerco@tracerco.com

  • We measure the unmeasurable
  • access the inaccessible
  • and help solve the impossible