Process monitoring
A Ramaragavan
25 Mar 2015
Westin Hotel Gurgaon, India
Process monitoring
Normal
deactivation
Reasons for process monitoring
Abnormal
deactivation
Optimize
performance
Measurable parameters
SOR
activity
Loading
issues
Poisoning
Conversion
Bed
movement
Poor
mixing
Sintering
Gas
distribution
Thermal
cycles
Pressure drop
Support
failure
Wetting/
fouling
Purification
Hydrodesulphurizer
Monitor conversion of organic sulphur and pressure drop
Fouling can lead to loss in activity and pressure drop
increase
Desulphurizer
Once saturated, sulphur slip will rise rapidly
Assessing saturation level
Mass balance, inlet sulphur flow
Intermediate bed sample points (single bed)
Inter-bed sampling (lead lag)
Online density measurements
Online ZnO saturation analysis
Accurate analysis of low
S levels difficult
Scan across ZnO bed
online
TRACERCO DiagnosticsTM Maximizer
Detects difference
between ZnO and ZnS
density
Optimize change-out in
turnarounds and
maximize ZnO utilization
Reforming
Main deactivation mechanism
Sintering
Key performance indicators:
ATE at catalyst exit temperature
Pressure drop
Considerations
Methane slip sensitive to operating conditions
Heat loss
Radiation effect
Failure of thermocouple
Gas distribution
Reformer survey toolbox
LOTIS and
MANTIS tube
inspection
Gold Cup TWT
measurements
Pressure surveys
Thermal Imager
Remnant tube life
calculations
Design philosophy
review
Computational
fluid dynamics
Tube failure
analysis
Maldistribution
checks
CatTracker Intube temperature
measurements
Assessment of
burners
Combustion air
survey
Optical pyrometer
Benchmarking
Process
Simulation
Corrosion
investigations and
analysis
CatTrackers - process gas profile
Multipoint thermocouple installed in central of catalyst tube
Validation of process modelling
Avoiding carbon formation
Minimizing steam:carbon ratio
Sulphur poisoning
CatTrackers - process gas profile
Reformer Imager - TWT measurement
Reformer Imager - TWT measurement
Reformer survey report
Statistical and graphical analysis of TWT
Hot zone
Cold zone
Benchmarking against other reformers
Troubleshoot operational issues
Benchmarking reformer performance
Database captured results of reformer surveys
Allows for benchmarking of reformer
Compare against similar reformers
Water gas shift
Main deactivation mechanism
HTS = sintering
LTS = poisoning
Key performance indicator
CO slip and ATE
Pressure drop
Temperature profile
Considerations
Shrinkage on reduction
Variable inlet temperature
Kinetically limited at lower T, equilibrium limited at higher T
Heat loss
WGS temperature profiles
Methanator
Deactivation due to carry over from CO2 removal section
Key performance indicator
COX slip
Temperature profile
Pressure drop
CatTracker temperature monitoring
Synthesis catalyst
Main deactivation mechanism
Pressure drop
Key performance indicators
Catalyst bed temperatures
Inlet/exit % ammonia
Pressure drop
Considerations
Inlet flow
Bed temperatures
Inlet gas analysis
Catalyst size
Production rate
Pressure
Bed
volumes
Monitoring & optimisation
Simple heat & mass balances
To check measured vs calculated ammonia make
Determine catalyst activity
To assess current and future performance
Optimise bed temperatures/loop purge to
Maximise NH3 make and catalyst life
Minimise synthesis compressor power
Make (te/day)
T3 (degC)
T2 (degC)
Remote monitoring
JOHNSON MATTHEY OFFICE
DCS
CLIENT DATA
HISTORIAN
PLANT ENGINEERS
CLIENT
FIREWALL
SECURE
VPN LINK
JM
FIREWALL
PLANT
MANAGERS
CLIENT SITE
DEDICATED
JM SERVER
JM SUPPORT STAFF
AUTOMATED
ANALYSIS
TOOLS
Summary
Common measurements
Analysis
Mass balance
Bed temperature rise
Bed temperature profile
Pressure drop
Advanced measurements
Radioactive tracer scans
Multipoint thermocouples
Thermal imaging
Remote monitoring
Thank you