De-header Valve Flushing System for Delayed Coking
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Solution Overview
Problem
The de-heading process of coke drums is hazardous due to hot water, falling coke, and exposure to coke particles and gases, as existing systems lack effective methods to flush and drain valve bodies during this process, leading to potential injuries and fatalities.
Innovation Solution
A flushing system for de-header valves that includes a steam valve, water valve, and drain valve, controlled by a processing device, to flush undesirable material from the valve body cavities while the valve is being opened, ensuring safe operation and reducing wear on valve components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the de-header valve is opened to remove coke from the drum, then the coke can be discharged, but undesirable material enters the valve body cavities causing wear and potential failure
Solution Approach 1:
The flushing system is activated before opening the de-header valve to pre-clean the valve body cavities. Steam and water are introduced through nozzles to remove undesirable material from the cavities before coke discharge begins, preventing contamination and wear during the opening operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses steam (gas) and water (liquid) under pressure to flush the valve body cavities. The steam valve controls steam flow while the water valve and drain valve control water injection and drainage, creating a pneumatic-hydraulic flushing mechanism that effectively removes coke fines and undesirable material from the valve interior.
2Temperature
If cooling water is introduced into hot drums to cool them, then the drum temperature decreases, but the hot water can leak from loosened heads and scald operators
Solution Approach 1:
The flushing system extracts and removes hot water and steam from the valve body cavities through the drain valve before the de-header valve is fully opened and before heads are removed. This prevents hot water from leaking onto operators during the dangerous de-heading operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve body cavities act as intermediary chambers that can be independently flushed and drained. By using the flushing system to clean these cavities, the system creates a safe intermediary space that prevents direct contact between hot water/steam and operators during drum opening operations.
3Device complexity
If the valve body is not flushed during opening, then the system remains simple, but coke and coke fines accumulate causing increased wear and potential valve failure
Solution Approach 1:
The flushing operation is performed as a preliminary action before the main coke discharge operation. Steam and water are introduced to clean the valve body cavities in advance, removing coke fines that would otherwise cause wear during valve operation. This preliminary cleaning extends valve lifespan without requiring complex continuous flushing mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The flushing system effectively removes coke and coke fines from valve bodies, reducing wear and enhancing safety by allowing for controlled steam and water flow during the de-heading process, thereby minimizing risks to operators and extending valve lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
a steam valve for controlling the flow of steam into the interior of the upper and lower bonnets
Implementation Method 2
a water valve for controlling the flow of water into the interior of the upper and lower bonnets
Implementation Method 3
a drain valve for controlling the flow of water from the interior of the upper and lower bonnets
Data Source
AI summary
A de-header valve can include a flushing system for flushing undesirable material from the upper and lower bonnets while the de-header valve is opened. The flushing system can include three valves. A first valve controls the flow of steam to the de-header valve. A second valve controls the flow of water for flushing the bonnets. A third valve controls how the bonnets are drained. The third valve can be a three way valve that allows the bonnets to be drained to a pit during flushing, and also allows steam condensate to drain into a steam trap.