Deheader Valve Installation System for Coke Drums
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for installing and removing deheader valves from pressure vessels in high-temperature, high-pressure environments, such as coke drums, are hazardous and inefficient, requiring significant manual labor and space, and often necessitate complete removal of the head unit before purging, increasing the risk of accidents and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic deheader valve installation system that includes a valve carriage with side rails and cross supports for continuous support, an elevation assembly for vertical positioning, and a horizontal transfer assembly for bi-directional movement, allowing for precise and efficient alignment and manipulation of the deheader valve relative to the pressure vessel, reducing manual labor and space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual methods are used to install and remove deheader valves, then operational flexibility is maintained, but safety risks increase and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated robotic system that uses computer-controlled positioning and automated manipulation mechanisms to install and remove deheader valves, eliminating human exposure to hazardous environments while maintaining precise control over the installation process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a robotic manipulator as an intermediary between the operator and the deheader valve, allowing remote operation from a safe location while the robot performs the hazardous tasks of positioning and installing the valve in the high-temperature, high-pressure environment
2Ease of operation
If complete removal of the head unit is performed before purging, then access for purging is improved, but safety risks increase due to potential equipment failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary purging operations through the valve opening before complete removal of the head unit, allowing steam or inert gas to be introduced to displace hazardous atmospheres while the valve provides structural support, thereby maintaining safety while enabling purging access
3Manufacturing precision
If significant manual labor is used for valve installation, then positioning precision can be achieved, but labor requirements and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual positioning operations with computer-controlled robotic positioning systems that use sensors, feedback mechanisms, and automated adjustment capabilities to achieve precise valve alignment rapidly without the time consumption associated with manual measurement and adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses digital modeling and pre-programmed positioning data to replicate the exact required valve position and orientation, allowing the robotic system to automatically achieve precise alignment based on stored geometric information rather than requiring time-consuming manual measurement and adjustment
4Reliability
If large space is allocated for manual operations, then operator safety is improved, but facility space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a robotic manipulator as an intermediary that can operate in confined spaces where human operators cannot safely work, eliminating the need for large exclusion zones and safety buffers while maintaining operator safety through remote operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a robotic system with multi-axis movement capabilities that can access and manipulate valves in three-dimensional space from various positions, allowing installation operations in compact areas that would not provide sufficient clearance for manual operations
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention features an installation system for facilitating the installation and removal of a closure onto and from a pressure vessel, respectively. The installation system comprises a fixed support structure constructed proximate a pressure vessel; a carriage dynamically and continuously supported by the fixed support structure, wherein the carriage also dynamically and adjustably supports a closure, such as a header or a deheader valve, in a continuous manner; an elevation adjustment assembly allowing the carriage and the closure to move in a vertical manner relative to the fixed support structure and the pressure vessel; and a horizontal transfer assembly that dynamically couples the closure to the carriage to enable horizontal, bidirectional transitioning of the closure relative to the carriage. The elevation adjustment assembly and the horizontal transfer assembly work in harmony together to provide both approximate and precision vector positioning of the closure to enable parallel and concentric alignment with the pressure vessel. In this manner, the closure may be installed and removed from the pressure vessel in a much safer and more efficient manner.