Stainless Steel Delayed Coker Drum Assembly for Corrosion Resistance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current coking reaction chambers made of carbon or low alloy steel with plated stainless steel coatings face issues with graphitization, corrosion, frequent maintenance, high construction and maintenance costs, and non-homogeneous mechanical characteristics due to differential thermal expansion and the use of non-homogeneous materials, leading to increased downtime and susceptibility to thermal stresses.

Innovation Solution

A reaction chamber constructed entirely from integral stainless steel, eliminating the need for plated sheets and using a single material for welding, which reduces stress concentrations, eliminates the need for anti-corrosion coating restoration, and simplifies the manufacturing process, thereby minimizing maintenance and construction time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If carbon or low alloy steel with plated stainless steel coating is used for coking reaction chambers, then corrosion resistance is improved, but graphitization and spheroidisation occur at high temperatures leading to loss of mechanical strength

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrosion resistanceVSAvoidmechanical strength at high temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies homogeneity by using a single material (stainless steel) for the entire reaction chamber structure, eliminating the composite plated sheet design. This ensures uniform mechanical properties and thermal expansion characteristics throughout the chamber, preventing the graphitization and spheroidisation issues that occur in carbon and low alloy steels at high temperatures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #33Homogeneity

2Reliability

If plated sheets are used for reaction chamber construction, then corrosion resistance is improved, but frequent maintenance and coating restoration are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrosion resistanceVSAvoidmaintenance frequency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the plated coating layer from the construction design, using solid stainless steel throughout. This removes the need for periodic coating restoration and maintenance, as the stainless steel material inherently provides corrosion resistance without requiring protective coatings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If plated sheets with different materials are used, then corrosion resistance is improved, but non-homogeneous mechanical characteristics and stress concentrations occur due to differential thermal expansion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrosion resistanceVSAvoidmechanical characteristic uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent achieves homogeneity by constructing the entire reaction chamber from stainless steel material, eliminating the multi-material plated sheet construction. This ensures uniform thermal expansion characteristics and mechanical properties throughout the structure, preventing stress concentrations at material interfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #33Homogeneity

4Ease of repair

If integral stainless steel is used for reaction chamber construction, then maintenance needs are reduced and mechanical characteristics are uniform, but construction time and material cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance frequencyVSAvoidconstruction time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functions of structural support and corrosion protection into a single stainless steel material system, eliminating the need for separate base metal and protective coating layers. This integration simplifies construction and reduces long-term maintenance while providing uniform mechanical and corrosion-resistant properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3792335A1Delayed coker drum and assembly method
Publication Date: 2021.03.17 WALTER TOSTO
  • EP3792335A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3792335A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3792335A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5a

AI summary

Described is a reaction chamber (100) configured to house coking reactions comprising a main body (90) with a base portion (B) and a head portion (S), wherein the base portion (B) and the head portion (S) are joined together at their respective joint edges, characterised in that the walls of the main body (90) are made of stainless steel in such a way as to allow a joint between the base portion (B) and the head portion (S), of the main body (90), by welding only the base sheet since no plating is present on the sheet itself and in such a way as to allow the construction of the base portion (B) and the head portion (S), when constructed by coupling and welding a plurality of sheets, by welding only the base sheet since no plating is present on the sheet itself. Advantageously, the method of assembly of the reaction chamber (100) according to the invention limits the operations necessary to weld only the base sheet since there is no plating on the sheet itself.