Wilson-Snyder Coker Switch Valves Automated
Your delayed coker process is crucial to your refinery's profitability. By taking the last, light products out of a barrel of oil, your delayed coker lets you make more product from a barrel of crude oil. The delayed coker process has been around for half a century, but on "manual" control for most of these years. Personnel operated these valves 'by hand', as best they could but there were (and still are!) problems. Automating this process has been slow in coming, perhaps because of danger to personnel and damage to equipment. Coker people didn't want to take the chance that comes with change.
The delayed Coker process is a batch process, one of few in the refinery complex. The process of switching from one drum to another requires that a complex series of events take place in perfect sequence or people may be injured and equipment damaged. Most refineries use a similar coking process, but many have a sequence of events peculiar to their operation. It is true that some valves have been automated in some refineries. Few refineries have achieved complete automation of the delayed coking process. The time is now to complete the full automation of the Delayed Coker Drum Switch.
One of the most critical valves is the Switch Valve. The Wilson Snyder Switch Valve, for example, was introduced nearly half a century ago. The valve could only be operated manually, and required operators to unbolt the valve top to make a rotary movement of the valve. The valve proved extremely rugged, exceptionally long lasting, and soon became an industry standard. The body is forged from 9 chromium alloy steel, with a stainless steel 410 Plug Tile Valve body and plug are precision ground to form a pressure tight metal to metal sealing service
About 15 to 20 years ago, a motor operated ball valve came on to the scene in spite of drawbacks (the ability to operate this Valve automatically), the ball valve was accepted everywhere. Then, a few years later, the Wilson Snyder Company (now Furmanite) developed a digital automatic operation, working with M E.A. Inc. Many other valves were also operated by automatic valve operators.
Result: full automation is now practical, in every way with 100% reliability of the coker process.
- Maximum productivity of the delayed coker.
- Minimum operating costs.
Keep in mind that reliability means safety from injury to personnel even accidental death. The coking process is dangerous. That's why predictability, redundancy and reliability are crucial. Reliability starts with redundancy in the automation, namely Redundant Computer Control. In the event that one unit fails, the second takes over automatically. What's more all valve positions have two position devices at open and close positions. If one fails, the other still operates. The computer times each sequence. If the valve does not fully operate in the time specified, an alarm is sounded. The switch valve has a Position Drive which gives the position at all times. All valves have a complete alarm panel which indicates any problem. Each valve has a manual hydraulic valve which can close or open the valve from hydraulic accumulator power in the event of an electrical power failure.
Finally, steam is not required on the automated Wilson Snyder Switch Valve. Ball valves need steam purging. Typically the steam required for a ball valve is 15,000,000 lbs. of steam/year. Ball valves can stick without steam purging.
When the Coker process is automated, Reliability Is 100%.
- Threat of danger to your personnel is eliminated.
- Equipment damage is eliminated.
- Production loss is eliminated.
Personnel safety is an issue that is now very important in the industrial world. We all know the costs of injury to personnel, even death, when it occurs in the work place. The full automation of the coker drum switch can prevent hazards that now exist. Unfortunately, there are many recorded injuries and deaths in the coker area due to manual operation. By automating, you not only increase productivity and profit, but you reduce hazards to personnel. Equipment life is also increased, while maintenance costs are decreased. Automating ensures that each coker drum switch Is done exactly the same way. (Manual operations, on the other hand, are seldom consistent.)
A good example of consistency is the Wilson Snyder Switch Valve. Where manual operation required valve maintenance every three or four years, valve maintenance on this switch valve has not been required for ten years. Cost savings are well over $100,000 U.S. on this automated valve alone. Digital control has truly made it possible to automate the coker drum switch safely, without exposing personnel to dangerous situations...