Separator boots
CHALLENGES
Ineffective boot interface measurement
• Issues can range from reduced productivity and process efficiency to catastrophic failures in downstream equipment
• There are a variety of vessels that have these separators including alkylation units, hydrotreaters, cokers and amine units
WATER CARRYOVER
• If water enters distillation columns or other high-temperature units, then it will rapidly flash due to thermal expansion
• May cause excessive vibration and damage to trays or other parts of the distillation column
• Costs can reach $550K USD per hour to have a distillation column down (based on the size of the refinery)
• May require days to bring it back up depending on damage
HF ACID CARRYOVER
• If HF acid proceeds downstream it can corrode stainless steel piping, valves, fittings and instrumentation
HYDROCARBON EXTRACTION
• If hydrocarbon process liquids exit the boot it will diminish efficiency of the water treatment processes
• Hydrocarbons may plug screens or filters downstream
SOLUTION
Magnetrol® level devices allow for tighter control of the interface to increase productivity and prevent failures of downstream equipment
• Aurora® design is compact; great for limited space and process connections around boots
• Redundant options include MLI with GWR (Aurora®) or external addition of magnetostrictive for thicker emulsions
• MLI provides advantages over sight glasses for manual inspection during walk-through
• No dead zones (or blind spots) for shorter level spans
RESULTS
Better level measurement in boots for more effective separation
• Safeguards against considerable costs due to failures in downstream equipment
• Enhances the safety of the refinery by mitigating potential catastrophic failures
• Reduces maintenance due to reliable signal and enhanced diagnostics