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Regular build-up of fouling and deposits weakens a plant’s performance and capacity, and dramatically reduces profitability. Refineries worldwide face the challenge of effectively decoking and descaling fired heaters and process piping without abrasion and gouging of the internal tube walls, which can dramatically reduce reliability and tube life. Delayed cokers in oil refineries and bitumen upgraders, for example, are particularly vulnerable.
For years, mechanical pigging has been the accepted practice of removing coke from coils. It involves propelling a “pig” through a coil by fluid under pressure, which scrapes coke from inside the coils.
However, traditional pigs have fixed, nonadjustable “tire studs” for appendages that have limited surface area coverage, and result in pipe abrasion. These fixed, nonadjustable studs are used throughout the entire pigging process, causing a deep rifling effect on the internal surface of the tubes’ walls. The repeated rifling action seriously diminishes tube wall reliability and tube life.
There is an advanced system for offline decoking of fired heaters without the risk of gouging internal tube walls. Decoking Descaling Technology Inc. (DDT), which originated refinery heater tube bidirectional pigging, can remove the hardest coke and scale that forms in commercial fired heaters and process piping using a set of patented cleaning tools called DDT Piggs®. DDT’s bidirectional decoking process allows the cleaning tools to navigate the furnace tubes in both directions.
DDT’s bidirectional control method is a patented process only DDT can provide. It permits the decoking of furnace tubes with variable pipe diameters, and prevents the unnecessary repeated cleaning of less contaminated pipe sections and therefore reduces pipe abrasion. During the decoking process, the DDT Piggs are continuously monitored. The hydraulic pressure vs. time is recorded and allows for measuring the Pigg’s resistance during its travel through pipes. This feature enables operators to determine the location of the coke buildup.
Every DDT Pigg carries an array of height-adjustable and interchangeable cleaning appendages threaded into the device. These cleaning appendages are radially dispersed in a pattern to provide 360-degree cleaning of the pipe.
The DDT process employs a closed‐loop, self‐contained hydraulic system, making it very safe and environmentally friendly. During the cleaning operation, the protruding metal appendages on the DDT Pigg will clean and remove the coke deposits. A controlled amount of water flows around the Pigg and past the cleaning appendage, thereby flushing the loose coke deposits ahead of the advancing Pigg and into a collection tank.
DDT guarantees the removal of all fouling and deposits, including scale and coke buildup from multiple process pipes, convection sections, external crossover tubes, coke transfer and other pipes.
Founded in 1991 by Orlande Sivacoe, DDT has achieved a global leadership position with clients in 52 countries in over 200 refineries. DDT now has six offices strategically located throughout North America and offers clients a service that has been evaluated and approved by refineries worldwide.
Let DDT evaluate your most difficult fouling and deposit challenge. Contact Francisco Arrieta, farrieta@decoking.com, 786-403-3866, or 800-319-6410, or visit www.decoking.com.