Chemical industry sales engineer, Blake Coleman, is writing a three part series for valvemagazine.com.
Part one: critical control valve applications in the furnace section of ethylene conversion are discussed. Feedstocks into the pyrolysis furnace can be ethane, propane, butane, gas oil, or naphtha, but no matter the source, the feed rate must be balanced with dilution steam to lower hydrocarbon partial pressure and increase olefin yield. An improper ratio reduces efficiency of the furnace and will impact ethylene conversion. Valves in the furnace section play a critical role in maximizing ethylene production and throughout.
Part two: critical control valve applications for cracked gas processing are discussed. Topics include quench tower level control valves, compressor antisurge valves, rich amine letdown valves, amine pump recirculation valves, gas-to-flare valves, and dryer switching valves. Cracked gas processing must function successfully to achieve high plant efficiency. Control valves are a significant contributor to this success. A poorly operating control valve in these applications will allow impurities to pass downstream creating unnecessary rework in the fractionation section. In the final portion of the three part series, critical valve applications in the fractionation section will be reviewed.