Delayed Coker Fundamentals, Coker Operations and Reliability

This two-day course will cover an introduction to the process, equipment, and operation of a delayed coker unit (DCU) in the refinery.

The coker is unique in the refinery world with a batch process and specialized solids removal (decoking) and handling equipment. All the unique aspects of the DCU will be covered with an in-depth review of the coker structure (coker island) operation and equipment.  Special focus will be given to operator-based perspectives on unit equipment and usage. Common safety and reliability concerns will be discussed at length.

Who Should Attend

Refinery staff new (less than 1 year) to delayed coking. This includes: operators, engineers, inspectors, or maintenance staff. Vendor staff who supply services or equipment to delayed coker units.  Project staff working on design projects.

What You Will Learn

• Learn the history of this process, the second oldest in the history of refining.
• Explore the process flow and semibatch sequence.

Introduction to the specific design and operation of specialized DCU equipment:

• Steam purged valves
• Decoking equipment
• Heater fouling and decoking
• Fractionator (distillation) dynamics with batch operation
• Blowdown system

A special focus on real experiences in safety and reliability: Operator ownership of safety

• Common reliability issues with DCU equipment
• A review of major safety incidents over the past 20 years.

Prerequisites: Familiarity with delayed cokers.
Course fee: $1795

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About Your Instructor

Evan Hyde is the Director of Field Operations for Coking.com Inc. Formerly he was president of Telaxe, a coker consulting firm. He previously was president of C2 Nano Technology where they researched surface treatments to combat fouling and corrosion issues in cokers and other petrochemical process units. He was a Senior Engineering Advisor for Becht Engineering Co., Inc. New Jersey. He has consulted on processing improvement and reliability initiatives for delayed coking clients around the world. He also participated in onsite peer assessments of Coker Units at eight refineries which included improvements in maintenance work practices, process enhancements, and turnaround scope optimization. Prior to joining Becht, Evan worked for ExxonMobil Research and Engineering, as a process engineer, with assignments in research, and troubleshooting for heavy oil upgrading equipment. He holds a B.S. of Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

Coker Process, Design, and Troubleshooting

This two-day course delves deeper into the delayed coker from a process, design, and troubleshooting perspective.

Because the participants are anticipated to have some experience working in a plant, the focus will be on exploring the nuances of various design choices from a process or equipment perspective. The course will explore the pros and cons of a variety of solutions to common problems. Similarly, the troubleshooting will review typical scenarios and solutions that are encountered by operating DCUs.

What You Will Learn

• Common design considerations and comparison of various technology platforms
• Equipment failure modes and common reliability issues
• Process control strategies for optimization
• Heater fouling mechanisms and mitigation strategies
• Cracking reactions and feed property considerations
• Coke morphology causes and effects
• Review of major safety incidents over the past 20 years

The curriculum will be interactive based on group exercises and questions or concerns posed by the participants. Come prepared to get some options to consider for your plant. All of the experiences are based on real world examples from plants around the world with varying configurations or equipment types.

Who Should Attend

Refinery staff experienced (1+ years) in delayed coking. This includes operators, engineers, inspectors, or maintenance staff. Experienced chemical or mechanical engineers who are assigned to support a DCU.

Experienced operators who want to learn more about the details of the equipment design and improve their troubleshooting skills.

Vendor staff who want to understand how their equipment and possibility their competitor’s equipment is designed and utilized in the field. Project staff working on design projects. Learn more about common issues and develop solutions for your clients before the equipment is operated.

Prerequisites: Recommended for those with previous experience in design, process, operations or maintenance of delayed cokers.

Course fee: $1795 

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About Your Instructor

Mitch Moloney graduated from Princeton University in 1979 summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and is a registered PE in Texas. He worked with ExxonMobil as a Heavy Oil Upgrading Specialist for 30 of his 40 years with the company. Mitch lead their worldwide Best Practices Network, developing over 200 Best Practice approaches to Delayed Coking. He was the lead development, design, engineering & start-up engineer for the Cerro Negro Upgrader Project in Venezuela, which featured a 50 kBD DCU. He also was the coker technology and coker start-up lead for the Antwerp Heavy Oil Conversion Project, which also featured a 50 kBD DCU. He now works as a worldwide Delayed Coking and Process Engineering consultant for companies in the oil refining industry. Mitch has a wife and two children and resides in Houston TX.

Class Overview:

In this course, we’ll dive into the mechanics and reliability of coke drums, exploring both the design principles and the types of damage they experience during operation. From skirt cracks to shell bulging, you’ll gain insights into the most common issues, diagnostic techniques, and effective solutions used to keep coke drums performing at their best.

 

Introduction to Coke Drums:

• Understanding the Design: A primer on the unique engineering behind coke drums and why they’re different from other pressure vessels.
• Common Failure Modes: Explore the typical ways coke drums can fail and how these can affect overall performance and safety. Common failure modes
• Key Industry Standards: A look at relevant documents that guide coke drum design, assessment, and maintenance practices.

 

Skirt Failures:

• Cracking and Buckling: Examine the causes and effects of skirt cracking and buckling in coke drums.
• Assessing Skirt Damage: Learn the methods for assessing cracked or distorted skirts and understanding the impact on drum integrity.
• Skirt Bolt Failures: Understand the common reasons for bolt failures, including improper installation, fatigue, and spatial thermal gradients.
• Skirt Repairs and Retrofitting: Explore different approaches to repairing skirts, including retrofitting with enhanced materials or designs.
• Unconventional Skirt Designs: Get an overview of alternative skirt configurations and their role in preventing common failures.

 

Shell Failures:

• Tilting: Learn about the mechanics behind tilting failures and how to identify early signs of shell misalignment. Cracking
• Cracking and Bulging: Dive deep into shell cracking and bulging—what causes these issues, and how they affect overall drum function.
• Types of Bulging: Explore the various types of bulging, underlying design deficiencies,, and the loading mechanisms that cause them.
• Assessing Bulges: Gain insights into how bulges are measured and evaluated, including when a bulge is serious enough to warrant a repair.
• Bulge Repair Techniques: Learn the latest methods for repairing bulged shells and restoring structural integrity.
• Unconventional Shell Designs: A look at innovative shell designs and materials that can help mitigate common failures.

 

Developing an Action plan:

• Optimizing Drum Life: Strategies for extending the service life of coke drums through proactive maintenance and design improvements.
• Effective Inspection and Monitoring: Tools and techniques for keeping a close watch on drum performance, including advanced monitoring technologies.
• Actionable Strategies: Understand how to put an effective action plan in place for addressing issues early and minimizing downtime.

 

Who Should Attend:

This course is designed for operating company professionals that are exposed to the design, process, operations, or maintenance of delayed coking units. Ideal participants are those directly involved in managing or working with coke drums in a refinery or upgrader. Note: Operating company personnel only. If you’re not with an operating company, instructor permission is required prior to registering.

Course fee:  $1795

Register now

   

About Your Instructor

Dr. Mahmod Samman is the president of Houston Engineering Solutions. He has thirty years of industry experience mostly in damage assessment, repair, and life extension of coke drums. His state-of-the-art techniques in this field are utilized around the world. A licensed professional engineer in Texas, he has a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Duke University, numerous publications, and six issued patents. He is a member of ASME and ASCE and a committee member of API 579/ASME FFS, API 934G and API 934J.