PRODUCTION & PROCESSING However, improving this procedure
also had a commercial advantage in the form of eff ective isolation, which reduces risk and speeds up turnarounds. Quicker shutdowns mean quicker maintenance, allowing customers to recommence production in a shorter space of time. Reducing this window – and ensuring it’s the only downtime that occurs – is critical for running a profi table facility. The outcome of this design and
consultation process has been IMI’s Fractionator Inlet Valve, which allows refi neries to run an on/off service.
BREAKTHROUGH ENGINEERING IN ACTION In the open position, the valve body passage forms a straight tube, so solid particles can pass through without contacting any other part of the fi tting. In this position – and when closed – the seat surfaces of the valve body are completely covered. The upper section of the goggle
plate is also equipped with two separate discs in an internal wedge- ball-arrangement. This means one valve will provide a positive/tight shut-off in the closed position. It’s also designed to withstand the extreme conditions common to all refi neries. The discs, for example, can be released from their seats without the risk of jamming due to high-temperature changes because the internal wedges form a non-self-locking shape. To initiate the opening movement,
two wedge pieces are withdrawn until their upper faces sit against the stops. The pressure of the process fl uid releases the upstream disc from its seat, so no physical intervention by engineers is required.
STRIKING THE BALANCE This valve’s quick actuation has been transformative and has cut customers’ turnaround times by 36 hours. Upon FCC unit startup, the blind – if required – can also be removed while the reactor and main column are being headed up. The valve will remain in the closed position while manway torquing is completed, and system temperatures are increased. This yields a time saving of 12 hours when compared with current methods.
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www.engineerlive.com Safety measures often – and
rightly – come at the expense of speed. But with this particular valve, IMI engineers have struck the balance, creating a much safer solution that also delivers distinct commercial benefi ts. This project typifi es IMI’s
collaborative approach to product
development, targeting areas where novel engineering can deliver for customers on several fronts.
Ali Zandieh Shirazi is regional maintenance manager, IMI.
www.imi-critical.com
The new refi nery valve at an IMI facility
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