MEETING PLACE
Hydrogen energy has the potential to become a pivotal energy source on the world energy stage in the 21st century . Hydrogen applied for energy ( as opposed to hydrogen as a resource ) requires a different approach as existing international standards cannot fully meet this working condition . In the actual application , the valve will face hydrogen corrosion , ultra-low temperature under -253 ° C , more stringent on welding performance , which requires special material control requirements and so on . If these special requirements are not handled properly , valve deformation , pipe explosion may occur and which may cause a hazardous situation . Therefore , the development of hydrogen energy has posed new challenges to the valves production . Neway is active in the developments of the above flow control equipment for hydrogen production for energy purposes . The company will share insights from a new research report at the workshop .
FCC slurry oil service
Fluid catalytic cracking ( FCC ) is an important upgrading process to convert heavy oil feedstock into products , such as gasoline , light fuel oils and olefin-rich gases at oil refineries . In this process , hot catalyst from the regenerator flows in a fluidized state through the riser tube into the reactor . The incoming feed together with recycled slurry oil start vaporizing and cracking with the help of a catalyst when entering the reactor . The cracking reaction continues until the catalyst and the feed are separated in the reactor . The cracked hydrocarbons from the reactor enter a fractionation column , where they are separated into gasoline , light cycle oil , heavy cycle oil and slurry oil . The catalysts are small particles , but over time the catalyst breaks down into yet smaller particles , which tend to accumulate in the slurry oil recycling in the process despite filtering . Such small , hard particles - catalyst fines - are one major reason why the FCC unit has many severe service valve positions that require special attention to valve design and selection of wear protection materials .
Metal matrix composite materials
The modern FCC units are all continuous processes and expected to operate 24 hours a day for as long as three to five years between scheduled shutdowns for routine maintenance . The last two years before turnaround can be very challenging for the pumps and valves of the slurry oil circuit due to the accumulation of the erosive catalyst fines . The control valves have the risk to fail within six months , and consequently , valve reliability becomes one of the most important factors impacting the safety , stability , and profitability of the FCC units . By adopting optimal valve selection and advanced wear protection materials , the performance of control valves can be upgraded to align with the service and maintenance strategy . The paper from Jussi Helman ( Valmet ) will discuss case examples from the FCC process and introduces ceramic and metal matrix composite ( MMC ) materials , which have the potential to enhance wear protection of the critical flow control devices . Moreover , the conclusions suggest that the wear issues and solutions discussed have obvious similarities to those seen in the processes utilized in supply of renewable fuels and energy .
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