Detecting and correcting cross-leakage in heat exchangers in a petrochemical plant or refinery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10670353-B2
Application number	US-201815937499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2018
Priority date	Mar 28, 2017
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A plant or refinery may include equipment such as reactors, heaters, heat exchangers, regenerators, separators, or the like. Types of heat exchangers include shell and tube, plate, plate and shell, plate fin, air cooled, wetted-surface air cooled, or the like. Operating methods may impact deterioration in equipment condition, prolong equipment life, extend production operating time, or provide other benefits. Mechanical or digital sensors may be used for monitoring equipment, and sensor data may be programmatically analyzed to identify developing problems. For example, sensors may be used in conjunction with one or more system components to detect and correct maldistribution, cross-leakage, strain, pre-leakage, thermal stresses, fouling, vibration, problems in liquid lifting, conditions that can affect air-cooled exchangers, conditions that can affect a wetted-surface air-cooled heat exchanger, or the like. An operating condition or mode may be adjusted to prolong equipment life or avoid equipment failure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a reactor;
a heater;
a heat exchanger;
a regenerator;
a separator;
a valve associated with the heat exchanger;
one or more sensors associated with the heat exchanger;
a data collection platform comprising:
one or more processors of the data collection platform;
a communication interface of the data collection platform; and
memory storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data collection platform to:
receive, from the one or more sensors associated with the heat exchanger, sensor data comprising operation information associated with the heat exchanger;
correlate the sensor data from the one or more sensors with metadata comprising time data, the time data corresponding to the operation information associated with the heat exchanger; and
transmit the sensor data; and

a data analysis platform, comprising:
one or more processors of the data analysis platform;
a communication interface of the data analysis platform; and
memory storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
receive, from the data collection platform, the sensor data comprising the operation information associated with the heat exchanger;
analyze the sensor data to determine whether cross-leakage is occurring within the heat exchanger;
based on determining that cross-leakage is occurring within the heat exchanger, determine a recommended adjustment to an operating condition of the heat exchanger to mitigate the cross-leakage occurring within the heat exchanger; and
send a command configured to cause the recommended adjustment to the operating condition of the heat exchanger to mitigate the cross-leakage occurring within the heat exchanger.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a chemical sensor as part of the one or more sensors associated with the heat exchanger, the chemical sensor associated with an outlet of the heat exchanger,
wherein the memory of the data analysis platform stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
receive chemical sensor data collected by the chemical sensor associated with the outlet of the heat exchanger;
using the chemical sensor data collected by the chemical sensor associated with the outlet of the heat exchanger, determine whether feed components have leaked into an effluent stream associated with the heat exchanger; and
using the chemical sensor data collected by the chemical sensor associated with the outlet of the heat exchanger, determine whether recycle gas components have leaked into the effluent stream associated with the heat exchanger.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the memory of the data analysis platform stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
using the chemical sensor data collected by the chemical sensor associated with the outlet of the heat exchanger, determine whether effluent stream components have leaked into a feed and recycle gas stream associated with the heat exchanger.

4. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a feed inlet pressure sensor configured to collect feed inlet pressure data regarding a pressure at a feed inlet of the heat exchanger;
a feed outlet pressure sensor configured to collect feed outlet pressure data regarding a pressure at a feed outlet of the heat exchanger,
wherein the memory of the data analysis platform stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
receive the feed inlet pressure data regarding the pressure at the feed inlet of the heat exchanger;
receive the feed outlet pressure data regarding the pressure at the feed outlet of the heat exchanger;
compare the feed inlet pressure data and the feed outlet pressure data to determine a difference between the pressure at the feed inlet of the heat exchanger and the pressure at the feed outlet of the heat exchanger; and
determine whether cross-leakage is occurring within the heat exchanger based on the difference between the pressure at the feed inlet of the heat exchanger and the pressure at the feed outlet of the heat exchanger.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory of the data analysis platform stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
determine a first fingerprint of the operation information associated with the heat exchanger using the sensor data comprising the operation information associated with the heat exchanger;
compare the first fingerprint of the operation information associated with the heat exchanger to a second fingerprint of past operation information associated with the heat exchanger, the second fingerprint of the past operation information corresponding to past operation of the heat exchanger that resulted in damage to the heat exchanger; and
based on comparing the first fingerprint of the operation information to the second fingerprint of the past operation information, determine whether cross-leakage is occurring within the heat exchanger.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory of the data analysis platform stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
analyze the sensor data to determine whether cross-leakage is occurring within the heat exchanger by determining whether changes in the operation information associated with the heat exchanger indicate a change in operation that passes a preset threshold within a defined period of time.

7. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a flow meter configured to collect flow information for a flow associated with the heat exchanger,
wherein the memory of the data analysis platform stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
receive the flow information for the flow associated with the heat exchanger;
compare the flow information for the flow associated with the heat exchanger to past flow information for the flow associated with the heat exchanger to determine whether a change in the flow associated with the heat exchanger has exceeded a threshold; and
determine whether cross-leakage is occurring within the heat exchanger based on determining the change in the flow associated with the heat exchanger has exceeded the threshold.

8. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a flow meter configured to collect flow information for a flow associated with the heat exchanger,
wherein the memory of the data analysis platform stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
receive the flow information for the flow associated with the heat exchanger; and
determine whether cross-leakage is occurring within the heat exchanger based on determining that the flow information for the flow associated with the heat exchanger indicates that the flow associated with the heat exchanger is zero.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory of the data analysis platform stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
based on determining that cross-leakage is occurring within the heat exchanger, determine a recommended adjustment to a pressure associated with the heat exchanger; and
send a command to cause an adjustment to the valve associated with the heat exchanger in order to cause the recommended adjustment to the pressure associated with the heat exchanger.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the memory of the data analysis platform stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
determine the recommended adjustment to the pressure associated with the heat exchanger by determining a pressure change neede

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Victor Sanford Allan
• Daly Phillip F
• Horn Ian G

Classifications

• F28F2265/16

  for preventing leakage · CPC title

• F28F2265/26

  for allowing differential expansion between elements · CPC title

• F28D9/0006

  the plate-like or laminated conduits being enclosed within a pressure vessel · CPC title

• F28F27/006 Primary

  specially adapted for regenerative heat-exchange apparatus · CPC title

• F28F9/0278

  in the form of stacked distribution plates or perforated plates arranged over end plates · CPC title