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Vertical Plate
Coke
Drum
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OWNER: BP, formerly ARCO
LOCATION: Carson,
California Refinery
COMPLETION: 2000
PROJECT SUMMARY
Replacement of two sections of cracked
and distorted shells on each of two coke drums
One 40-foot long course and one 23-foot long course
HIGHLIGHTS
First completed application of CB&I’s
vertical plate coke drum
Eliminates circumferential welds in critical stress area
Provides longer operating life and lower maintenance cost |
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BACKGROUND
Bulging and cracking in the vicinity of the circumferential weld seams in coke drums has
been an ongoing problem in refineries for many years. These bulges and cracks are due to the
severe operational thermal cycling experienced in coke drums over the life of the vessel. The
industry has experimented with many solutions
over the years to address this problem, however, most of these solutions have resulted in a
measurable increase in the cost of the drum with limited success in addressing the bulging
and cracking effect.
Chicago Bridge & Iron Company has developed the new vertical plate solution that eliminates the
circumferential weld seams altogether in the area of concern. This is achieved by orienting the shell
plates vertically, thus providing up to 40 feet in shell length without a girth seam. This section of
the vessel can be located in the areas that experience the most severe thermal cycles. Utilization
of this design reduces the opportunity for bulging and cracking and will provide vessels
with longer operating life and lower maintenance costs. This concept is suitable for both new drums and
retrofitting to existing drums. CB&I developed and tested this concept
in-house and has applied for a patent. The first installed application of the
vertical plate concept was recently completed at the ARCO refinery in Carson, California.
View
this multimedia presentation to learn more about our patented
Vertical Plate Coke Drum™ technology and various installation
options.
High (5.22 MB) | Low (1.07 MB)
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PROJECT SUMMARY
ARCO originally planned to replace two sections of distorted and cracked shell on each of two
of their drums. They had previously replaced a 20-foot section of the shell and now needed to
replace areas above and below this section, each
having a length a little longer than 20 feet. However, this
replacement would still leave circumferential
seams in the section of the drum where the bulging and cracking problem is most
pronounced. After a thorough review of CB&I’s
vertical plate concept, the plan was modified to replace all but the upper 9 feet of shell with two
vertical plate courses. The lower course is 40 feet long, while the second course is 23 feet, 6 inches
high.
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The plates were formed and welded into two
plate assemblies at CB&I’s Houston shop before shipment to Carson. CB&I also performed the
erection of both vessels concurrently on a turnaround basis. The work not only included
replacing the shell plate, but also replacing a large nozzle in the top head and sections of
the skirt support, post-weld heat treating, and hydrostatic testing. The work was completed
in 28 days.
This innovative solution from CB&I addressed ARCO’s need for effective and longer lasting
retrofit shells for two coke drums, this being accomplished in an on-time turnaround
situation and at no greater cost to the customer than traditional methods.
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CB&I PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
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- Turnkey Bulk Liquid Terminals
- Storage Tanks and Spheres
- Refrigerated Storage and Process Systems
- Industrial Process Vessels
- Specialty Steel Plate Structures
- Tank Maintenance and Repairs
- Turnarounds
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Hoofddorp, The Netherlands |
CHICAGO BRIDGE & IRON COMPANY
1501 N. Division Street
Plainfield, IL 60544 United States of America
1 815 439 6000 Fax: 1 815 439 6010 |
CHICAGO BRIDGE & IRON COMPANY B.V.
Office 201 City Tower 2, Sheikh Zayed Road
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
971 4 331 3791 Fax: 971 4 331 9868 |
For a list of our worldwide sales
offices, visit our website at:
www.cbiepc.com |
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Contact: Bruce Steimle
E-mail:
BSteimle@CBI.com
CB&I
One CB&I Plaza
2103 Research Forest Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77380
(832) 513-1117
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Full Color Brochure |
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