Coking.com - CB&I

Vertical Plate
Coke
Drum

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

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)

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.

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.

CB&I PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Turnkey Bulk Liquid Terminals
Storage Tanks and Spheres
Refrigerated Storage and Process Systems
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Tank Maintenance and Repairs
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