Chapter 23 • Vacuum Towers 173

Function of Condenser “B”

To correct this problem, one should first consider Fig. 23.3 more carefully. What is the
function of condenser “B”? The answer is that it has no function. It’s an engineering error.
Venting the discharge of the #2 ejector directly to the vent stack will reduce its discharge
pressure from 780 to 760 mm of Hg. This will result in a small reduction in the surface
condenser pressure. However, if the baffle between sections A & B in the ejector system
condenser is leaking, venting the second stage condenser directly to the atmospheric vent
stack, results in a large reduction in the surface condenser pressure. Either way, the result
is increased turbine efficiency.
The observation that condenser “B” has been standard in steam turbine surface
condenser design for 150 years, but represents an engineering error, has lately been
recognized by several of my major clients, who have eliminated it in their plants in
Louisiana.

Steam
´
vent
stack

Steam

Ejector
Turbine condenser
exhaust

Baffle cw

Surface
condenser

Sewer

CW

Drain

Loop seal
FIG. 23.3 The baffle in the injector condenser is actually horizontal rather than vertical. This is a typical steam turbine
exhaust surface condenser system.
 24
Upgrading Vacuum Tower
Performance

This chapter summarizes a case history of an improved vacuum tower performance at the
Good Hope Refinery, where I was the Tech Service Manager from 1980 to 1983. Our objec-
tive was to increase gas oil recovery from vacuum tower residual product.

Reducing Resid Gas Oil Content

Each barrel of gas oil left in vacuum tower bottoms is a major loss. However, many plants
currently do not sample the vacuum tower bottoms stream for fear of a fire at the sample
point. The auto-ignition temperature of the vacuum resid is 320°F. The sample point on
the run-down stream is at 450°F. The plant Safety Department may prohibit the use of
such a sample station.
However, we can get a sample without any hazard even though at temperatures below
the 320°F auto-ignition temperature, the resid will solidify.
The sample can be obtained at the bottom’s pump discharge temperature of 680°F
using a steel bottle (see Fig. 24.1). Allow the bottle to fill with resid. Block it in and wait
for the bottle to cool. Then, unscrew it and send to the lab.
What would seem to be the simplest way to reduce gas oil lost to vacuum resid
would be to cut back on the wash oil flow rate (see Fig. 24.2) above the grid from say
5000 reduced down to 3000 BSD. That will not yield 2000 BSD of incremental heavy gas
oil product. First, about 80% of the wash oil evaporates in the grid. Thus, reduced wash
oil lost to vacuum tower resid would be only 400 BSD, not 2000 BSD. Also, this will promote
coke formation, due to lack of wetting of the grid. Over a period of months, the quality of
the gas oil product will deteriorate, and the flash zone pressure will increase.
The metals in the gas oil will increase and these higher amounts of metals will ruin the
catalyst in the FCU feed gas oil hydrotreater.

Increasing Flash Zone Temperature

We could raise the heater outlet from 760°F to the design of 780°F, if the heater is not over-
firing and the FD air blower is running below rated speed, and the burner flames are not
near the tubes. But, the higher flash zone temperature will increase cracked gas flow,
which can overload the vacuum system. The tower pressure would increase as a result
and gas oil recovery will drop.

Understanding Process Equipment for Operators and Engineers. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816161-6.00024-2 175

© 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
176 UNDERSTANDING PROCESS EQUIPMENT FOR OPERATORS AND ENGINEERS

resid.

Steel sample
bottle

FIG. 24.1 Sample bottle.

Another option is to increase the steam through the vacuum heater passes concur-
rently with the higher outlet temperature. The reduced oil soaking time in the tube due
to the steam would offset the hotter outlet. Formation of cracked gas would then decrease.
Also, the coil steam would reduce the hydrocarbon partial pressure in the flash zone.
But that places a larger load on the first stage ejector (see Fig. 24.3). However, the extra
steam in the heater passes will suppress the average coil temperature by promoting more
vaporization in the heater tubes. The lower temperature will also reduce the rate of
cracked gas formed in the tubes.
The extra steam may cause an overload of the first stage ejector capacity and raise the vac-
uum tower flash zone pressure. Only a plant test could prove what is the best course of action.

Commissioning Spare Steam Ejector

Another alternate is to commission the spare first stage ejector. But, when tried (see
Fig. 24.4), the vacuum breaks and the tower top increases by 20 mm Hg. Why? Testing
the jet by itself showed that it ran fine. The steam nozzle was replaced anyway, but that
made no difference to the performance.
We tried again to start-up the idle jet. However, the new first stage jet was on an elevated
80 ft platform by itself. It was connected to the tower overhead vapor line by 120 ft of 1600 of
bare piping. As soon as the outside operator cracked open the inlet gate valve (see Fig. 24.4),
the local vacuum pressure gauge jumped from 36 to 48 mm of Hg and continued to
trend higher.
The operator observed that it happened every time. However, we noted that the
suction line could be full of water. When the operator opened valve “B,” water would
be drawn into both the old and the new ejectors, which bogs down both jets. One would
need to drain down the 1600 line going to the new jet before opening valve “B.” However,
the 200 valve (i.e., “C”) just upstream of valve “B” cannot be simply opened, because the
 Chapter 24 • Upgrading Vacuum Tower Performance 177

Vac.
system

Vac. Gas oil

Wash oil Wash oil

grid

Feed Flash
zone
760°F

Resid.
FIG. 24.2 Wash oil protects grid from coking.

100 foot long, 1600 line was under a vacuum. If opened, it would draw air into the jets and
the vacuum would break.
What we did was to run a hose from the 200 drain down to a bucket of water 50 ft below
the “C” drain valve (see Fig. 24.4). For this to work, the hose has to be filled (i.e., primed)
with water first. Then the 1600 line can be drained before opening valve “B.”
The 200 drain should have been piped into the seal drum. It was a design error.

Silicas in Steam Nozzle

The vacuum had suddenly gotten worse a few months back. A common cause is silicate
deposits in the steam nozzle (see Fig. 24.5). The steam quality may be bad, contaminated
178 UNDERSTANDING PROCESS EQUIPMENT FOR OPERATORS AND ENGINEERS

Motive steam

First
stage
jet

FIG. 24.3 Extra steam to vacuum heater overloads first stage jet.

Old
jet

New
jet

Water

Bucket
FIG. 24.4 New jet required drain line for start-up purposes.

with carry-over from a kettle waste heat boiler. The entrained moisture could be
10,000 ppm of TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) mainly silicates, which precipitate out in
the steam nozzle. On the back of the jet, there is a plug that can be used to clear the steam
nozzle with a wire brush. This cannot be done while the jet is running. But once the new