SEAL LEG DRAINAGE 171

insisted that this was necessary. So now, when the vacuum

breaks, the same operators must rush out to madly blow out
the plugged seal legs with 200 psig steam.
At the next opportunity, I suggested that the bottom foot of
the seal legs be cut off.

13.2 Seal Leg Leak Inside Seal Drum

Biological corrosion is a big problem when carbon steel
piping comes into contact with moisture and H2S at the
warm temperatures we experience in vacuum system seal
drums. The bacteria metabolize the carbon steel into iron
sulfides. If 0 2 is present, the problem is even worse. My
experience has indicated that the internal seal leg piping
exposed to the vapor phase in the seal drum is especially
vulnerable to biological corrosion and holing-through.
Hence, this piping is best constructed from high alloy steel
like 316 (L) s.s.
At the Amoco Oil Refinery in Sugar Creek, Missouri, in
1978, I was involved in a serious incident which I acciden-
tally caused. I had been sent to the plant to improve the per-
formance of their vacuum tower. Mainly to reduce the tower
top pressure. At this time, I was at the top of my career with
Amoco and quite sure of myself.
"I see Joe," I explained to the old, tired looking chief opera-
tor, "that you're running with the seal drum level very high.
Kindly reduce the hydrocarbon liquid level down below the
top edge of the overflow baffle." (Figure 13.2)
Joe looked at me rather doubtful. "I don't know bout that
Mr. Lieberman. Might not be a good idea."
"Look, Joe," I explained, "Lowering the level in the seal
drum will help pull the level down out of the primary con-
denser that's suffering from condensate back-up. That vapor
outlet is 130°F and the liquid outlet is 110°F. The liquids is sub-
cooled and the vapor is too hot. The 130°F vapor is carrying a
172 TROUBLESHOOTING VACUUM SYSTEMS

Vapor inlet

130°F
Vapor to ejector

Overflow
baffle

Nydrocarbon

Figure 13.2 Hole in barometric drain leg inside seal drum forces operators to run
seal drum flooded.

lot of moisture into the first ejector, which is being overloaded

and losing vacuum/ 7
Joe fidgeted in his ancient swivel chair. The brown leather
was cracked with age. "I kinda don't want to lower that there
seal drum liquid level, Mr. Lieberman. It's gonna break the
vacuum/ 7
"Why is that, Joe?"
"I surely don't know, sir."
"Well Joe. If you do not know, please follow my instructions.
I'm here from the Chicago Engineering Division to improve
refinery profits. Let's lower that seal drum level."
"Mr. Lieberman, I really would rather not do that. Somethin'
bad might happen."
"Look Joe, I've got a Master's Degree in Chemical
Engineering. I think you can rely on my judgment to make
sound decisions. It's getting late. Please lower that level."
 SEAL LEG DRAINAGE 173

Old Joe surveyed the empty control room for help and sup-
port. Finding none, he sadly dialed down the seal drum to
50%. At first the vacuum got better and I was pleased. But
then the vacuum got much worse, really quickly.
The vacuum tower pressure rose rapidly. And then things
really went to hell. It transpired that there had been a small
leak in the line connecting the vacuum tower heater to the
tower. This is called the transfer line. It's normally under a
slight negative pressure. But, when the vacuum broke, the
leak pressured-up and vacuum tower feed at 730°F blew out
into the atmosphere. The hot tar auto-ignited and a tremen-
dous fire flared into being.
What had happened? I had uncovered a hole in the seal leg
inside the seal drum by lowering the level (see Figure 13.2).
Tail gas was sucked up through the hole. This had prevented
the drainage of condensate down the seal leg. The condensate
backed-up into the condenser and flooded over into the suc-
tion of the first stage ejector and the vacuum had broken. The
operators had kept the level high in the condenser to keep this
hole covered so that gas couldn't get sucked up the condensate
drain line.

Liquid

Seal leg 1

Flange Ä Sea, d r u m
with missing ^g /
gasket ^ ^ ■ /

Flange needed
• for pressure
testing of
seal leg

Figure 13.3 The seal leg inside the seal drum must be absolutely leak proof
otherwise, the leg will not drain.