A Case Study - Confirming the effectiveness of process compressor cleaning

When you are considering implementing anything new for your business, you want to know a) if it is effective and b) if it is cost efficient.

Without that information, you are taking a risk on which you may not see a return. We completely understand this and know that , combined with our dedicated, personalised advice, complete the job for which they’re designed.

To put your mind at complete ease we carried out a case study. This is just one of the countless examples we could have chosen, but it perfectly demonstrates the effectiveness and cost efficiency of the products and services we offer.

1. The customer and the problems they were facing

On this occasion, the customer represented a UK based coking refinery: the world’s largest producer of speciality graphite cokes and the largest anode coke producer in Europe. It was their cracked gas compressor that they wanted specific help with.

The problems:

Worsening fouling of the cracked gas compressor resulted in noticeable:

• Reduced plant throughput
• Increased power usage
• Frequent unscheduled plant shutdowns

These are problems with which we are very familiar and we can usually offer help to remedy.

After determining that the main contributor to fouling was ammonium chloride, we designed a solution.

2. Implementing our process compressor cleaning methods

On-line cleaning is a great way to clean process compressors. This method allows the compressor to be cleaned during normal operation, without any interruption to production. Effective and efficient, the cleaning process also takes just minutes to complete.

This particular customer installed the following Rochem hardware to facilitate on-line cleaning:

• Nozzle assembly (LP and HP)
• Double block-and-bleed valve
• Hose assembly
• Wash delivery skid

We also recommended for their particular fouling problems and provided a full design study, calculations, and performance analysis. 

3. The results

A way of definitively deciding whether the whole process of analysis through to implementation has been worthwhile is to look at the figures.

Any customer’s decision whether or not to go with our recommendation is based on a) if it is effective and b) if it is cost-efficient.

a) Was it effective?

In our case study, ‘effectiveness’ was measured in several different ways. After installing the abovementioned Rochem equipment, using the recommended F1, and following a recommended cleaning schedule, the customer reported that:

• The polytropic head increased by 28%
• The pressure ratio improved from 2.0 to 2.5
• The polytropic efficiency improved from 62 to 82%
• The relative work input reduced
• The plant throughput increased by 10% (based on mass flow)

These are all fantastic results, demonstrating a significantly more efficient system.

b) Was is cost efficient?

The customer has not only saved money through  but also no longer faces the expense of numerous unscheduled shutdowns. We anticipate they will easily more than recoup all costs involved.

Conclusion

We set out to confirm the effectiveness of process compressor cleaning and the figures show that our cleaning methods and equipment are not only effective but also cost efficient.

This customer remains very happy with the on-line cleaning system and they continue to work with us to further optimise the regime.

Find out more

This case study is a perfect example of the many, many times we have helped customers all over the world.

If you are interested in finding out how we can help you, don’t hesitate to . Our friendly team will be happy to answer all your questions.