Stress Engineering Services provides complete Coke Drum engineering support & analysis from the design of new drums to life assessment and extension of existing drums. We draw on our extensive design, testing, analysis, measuring, and monitoring capabilities, along with our vast industry experience, and database of over 20 years of Coke operation and damage data to solve problems that improve plant integrity, safety, and profitability.
Our engineers and technicians are skilled in a variety of engineering disciplines and areas of expertise including failure analysis, metallurgy, acoustic-emissions testing, welding engineering, fitness for service, and forensics.
Coke Drum Condition Life-Assessment and Extension
We assist plant operators with problems that arise from the harsh demands of refinery operation, shorter cycles, and zero-leak tolerances. We utilize state-of-the-art technology and more than 30 years of applied experience to monitor, assess and extend the life and reliability of delayed coker components, especially coke drums. Our objective is to give operators a better understanding of how to optimize daily operation, inspection, and maintenance practices to maximize both production and drum life.
Health-Monitoring Systems
We have installed permanent Health Monitoring Systems on over 100 coke drums to provide critical feedback on damage accumulation in the cone, skirt, and shell for each cycle of operation. Structural reliability can be improved by studying cause-and-effect relationships between operation and structural response. By using this data to assess delayed coker drums, we provide operators with essential information that can increase efficiency and lifespan and reduce unplanned outages or emergency repairs.
Avoids Internal Inspection…. Extends Life
Under current engineering standards, if a vessel is inspected by AET and no significant defects are found, a plant has the option to continue operating the equipment for an extended number of years until the next inspection date. AET also provides a mapping of active crack-like flaws which provides a more targeted approach for follow-up inspection.
- Measure how fast components degrade over time
- Predict time to repair or replace
- Extend time between repair and replacement
- Optimize daily operation to maximize production
- Improve “Best Practices” and operational safety
Coke Drum Design and Modeling
Most existing coke drums were not designed for low-cycle fatigue, which did not become an issue until drums began operating on shorter cycles which increased local stresses above yield causing cracking. Even newer drums have experienced through-wall cracking in as little as 5 years. In addition, actual measured transients, which are much more severe than anticipated, were not used for these designs.
Our personnel have been involved with the latest state-of-the-art coke drum design and can leverage a database of history to help operators make informed decisions on new construction and retrofit applications. Some examples of this include:
- Skirt/Cone-to-Shell design and failure analysis
- Feed inlet configuration design
- Process change impacts to fatigue life based on historical data
