(552a) Enhancing Safety and Streamlining Turnarounds of Down Flow Reactors: Innovative Internals Reduce Confined Space Entry and Risk Improving Efficiency of Media Bed Replacement

Shutting down a reactor to replace media beds of down-flow reactors is necessary for maintaining maximum productivity and production efficiency in many refining processes.

During the turn-around, process efficiency and worker safety are paramount to minimizing costs and returning the line back into production as quickly as possible. The protocols called out by Government and Industry Safety Standards and Regulations for workers entering the confined space are rigorous because the environment is often volatile and frequently changes due to off-gassing from the spent media. The risks to workers and companies are significant when removing the internals, and extracting the spent catalyst. These risks and must be mitigated through careful planning and highly trained personnel following strict protocols to ensure the turnaround if efficient. Mistakes and accidents can be costly to both workers and the company.

This session will explore how new innovative internal screen designs reduce the need for confined space entry and streamline the process for removing media from downflow reactors using hold-down screens.

By employing new hold-down screen innovations from Johnson Screens, Process Engineers and operators can reduce turnaround times and costs by reducing the need for confined space entry at the beginning of a turn-around and thereby improving worker safety and reducing risk to the company.