(44m) Design of a Steam Condensate Waste Processing System and Creative Reuse of the Condensate in the Oil Refinery
AIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process Safety
2023
2023 Spring Meeting and 19th Global Congress on Process Safety
Topical 16: Petrochemicals
Poster Session: Fuels and Petrochemicals Division
Monday, March 13, 2023 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm
The condensate produced from the steam users in an oil refinery was considered waste due to concerns over solid depositions in the heat exchangers and potential leaks from the process side. A creative way of recovering condensate and ways to use in different applications within the refinery is illustrated in this poster. Firstly, three levels of condensate were identified based on pressure of the steam. Those are high, medium, and low pressure condensate. High and medium pressure condensate were flashed in two different pressure vessels, and 150 psig and 50 psig steam is recovered. Recovered steam is recycled back to the steam network. The condensate produced from the 150 psig flash drum is fed to the 50 psig flash drum along with the medium pressure condensate from the source. The net recovered low pressure condensate from the 50 psig flash drum is pumped to utility stations, some low duty requirement users in the refinery, and for maintaining warm temperatures around storage tanks. The net condensate after some degree of cooling is further cooled through an air cooler to near ambient temperature, and further pumped into the cooling tower basin as a partial cooling tower make-up. Recycle of condensate generated additional steam for the refinery as a byproduct and also reduced make-up water cost for the cooling tower.