METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING COKING GROWTH AND MALDISTRIBUTION IN REFINERY EQUIPMENT

摘要

Systems and methods for detecting coking in a wash bed of a vacuum pipe still with a sensing cable including an optical fiber sensor array aligned with a heating element disposed in the vessel. An optical signal interrogator is configured to measure a first temperature profile at a plurality of sensor locations to determine a flow distribution. An excitation source is configured to propagate at least one heat pulse through the heating element and the optical signal interrogator is configured to measure a second temperature profile corresponding to the heat pulse at the sensor locations. A control unit is configured to detect coking by determining one or more properties of the media exposed to the sensing cable at each of the plurality of sensor locations based on the second temperature profile corresponding thereto.

主权项

1. A method for detecting coking in a wash bed of a vacuum pipe still, comprising:
providing within a vacuum pipe still a sensing cable including an optical fiber sensor array aligned with a heating element; measuring a first temperature profile of the sensing cable at a plurality of sensor locations; determining a flow distribution of fluids within the vacuum pipe still by identifying a first set of sensor locations of the sensing cable exposed to vapor and a second set of sensor locations of the sensing cable exposed to liquid based on the first temperature profile; propagating at least one heat pulse through the heating element along at least a portion of the sensing cable to affect an exchange of thermal energy between the heating element and media, including the fluids, exposed to the sensing cable; measuring, over time, at least a second temperature profile of the sensing cable corresponding to the heat pulse at each of the plurality of sensor locations of the optical fiber sensor array; and detecting coking by determining one or more properties of the media exposed to the sensing cable at each of the plurality of sensor locations based on the second temperature profile corresponding thereto.