• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.675-680
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• 2002

Cracking and bulging in welded and internally lined pressure vessels that work in thermal-mechanical cycling service have been well known problems in the petrochemical, power and nuclear industries. However, published literature and industry surveys show that similar problems have been occurring during the last 50 years. A better understanding of the causes of cracking and bulging causes is needed to improve the reliability of these pressure vessels. This study attempts to add information required for increasing the knowledge and fundamental understanding required. Typical examples of this problem are the coke drums in the delayed coking units refinery process. This case was selected for experimental work, field study and results comparison. Delayed coking units are among the refinery units that have higher economical yields. To shut down these units represents a high negative economical impact in refinery operations. Also, the maintenance costs associated with repairs are commonly very high. Cracking and bulging occurrences in the coke drums, most often at the weld areas, characterize the history of the operation of delayed coking units. To design and operate more robust coke drums with fewer problems, an improved metallurgical understanding of the cracking and bulging mechanisms is required. A methodology that is based field experience revision and metallurgical analyses for the screening of the most important variables, and subsequent finite element analyses to verify hypotheses and to rank the variables according to their impact on the coke drum lives has been developed. This indicated approach provides useful information for increasing coke drum reliability. The results of this work not only order the most important variables according to their impact in the life of the vessels, but also permit estimation of the life spans of coke drums. In conclusion, the current work shows that coke drums may fail as a combination of thermal fatigue and other degradation mechanisms such as: corrosion at high and low temperatures, detrimental metallurgical transformations and plastic deformation. It was also found that FEA is a very valuable tool for understanding cracking and bulging mechanisms in these services and for ranking the design, fabrication, operation and maintenance variables that affect coke drum reliability.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2011

Corrosion at the top of a distillation column is a common problem in refineries and chemical plants. In particular, severe damage has been inflicted in refineries by corrosive materials such as hydrogen sulfide and chlorine. Therefore, the mechanism of the corrosion occurring at the top of a distillation column has been analyzed, and a model for forecasting the corrosion rate has been developed. Four major materials were selected for modeling: $H_2S$, $CO_2$, $H^+$ and $Cl^-$. These were selected by taking into consideration their effect on the corrosion rate. Studies on the transport phenomenon and reaction engineering for this model were carried out, and the reliability of the model was verified on the basis of the data measured at a real refinery.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1991.10b
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• pp.1879-1882
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• 1991

Kalman Filter application to model predictive control is discussed. Most of refinery and petrochemical processes contain uncertainties in their output. Simplified state estimation algorithm is merged to model predictive control to improve overall control accuracy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Operations and Management Science Society Conference
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• 1993.04a
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• pp.109-118
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• 1993

This paper describes the management of knowledge base and optimization models using knowledge-assisted optimization model formulation system UNIK-OPT (UNIfied Knowledge-OPTimization). We will illustrate UNIK-OPT with the case of production scheduling in refinery.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.324-326
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• 2007

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2002.03a
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• pp.73-87
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• 2002

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.1080-1088
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• 2008

This paper addresses some concerns faced by the shipping industry nowadays. Initially, the environmental issues were resolved and stricter regulations are now being implemented with regards to the exhaust gas, specifically nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx), emitted from ships. Secondly, with the increasing and unstable cost of fuel oils in the world market, it has become almost a necessity to explore on a new alternative fuel. Hence, this study was conducted. An experiment was carried-out on a fishing survey vessel with the main engine (M/E) and generator engine (G/E) operated on expensive marine gas oil (MGO). During the experiment, two pre-refinery systems were installed and different fuel oil samples were employed for the M/E and the G/E. Furthermore, the NOx emission and soot concentration were monitored and verified. The results confirmed the compatibility of some fuel oil types to the engines and meeting the emission standards. MDO, MF15 and Bunker A can be used in place of MGO for the engines(M/E, G/E).

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.112-119
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• 2007

This paper presents the importance of corrosion control and protection technology with a real case study of heater tube rupture damaged by High temperature H2S-H2 corrosion in the refinery. The heater was operated at the Hydrocracking unit and the operation temperature and pressure was $340^{\circ}C$ and $18kg/cm^{3}$ respectively. Top side of the convection tube was thinned by high temperature hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen gas as a uniform corrosion and finally ruptured under operation pressure. Damaged area (Convection tube zone) was blocked by protection wall, so it was impossible to inspect with conventional nondestructive examination. Instead the elbow area which is out of the protection wall was inspected regularly to evaluate the corrosion rate of convection tube indirectly. However the operation temperature and the phase of the process stream was different between inside the chamber and outside the chamber. As a result, it caused severe corrosion to the horizontal convection tube inside the chamber comparing to the elbow outside the chamber. Finally convection tube was corroded more rapidly than the elbow and ruptured after 13 years operation. Because of the rupture, the heater was totally burned and the operation was stopped for 3 months until it has been reconstructed. To prevent this kind of corrosion problem and accident, corrosion control should be strengthened and protection technology should be improved.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.325-330
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• 2002

In this study, the biochemical role of genetic polymorphism in modulating urinary excretion of benzene metabolite as phenol level has been investigated in 90 workers exposed to benzene in the petroleum refinery plant of Korea. The mean concentration of volatile benzene in the refinery environment was 0.042 mg/㎥ (SD, 0.069) and that of urinary phenol was 7.42 mg/g creatinine (SD, 11.3). The frequencies of CYP2E1 genotypes, namely CYP2E1$^*1$/$^*1$, CYP2E1$^*1$/$^*2$ and CYP2E1$^*2$/$^*2$ were 2.2% (2 subjects), 6.7% (G subjects) and 91.1% (85 subjects), respectively, and allele frequencies for CYP2E1$^*1$ and CYP2E1$^*2$ were 0.06 and 0.94. The airborne benzene concentration was significantly related to the concentration of phenol in urine (r = 0.640, p < 0.01). The urinary phenol level was significantly correlated with CYP2E1$^*2$/$^*2$ (r = 0.590, p < 0.05). The various biological (i.e. age and liver function parameters) or lifestyle factors (i.e. medication, smoking, alcohol and coffee intake), also taken into account as potential confounders, did not influence the correlation found. These results suggested that CYP2E1 genotypes might play an important role in the metabolism of benzene.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.337-345
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• 2005

The degradation of phenanthrene, a model PAH compound, by microorganisms either in the mixed culture or individual strain, isolated from oil-contaminated soil in oil refmery vicinity sites, was examined. The effects of pH, temperature, initial concentration of phenanthrene, and the addition of carbon sources on biodegradation potential were also investigated. Results showed that soil samples collected from four oil refinery sites in Korea had different degrees of PAH contamination and different indigenous phenanthrene-degrading microorganisms. The optimal conditions for phenanthrene biodegradation were determined to be 30$^{circ}C$ and pH 7.0. A significantly positive relationship was observed between the microbial growth and the rate of phenanthrene degradation. However, the phenanthrene biodegradation capability of the mixed culture was not related to the degree of PAH contamination in soil. In low phenanthrene concentration, the growth and biodegradation rates of the mixed cultures did not increase over those of the individual strain, especially IC10. High concentration of phenanthrene inhibited the growth of microbial strains and biodegradation of phenanthrene, but was less inhibitory on the mixed culture. Finally, when non-ionic surfactants such as Brij 30 and Brij 35 were present at the level above critical micelle concentrations (CMCs), phenanthrene degradation was completely inhibited and delayed by the addition of Triton X100 and Triton N101.