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Coker Tube Metal Temperature (TMT) Issues Making You Red Hot?

Knife Edge TMT ExampleIf you have worked around a delayed coker unit for any amount of time, you have heard some of the debates around fired heater fouling and tube metal temperature (TMT) as measured by welded on thermocouples. During our Coker Process, Design, and Troubleshooting training course, this topic comes up repeatedly with surprising variation across the industry.  Let’s talk about a few DO’s and DON’Ts when it comes to this measurement.

Talk to your local TMT vendor, like Daily Thermetrics and Gayesco as a start, about their technology, especially if the TMTs are failing regularly.

There is much more to be said about this topic and it can all be heard at any of the RefComm® conferences and training events each year. Safety concerns for tube overheating and rupture is a very real concern. Not to mention some monetary gains possible through crude, reduced down time, and higher yields related to optimization. Take a hard look at the data coming from your TMTs and their installation in the firebox.  You will be surprised at what you might learn.

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Posted by: Evan Hyde

Evan Hyde is the director of field services for Coking.com. He previously was president of C2 Nano Technology where they researched surface treatments to combat fouling & corrosion issues in cokers & other petrochemical process units. He was a Senior Engineering Advisor for Becht Engineering Co., Inc. and has consulted on processing improvement and reliability initiatives for coking clients around the world. Prior to joining Becht, Evan worked for ExxonMobil Research and Engineering, as a process engineer, with assignments in research, and troubleshooting for heavy oil upgrading equipment. He holds a B.S. of Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

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