ADVANCES

IN
DELAYED COKER UNIT
BY

SHISHUPAL CHOUDHARY, AGM (S&ME-1)

INTRODUCTION
Since year 2000, the technology in delayed coking unit has changed drastically. Several developments had
been carried out in the years before, but only small advancements had been achieved in relation to safety,
performance and reliability. Recently in combination with the development of automatic top and bottom
valves, automatic drilling/cutting tools and hoist drivers have high performance cutting systems and realised
large improvements in safety, performance and reliability.
EVOLUTION OF HYDRAULIC DECOKING SYSTEM

PNEUMATIC HYDRAULIC ELECTRIC

VERSION VERSION VERSION

Over decades, the hoists and rotary joints have been driven by compressed air with pneumatic motors.
Performance was approximately 30HP (22 kW) for the Hoist and 13HP (10kW) for the Rotary Joint (also
called Drill Stem Drive, DSD). But air motors have a high noise level and oil
spraying due to lubricated air.
As coke drum size becomes bigger
and bigger, the requirement of higher
performance of hoist and DSD were
needed. To meet these higher
performance requirement and also to
avoid the problem associated with
pneumatic motor such as noise and
environmental pollution, Hydraulic
version of Decoking system came into
existence.
FIG 1: HOIST (ELEC) FIG 2: DSD (ELEC)
With the further increase in size of
drums and jet pumps, the present trend is moving towards electric version of Hoist (Fig-1)and Drill Stem
Drive (DSD) (Fig-2). To meet the varying power and torque requirement, motors of Hoist and DSD are VFD
driven.
EVOLUTION OF TOP & BOTTOM UNHEADING SYSTEM

TOTALLY TOTALLY
SWING AWAY ENCLOSED & ENCLOSED &
DESIGN FULLY AUTO. FULLY AUTO.
(HYD. VERSION) (ELEC. VERSION)
Similarly, Top and Bottom Unheading systems have also undergone through several evolution stages. The
oldest version was Swing away type(Fig-3) which was not only complex to operate but also poses risk and
safety hazard to operator.
Thereafter, new innovative design, much improved upon its
predecessor, came into existence. The new design have
safety features such as totally enclosed and fully automatic
(Fig-4). This design eliminated all the risks and hazards
involved in working with swing away design. As this valve
initially uses hydraulic actuators to open and close the
valve, there is an inherent disadvantages associated with

FIG 3: SWING AWAY

the hydraulic version. Erection of hydraulic piping/tubing is time consuming. There is always risk of leakage
of hydraulic oil during operation. In-spite of best maintenance practice adopted by refinery, one will always
find hydraulic fluids splashed on the switch deck and cutting deck, which again put the operator working on
these decks at risk.
To obviate the above problems, manufacturers of unheading valve have switched to electric version of the
FIG 4: TOTALLY
same. Electric version is simple to install, easy to operate, no slippage ENCLOSED
of oil, easy toAND FULLY and
monitor AUTOautomate.
DESIGN As
layout of switch deck and cutting deck is very cramped,
installation of electric version further help in making floors layout
better and operator friendly.
REMOTE COKE CUTTING
Remote coke cutting operation is the future. Since Hydraulic
Decoking Operation from cutting deck is always considered as
risky and hazard to operator, there is recommendation from safety
council for remote coke cutting, which means that cutting deck to
be made completely man-free. This essentially necessitates the
requirement of remote coke cutting. To assist remote coke cutting,
modern DCU has come up with several path breaking solutions as
listed below:

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 Electric operated hoisting machine and drill stem driveCoke drum monitoring which includes:
Audio System (Fig-5)to listen cutting noise
Vibration System (Fig-6) to more accurately track cutting status FIG 5: AUDIO SYSTEM
Visual System (Fig-7) to monitor equipment location and status

The electric operated hoisting machine, drill stem drive and

unheading valves facilitate the ability to control the decoking
system remotely and obviate the leakage of oil and presence
of manpower for hydraulic oil filling in case it is hydraulic
operated.
Installation of above helps to achieve objective of installing
remote coke cutting. Though these are newer concepts, but
few refineries have already gone for such recommendation
and implemented while many more refineries are certainly
thinking in this direction and if not now they are keeping
provision for extension of remote coke cutting in future. One
of the example is recent installation of DCU of IREP kochi,
where future provision for remote coke cutting operation has
been kept.
FIG 6: VIBRATION SYSTEM
Now time has come to fully adopt the remote coke
cutting operation.
Below picture is from plant in USA where Client
has already gone for remote coke cutting system
(Fig-8) and operator shelter is placed on grade
level instead of cutting deck and thus minimizing
the potential of operator getting to exposed coke
cutting operation hazards.

FIG 7: VIDEO MONITORING SYSTEM

FIG 8: REMOTE COKE CUTTING OPERATOR SHELTER

CURRENT STATUS OF INSTALLATIONS IN INDIAN REFINERY:

Sl. Plant Year of Type of Hyd Type of Top Type of Remarks
No. Installation Decoking Unheading Bottom
System Valve Unheading
Valve
1. HMEL, Bathinda 2010 Electric Electric Hydraulic Commissione
d
2. BPCL-Kochi 2016 Electric Electric Hydraulic To be
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 commissioned
very soon
3. IOCL-Barauni 2016 Electric Electric Hydraulic To be
commissioned
very soon
4. BORL-Bina Yet to Install Electric Electric Electric At
procurement
stage

The first breakthrough for new technology in India came for HMEL, it was HMEL who took the brave
decision to go for the same and paving way for others refineries. HMEL installation was commissioned in
2012 without any major problems and since running smoothly. For HMEL and IOCL-Barauni Plant,
Hydraulic decoking systems were supplied by Ruhrpumpen and Unheading valves by Z&J. Whereas, for
BPCL-Kochi plant, Hydraulic decoking system was supplied by Flowserve and Unheading valves by
Deltavalve.

There are two DCUs (MRPL and CPCL) which came after the HMEL plant but opted for hydraulic version of
coke cutting and unheading system and not the electric one. The main reason for the same was that process
package of these two plants were quite old(probably older than HMEL) and was based on hydraulic version.
Though MRPL were told the benefits of electric version, but nondicisiveness from the Clients side did not
allow the electric version to take off. EIL being LSTK contractor for CPCL project, we followed the process
package and did not make any attempt to convince the Client/PMC to go for electric version because it is
slightly costlier than the hydraulic version.

SUMMARY
By adopting the latest advancements made in hydraulic decoking system and Unheading system, Plant Owner
will certainly benefit in following ways:
Mechanical erection of electric version is much simpler, faster and less time consuming than
corresponding hydraulic version
It is much easier to automate the plant with Electric version
Personnel safety is more with electric version due to elimination of oil spillage/leakage
Improved layout of switch deck and cutting deck
Remote coke cutting making cutting deck completely man-free.
Indian Refineries have, so far, partially adopted the recent advancements made in these areas, but considering
the numerous merits as cited above, it is strongly recommended to adopt these new technologies in all our
future DCUs. And the best way to adopt these new advances is to convince the licensor in the initial stage of
process package review. Based on past experience, if these new technologies are not adopted during Process
package finalisation, it is very difficult to change the mind of Client and take decision against the finalized
process package at later stage calling for major change in the PDS and P&ID. This update on new advances
will hopefully help PMC/Client to select the more advanced and better technology in all future refinery
projects.

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