Sour water stripper satbilization tank
Sour water stripper satbilization tank
(OP)
Hi everybody,
In some articles a stabilization tank for sour water stripperes is recommended. Could anybody give suggession(s) for the following questions:
1) Justifications and references for stabilization tank installation.
2) What would be an optimum residence time in this tank (in economic and separation points of view)? Why?
Thanks
In some articles a stabilization tank for sour water stripperes is recommended. Could anybody give suggession(s) for the following questions:
1) Justifications and references for stabilization tank installation.
2) What would be an optimum residence time in this tank (in economic and separation points of view)? Why?
Thanks





RE: Sour water stripper satbilization tank
As you suggest, a feed tank will also give you a polishing level of feed stabilization. Plenty of skim points and a design to avoid short circuiting are a must. A good tank will help to break some emulsions that may be too tight for upstream separators and protect downstream units from upsets. Again, just a rule of thumb I've heard is 24 hours of residence time with the tank operated at 60% level.
If the downstream acid gas handling unit is a Claus plant, then a storage tank can give you something of a capacity play if the Claus plant capacity is ever limiting. Building sour water in the tank to runback later can provide Claus plant peak shaving capability.
Ultimately, your sour water source and potential comtaminants should play into your feed tank decision. Is this water from a wellhead facility, gas plant, refinery etc? What do you expect in the water that may foul a tower when you boil it and strip it? How much extra capacity is built into your stripper? How expensive is an outage?
This link covers some of the basics of sour water handling if you're interested.
http:/
Good luck,
Jason
RE: Sour water stripper satbilization tank
One further thing is that a buffer tank will stabilize the composition of the sour process water.
In an oil refinery there is often a lot of variations in the compostion. This means that without buffer tank, you should regularly check the effluent of the stripper and adjust the operating conditions, which you do not do in actual practice.
The buffer tank would allow you to design your SWS for the average composition and not for the peak.
Regards
Egbert van Hoorn
Amine Experts
RE: Sour water stripper satbilization tank
Whether the stabilization tank has a fixed or a floating roof it has been recommended to keep about two feet of hydrocarbons floating on top of the sour water for odor reduction. Hydrocrabons should be removed before emptying the tank, to prevent them from entering the SWS.
Fixed conical roof tanks may require N2 blanketing for for complete odor control and prevent the formation of explosive mixtures.
RE: Sour water stripper satbilization tank
Route the vent through a small amine absorber using lean amine from the refinery's main amine unit and returning rich amine to same main amine unit.
Milton Beychok
(Visit me at www.air-dispersion.com)
.
RE: Sour water stripper satbilization tank
RE: Sour water stripper satbilization tank
To the best of my knowledge, it has not been a problem. Do you have info otherwise?
Milton Beychok
(Visit me at www.air-dispersion.com)
.