Steam Generation from Hot Oil
Steam Generation from Hot Oil
(OP)
One of our units has a considerable amount of waste heat available in a product stream (at 530F+) coming off a column bottoms. It is proposed to generate 350psi steam using this stream. I initially envisioned a kettle type boiler, but have others suggesting that this needs to be a drum & thermosyphon. If anyone has direct experience, what is the recommended equipment to do this?





RE: Steam Generation from Hot Oil
RE: Steam Generation from Hot Oil
If you want to exploit the available heat you'd probably consider, at least, a 200oF drop in temperature. This would bring your hot stream down to 330oF. The generated saturated steam would then be at say 320oF which corresponds to about 90 psia, not 350 psia as planned.
I've seen PDA (propane deasphalting) unit designs with the asphalt stream cooled by producing LP steam by a drop in temperature from 500oF down to 325F in a kettle-type boiler. Of course, the lowest asphalt temperature was dictated by its viscosity and pumpability.
RE: Steam Generation from Hot Oil
Thanks for all interest. At this point I am soliciting experience about the actual equipment to generate the steam from hot oil such as the PDA description given. My hot oil is essentually kerosene. We generate steam in several of my units via steam drum circulating systems (ethylene cracking furnace effluent, stack gas heat recovery systems, etc.). I want to know if a circulating system is also recommended for hot oil recovery or if a simple kettle is appropriate.
RE: Steam Generation from Hot Oil
The steam generation was under pressure control, the BFW fed under LLC. All streams were provided with flow, pressure and temperature recorders. These were units providing 1.5*106 kcal/h, about half the duty you are planning to get.
RE: Steam Generation from Hot Oil
Besides, one small point: external level indicators won't show the true boiling water level, because bubbling boiling water may have a density about half of the "static" water inside the level measuring instrument.