CR3 Eco-Hydrodrilling

Описание: We frequently encounter coked, fused or agglomerated catalysts, especially with resid desulphurisation units. Conventional unloading methods rely on jackhammers or tank cleaning heads to remove the fused catalyst, which increases the risks to personnel and reactor internals. Inefficient hydro-blasting solutions also generate large amounts of wastewater, which is problematic and costly.

CR3’s Eco-Hydrodrilling process combines drilling and hydro-blasting technology to remove virtually all of the fused catalyst in the reactor without having to enter the vessel. This ecological and economic solution consumes substantially less water than other techniques as all water is treated and recycled in a proprietary closed-loop system and maintains the integrity of the internal components as no mechanical equipment is used during the process.

The process begins by clearing a path through the spent catalyst by drilling down from the top and hydro-lancing up from the bottom at the same time. Once a clear path has been achieved, different drilling nozzles are used to remove the remainder of the spent catalyst, which is flushed out from the bottom dump nozzle.
In certain multi-bed reactor designs, we can drill straight through the inter-bed plate between the top and bottom beds, allowing all the spent catalyst from both beds to be discharged through the bottom dump nozzle in a single step.

The spent catalyst exiting the dump nozzle feeds into a spiral classifier, which drains the water from the spent catalyst before it drops into UN-approved containers. Commercially proven, our Eco-Hydrodrilling technology is safer, faster, and more environmentally friendly than conventional unloading methods. Virtually all the fused catalyst can be unloaded without having to enter the vessel, thereby reducing risk to personnel. The unloading can be carried out under normal atmospheric conditions, as the water helps to passivate the spent catalyst.

Catalyst replacement schedules are reduced significantly due to faster reactor cooldown times combined with higher and more consistent unloading rates, meaning the entire change-out duration can be guaranteed. This all adds up to a substantially more effective, efficient, and sustainable solution that delivers increased value and lower overall costs to our clients.

Contact your local CR3 representative to discuss how we can support your next catalyst change-out. CR3 is committed to offering the most comprehensive maintenance services. Visit CR3.Group for more information.