CAT CRACKER
Mike:
On our FCU wet gas
compressor, we have an orifice plate that operates from 0” to 100” of water DP.
The flow is typically high. The meter reads full scale – at an orifice plate DP
of 95” H2O, or 3½ psi pressure drop. As the compressor suction
pressure is only 3 psig, it seems to me that we are wasting a lot of compressor
capacity on that orifice plate. What do you suggest? Also, high compressor
suction pressure backs air out of the regenerator.
Norm:
Eliminate the
orifice plate. Use the vapor outlet nozzles of the upstream K.O. drum, as a
restriction orifice. Measure the DP between the drum and the compressor
suction. You can back-calculate the “orifice” coefficient based on the unit
material balance. I’ll show you how to do this, if you send me the operating
data. Looks like you can increase compressor capacity by about 10%, with zero
investment cost.
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