Optimización energética de las unidades de tratamiento de aguas amargas, mediante la reducción del consumo de vapor en Refinería Estatal Esmeraldas.

Abstract

The bitter water treatment units were optimized energetically by reducing steam consumption at the state-owned Esmeraldas refinery. For this purpose, two proposals were proposed: The first consisted of operating the complete heat exchanger train; while, the second was based on the implementation of a spillback and a three-way valve in the pump around. To the determination of the most viable proposal, the analysis focused on the following aspects: Technical, environmental and economic, with a deductive logic methodology. During the development of proposal 1, the continuous-efficient operation time of the preheating train was estimated; through the behavior of the global coefficient of heat transfer (U) over time. Whereas, in proposal N° 2, the three-way valve was simulated in the pump around, by means of a line exiting the tray 7 from stripper and reentering by the tray 1. It was calculated that the continuous efficient operation time for units Z1 and Z3 is 6 and 9 months; with a rate of steam consumption 42,378 and 44,228 points less tha the current. This represents an economic saving to the company of 70281,89 and 163790,13 dollars respectively. On the other hand, proposal 2 generated a saving of 93963,41 and 132051,71 dollars, because of a consumption rate of 152,253 and 200,993 Kg/m3 in the plants Z1 and Z3 respectively. It was determined that proposal 1 is the most viable from the technical, environmental and economic point of view. It is recommended to implement the spillback as a means of protection for the oversized pumps around of the Z3 unit.