US 11,754,338 B2
Method to detect tube leakage in shell and tube thermosiphon reboilers
Haider A. Bashir, Abqaiq (SA); Mubarak F. Al-Rashid, Khobar (SA); and Omar A. Dubayan, Abqaiq (SA)
Assigned to SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Mar. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/196,811.
Prior Publication US 2022/0290920 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. G01M 3/28 (2006.01); F25J 3/02 (2006.01)
CPC F25J 3/0295 (2013.01) [G01M 3/2846 (2013.01); F25J 2280/50 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated method of detecting tube leakage in a shell and tube thermosiphon reboiler used to drive a fractionating column, the method comprising:
controlling, by a control circuit using process data, a fractionating process in the fractionating column using the shell and tube thermosiphon reboiler, the process data comprising:
a flow rate of feedstock input to the column, as monitored by a feedstock input flow rate monitor;
a position of a feedstock input valve for controlling the feedstock input flow rate, as monitored by a feedstock input valve position monitor;
a position of a heating fluid input valve for controlling a flow rate of heating fluid input to a tube side of the reboiler, as monitored by a heating fluid input valve position monitor,
a flow rate of the heating fluid output from the tube side of the reboiler, as monitored by a heating fluid output flow rate monitor;
a temperature of bottoms fluid input to a shell side of the reboiler, as monitored by a bottoms fluid input temperature monitor; and
a temperature of the bottoms fluid output from the shell side of the reboiler, as monitored by a bottoms fluid output temperature monitor;
continuously receiving, by the control circuit, the monitored feedstock input valve position and feedstock input flow rate;
continuously determining, by the control circuit using the received feedstock input valve position and feedstock input flow rate, that the column is in service or not in service;
continuously receiving, by the control circuit, the monitored heating fluid input valve position and heating fluid output flow rate;
continuously determining, by the control circuit using the received heating fluid input valve position, that the shell and tube thermosiphon reboiler is inactive or active;
continuously determining, by the control circuit using the received heating fluid output flow rate, that the reboiler is losing or not losing the heating fluid;
continuously receiving, by the control circuit, the monitored bottoms fluid input temperature and bottoms fluid output temperature;
continuously determining, by the control circuit using the received bottoms fluid input temperature and bottoms fluid output temperature, that the reboiler is heat exchanging or not heat exchanging;
continuously determining, by the control circuit, that the tube leakage in the reboiler is taking place when the column is determined to be in service, the reboiler is determined to be inactive, the reboiler is determined to be losing the heating fluid, and the reboiler is determined to be heat exchanging, and is not taking place otherwise; and
generating an alert, by the control circuit, when the tube leakage in the reboiler is determined to be taking place.