A Successful Strategy for Managing the Mechanical Integrity of Coke Drums
A novel approach to mechanical integrity was utilized for addressing failures in an old set of coke drums. Using a rigorous routine of inspections, assessments, and long-term repairs, drums which had suffered accelerated deterioration, unpredicted cracks, and loss of containment were transformed to a reliable set of vessels. Despite old age and thin walls, due to the success of this strategy and results of a fatigue test program, plans to replace these vessels were canceled and the time between turnarounds is being considered for an increase. In this paper, we describe the approach that was used and compare results from this set of drums to another set at the same facility that was managed differently.