Tracerco Diagnostics. Services for the Ethanol Industry

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1 Tracerco Diagnostics Services for the Ethanol Industry

2 Online Process Diagnostics For The Ethanol Industry Tracerco is a global technology leader in the development and application of a wide range of diagnostic measurement solutions to resolve process industry problems. Tracerco Process Diagnostics Tracerco services keep process systems online, diagnose processing problems or optimize operational parameters allowing customers to maximize product output at minimum cost. The power of the technology is in its ability to see through vessel walls allowing us to determine what is happening inside a particular process system without the need to shut down, essentially providing insight onsite. Our most common applications include mass transfer diagnostics, pipe system blockage detection, liquid and solids level measurement, vacuum system leak detection, heat exchanger leak testing and flow rate measurement. Troubleshooting Our technology can be rapidly deployed using experienced staff in our global network of bases. In the USA and Canada we have a number of operational bases located close to customers allowing the most responsive service. Equipped with information provided by Tracerco, our customers are able to implement the correct solution to their production problem quickly and with minimum disruption to their operations. Understanding Tower Scanning TRU-SCAN and Tru-Grid Scan applications are most often used and offer a reliable, quick, and economical diagnostic tool to reveal operating conditions such as flooding, entrainment, foaming, weeping, tray and packing damage, and liquid maldistribution. Tracerco s patent pending FrothView technology measures the useful capacity of trays in separation towers such as beer columns, side stripper and rectifier columns. The measured total froth height and knowledge of the tray spacing provides the percentage of tray space occupied by tray froth and remaining tray capacity. This can be related directly to operational engineering design to assure optimal performance is obtained. PackView technology derives a liquid retention scale, expressed in density units, to provide a quantitative measurement of the liquid distribution through packed beds in columns. This can be compared to design packing density to accurately determine a number of packed bed performance issues. Pre-Shutdown Planning Using Tracerco to diagnose a problem allows maintenance and production planners to focus on the specific problem, acquire required materials, and prepare before the system is shutdown. Scheduling measurements before a turnaround can provide valuable information to assist with managing turnaround cost and time. Process systems with a history of fouling or tray damage benefit from pre-shutdown scans to verify the need to order tower internals and avoid tray manufacturer s emergency charges. They can also be used to plan and monitor wash chemicals used to purge solids from a system. Baseline Planning Baseline scans provide a valuable reference that can be used to identify and monitor operating performance in a column over time. A baseline scan establishes a reference point, a historical marker for column performance. A baseline scan should be performed when the column is clean, known to be in good mechanical shape, and operating with no known problems. The data from a baseline scan enhances future scan sensitivity allowing more subtle operational changes to be determined.

3 Applying 50 Years of Troubleshooting Process Problems Online and in Rea 1 Trayed Tower Diagnostics TRU-SCAN technology, utilizing FrothView, is used to evaluate the mechanical integrity and hydraulic performance of trayed columns by measuring the total or true froth height on tray decks and liquid back-up in downcomers. Damaged or missing trays, plugged downcomers, feed issues, and tray fouling are examples of problems with columns that can be diagnosed with a TRU-SCAN with fouling a commonly determined issue in the ethanol industry. 2 3 CO 2 scrubber TRU-SCAN technology is used in Beer, Side Stripper and Rectifier Columns to: Determine presence and extent of foaming and fouling. 6 Evaluation of tray froth heights to compare to design criteria using FrothView analysis. Detect tray damage and flooding. Fermented Mash Detect mechanical, rate or process related problems. 1 Beer column Steam Additional Process Diagnostic Services Provided: 3 ThruVision Scan Applications A ThruVision scan generates a high resolution cross-sectional density profile of the inside of a process system. This can be a packed distillation column or piping where flow distribution of the process fluids or solids is vital to performance. The technique is most easily explained by visualizing a scan at a fixed elevation. ThruVision scans can identify liquid maldistribution, fouling and identify integrity problems. 4 Tracerco Diagnostics Leak Study Leaks in a heat exchanger usually result in off-specification material being produced. If the system has a bank or group of exchangers then it is very difficult to identify which one(s) is leaking using laboratory sample analysis alone. The use of tracer materials offers a rapid and unambiguous online method for detecting leaks within heat exchangers and flow line valves. This can greatly reduce plant down time and yield savings in maintenance costs.

4 Experience to Solve Your Ethanol l Time Rectifier column 1 Vacuum pump 5 Ethanol 2 Packed Tower Diagnostics A Tru-Grid Scan is a cost effective method of identifying liquid maldistribution and other problems affecting packed column performance. PackView analysis, a unqiue method developed by Tracerco using enhanced detection and analysis software, displays a secondary density scale or packing retention scale through beds of packing. The retention scale shows the reference density for the dry packing with additional measured density from liquid flow (retention) through the packing. Any discrepancy from design can be rapidly determined. Tru-Grid Scan technology is applied to the CO 2 Stripper and Rectifier Columns to: Verify placement of packed beds, distributors and collectors. Evaluate the quality of liquid phase distribution using PackView analysis. 1 Side stripper Detect problems such as fouled or crushed packing, overflowing distributors and collector trays, as well as flooding or foaming. 5 Helium Leak Study Tracerco offers online testing of vacuum systems using our helium leak study application. For vacuum systems, locations of air ingress can be identified while online. 6 Tracerco Diagnostics Pipe Scan Tracerco Diagnostics Pipe Scan technology offers a non-invasive method of examining the contents of a pipe to determine solids build-up, slugging of process materials and the confirmation of liquid carry over or gas carry under. A Tracerco Diagnostics Scan can be used to quickly identify the amount and location of solids build-up or fouling that restricts process fluid or vapor flow in process piping. 7 Tracerco Diagnostics Flow Study Unique tracers provide flow rate measurements through sections of piping, existing flow meters, measure flow rates where no meters exist, and investigate the flow distribution through piping networks such as utility headers.

5 Tracerco Ethanol Process Solutions Helping to understand and identify process problems before they reach a critical point. Data obtained from Tracerco services can provide valuable insight when critical process equipment is experiencing problems and producing off-spec product. Based on the results provided, you will be able to identify the best course of action to correct the problem in the least amount of time saving valuable process system downtime. A few examples of how Tracerco services can help ethanol customers understand what is happening inside their process include: Monitor and detect fouling in a packed column to help evaluate liquid maldistribution to avoid a process upset. By monitoring the progress of a fouling process or other type of deteriorating condition you can plan for remedial action before the condition gets outof-hand. Detecting process issues such as flooding in trayed columns that may have been perceived as tray damage. Determining the exact location and cause of flooding, allowing customers to choose the best course of action to alleviate the problem. Monitor and evaluate the performance of chemical washes. Tracerco encourages plant personnel to request a technical presentation at your site to increase awareness of any and all available technologies. A one hour lunch and learn presentation is the most requested format from our customers. If you are interested in finding out more about our technologies or would like to receive a technical presentation agenda please contact a Tracerco representative in your area or visit our website at tracerco.com. Isolating the source of fugitive flare flow either on a unit or equipment level which can provide a substantial savings to the plant, ensure regulatory compliance and reduce or eliminate the loss of valuable process material.

6 Tracerco s operational offices across the world Tracerco Offices Agency Offices A worldwide network of agents and service partners enable Tracerco to deliver its products and services to our customers anywhere in the world, while still retaining the important aspect of local service. For further details please contact: North American Headquarters: 4106 New West Drive Pasadena, TX USA Tel: Fax: Toll Free: Field Office Locations: Corpus Christi, TX USA Tel: Concord, CA USA Tel: Paramount, CA USA Tel: Newark, DE USA Tel: Merrillville, IN USA Tel: Baton Rouge, LA USA Tel: West Valley City, UT USA Tel: Edmonton, AB, T6E 6A6 CANADA Tel: Calgary, AB, T2Y 2Z7 CANADA Tel: Sarnia, ON, N7S 5G5 CANADA Tel: Rio de Janerio, RJ, Brasil, CEP Tel: tracerco@tracerco.com 2015 Johnson Matthey Group XM1218/0/0