Emissions, safety, and workforce dynamics all are of importance to ethylene producers all over the world. But perhaps two of the foremost concerns are regarding efficiency and cost reduction.
Custody transfer and optimized steam-to-hydrocarbon ratio have been particularly improved with the implementation of Micro Motion technologies, resulting in an extended measurement partnership that has proven able to deliver better ethylene operations.
Optimizing the Steam-to-Hydrocarbon Ratio
In order to create the highest yield, it is essential to carefully control the steam-to-hydrocarbon ratio. The ideal ratio is different for every feedstock, but even the smallest variation can make a huge difference in furnace control.
For instance, in order to optimize severity, a deviation of even .01 from the optimal ratio costs $300,000 per year for every million tons per year capacity. Additionally, to minimize the coking rate, deviating even 1 degree from the optimal temperature costs as much as $2 million per year for every million tons per year capacity.
Achieving optimization in these processes depends on finding the right technology to deliver your results. Traditional orifice plates are difficult to install and lead to maintenance issues and measurement inaccuracy, while turbine meters start out accurate but become less so over time due to mechanical wear from moving parts.
In contrast, initial acquisition costs of Micro Motion ELITE® meters pale in comparison to the savings over time with the support of highly accurate mass measurement. These meters are the performance standard for high accuracy assurance and efficiency, with optimum turndown and scalability, earning them best-in-class for gas mass flow.
Improving Custody Transfer
The challenges associated with custody transfer fluctuate depending on the type of gas or liquid, from high vapor pressure liquids, which tend to vaporize in the line, to materials with varying density or viscosity and particles.
Customers who have compared our Coriolis meters to traditional meters have found them to be simpler and provide better accuracy. This is extremely important when it comes to delivering in a real-world setting, where field conditions are far different from a lab setting.
In one instance, a pipeline company needed greater accuracy than was provided by traditional dP meters, and it was important to also be able to check the meter accuracy and health without shutting down production. By implementing a Micro Motion ELITE CMF050 sensor, equipped with Smart Meter Verification (SMV), this company saw flow accuracy improve by two times. Additionally, their payback for the entire project was only four months ($320,000 including meter, installation, construction of a new pipeline and metering skid). When removed for proving two years later, they found it to differ by only -.06%. Smart Meter Verification had assured them of this performance over the two years and as a result, it became part of standard operating procedures to eliminate any need for additional checks between plant turnarounds.
Micro Motion delivers a canny combination of innovative technologies and years of field experience. For more information about determining the right metering technology for your operations, contact our team of experts.
