IP Library Granted Patent US 11,890,654
Granted Patent B2
US 11,890,654 · App. 17/058,088 · Granted Feb 6, 2024

System and method of cleaning fired heater coils

Inventors: Robert Victor De Lorenzo (Sugar Land, TX); Philipp Mayer (Sugar Land, TX); Arie Jacobus Van Toor (Sugar Land, TX); Benjamin David Van Veen (Sugar Land, TX); Timothy Haugen (Sugar Land, TX)
Assignee: Quest Integrity Group, LLC
B08B9/0436B08B13/00B08B2209/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,890,654
App. No.
17/058,088
Granted
Feb 6, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for cleaning coils in a fired heater is provided. The cleaning system includes a data acquisition tool configured to pass through the coils to acquire data. The cleaning system is configured to establish a pre-cleaning fouling baseline derived from the data for the coils. The cleaning system is configured to develop an optimized cleaning plan for the coils based on the pre-cleaning fouling baseline. The optimized cleaning plan includes a focused cleaning for a fouling area in the coils. The cleaning system further includes at least one cleaning pig configured to clean the coils based on the optimized cleaning plan. The cleaning system further includes a decoking truck for cleaning the coils with the cleaning pig based on the optimized cleaning plan.

Claims (62)

1. A method for cleaning coils in a fired heater, comprising:

sending a data acquisition tool through the coils to acquire data;

establishing a pre-cleaning fouling baseline derived from the data, and wherein establishing the pre-cleaning fouling baseline comprises:

identifying at least one fouling area, and

establishing a location in the coils for the at least one fouling area;

developing an optimized cleaning plan for the coils based on the pre-cleaning fouling baseline, and wherein the optimized cleaning plan comprises a focused cleaning for the at least one fouling area; and

cleaning the coils based on the optimized cleaning plan with at least one cleaning pig, and wherein the cleaning comprises:

driving the at least one cleaning pig through the coils,

performing the focused cleaning on the at least one fouling area with the at least one cleaning pig, and

monitoring the location of the at least one cleaning pig within the coils of the fired heater in real-time.

2. The method for cleaning coils of claim 1 , further comprising locating a decoking truck on-site with the fired heater, and wherein the decoking truck is used to perform the driving of the at least one cleaning pig through the coils and the monitoring the location of the at least one cleaning pig within the coils of the fired heater in real-time during cleaning the coils.

3. The method for cleaning coils of claim 2 , wherein establishing the pre-cleaning fouling baseline further comprises mapping at least one initial fouling location prior to driving the at least one cleaning pig through the coils with the decoking truck during a cleaning operation.

4. The method for cleaning coils of claim 1 , wherein the focused cleaning on the at least one fouling area of the optimized cleaning plan comprises selectively cleaning the at least one fouling area based on the pre-cleaning fouling baseline.

5. The method for cleaning coils of claim 1 , wherein cleaning the coils based on the optimized cleaning plan is performed with a plurality of cleaning pigs.

6. The method for cleaning coils of claim 1 , wherein the coils comprise a plurality of coil segments, and wherein the optimized cleaning plan further comprises:

identifying at least one of the plurality of coil segments as a fouled coil segment;

identifying at least one of the plurality of coil segments as a non-fouled coil segment;

selecting the fouled coil segments for cleaning with the at least one cleaning pig; and

selecting the non-fouled coil segments for not cleaning with the at least one cleaning pig.

7. The method for cleaning coils of claim 1 , wherein establishing the pre-cleaning fouling baseline further comprises quantifying a fouling amount.

8. The method for cleaning coils of claim 7 , wherein the developing an optimized cleaning plan for the coils is based on the fouling amount in the at least one fouling area.

9. The method for cleaning coils of claim 8 , wherein the developing an optimized cleaning plan for the coils is based on the location in the coils of the at least one fouling area and the fouling amount in the at least one fouling area.

10. The method for cleaning coils of claim 1 , further comprising performing, after cleaning the coils based on the optimized cleaning plan, a cleaning verification of the coils with an inspection tool, and wherein the cleaning verification identifies fouling of coils remaining after cleaning the coils.

11. The method for cleaning coils of claim 10 , wherein the coils comprise a plurality of coil segments, and wherein the cleaning verification comprises:

identifying at least one remaining fouling area in the plurality of coil segments after cleaning the coils based on the optimized cleaning plan;

establishing a post-cleaning fouling location for the at least one remaining fouling area; and

establishing a remaining fouling quantity for the at least one remaining fouling area.

12. The method for cleaning coils of claim 11 , further comprising generating a cleaning report displaying:

a plurality of representative coil segments corresponding to the plurality of coil segments with each of the plurality of representative coil segments individually identified; and

at least one fouling representation corresponding to the at least one remaining fouling area and the remaining fouling quantity for the at least one remaining fouling area, and wherein the at least one fouling representation is displayed adjacent to the plurality of representative coil segments to represent the at least one remaining fouling area.

13. A cleaning system for cleaning coils in a fired heater, comprising:

a data acquisition tool configured to pass through the coils to acquire data;

wherein the cleaning system is configured to establish a pre-cleaning fouling baseline derived from the data for the coils, and wherein establishing the pre-cleaning fouling baseline comprises:

identifying at least one fouling area, and

establishing a location in the coils for the at least one fouling area;

wherein the cleaning system is configured to develop an optimized cleaning plan for the coils based on the pre-cleaning fouling baseline, and wherein the optimized cleaning plan comprises a focused cleaning for the at least one fouling area;

at least one cleaning pig configured to clean the coils based on the optimized cleaning plan; and

a decoking truck for cleaning the coils based on the optimized cleaning plan and configured to drive the at least one cleaning pig through the coils to perform the focused cleaning on the at least one fouling area with the at least one cleaning pig, and to monitor the location of the at least one cleaning pig within the coils of the fired heater in in real-time.

14. The cleaning system for cleaning coils of claim 13 , wherein the at least one cleaning pig is a studded cleaning pig.

15. The cleaning system for cleaning coils of claim 13 , further comprising an inspection tool for passing through the coils, and wherein the decoking truck is configured to perform, after cleaning the coils based on the optimized cleaning plan with the inspection tool, a cleaning verification of the coils, and wherein the cleaning verification identifies fouling of coils remaining after cleaning the coils.

16. The cleaning system for cleaning coils of claim 15 , wherein the decoking truck is configured to generate a cleaning report displaying:

a plurality of representative coil segments corresponding to the plurality of coil segments with each of the plurality of representative coil segments individually identified; and

at least one fouling representation corresponding to the at least one remaining fouling area and the remaining fouling quantity for the at least one remaining fouling area, and wherein the at least one fouling representation is displayed adjacent to the plurality of representative coil segments to represent the at least one remaining fouling area.

17. A method for cleaning coils in a fired heater in a cleaning operation, comprising:

locating a decoking truck on-site with the fired heater to perform the cleaning operation;

coupling the decoking truck to the coils of the fired heater;

sending a data acquisition tool through the coils to acquire data;

establishing a pre-cleaning fouling baseline derived from the data, and wherein establishing the pre-cleaning fouling baseline comprises:

identifying at least one fouling area, and

establishing a location in the coils for the at least one fouling area;

developing an optimized cleaning plan for the coils based on the pre-cleaning fouling baseline, and wherein the optimized cleaning plan comprises a focused cleaning for the at least one fouling area; and

cleaning the coils based on the optimized cleaning plan with at least one cleaning pig, and wherein the cleaning comprises:

driving the at least one cleaning pig through the coils with the decoking truck,

performing the focused cleaning on the at least one fouling area with the at least one cleaning pig, and

monitoring with the decoking truck the location of the at least one cleaning pig within the coils of the fired heater in real-time.

18. The method for cleaning coils of claim 17 , wherein establishing the pre-cleaning fouling baseline further comprises mapping at least one initial fouling location prior to driving the at least one cleaning pig through the coils with the decoking truck during the cleaning operation.

19. The method for cleaning coils of claim 17 , wherein the focused cleaning on the at least one fouling area of the optimized cleaning plan comprises selectively cleaning the at least one fouling area based on the pre-cleaning fouling baseline.

20. The method for cleaning coils of claim 17 , wherein the coils comprise a plurality of coil segments, and wherein the optimized cleaning plan further comprises:

identifying at least one the plurality of coil segments as a fouled coil segment;

identifying at least one of the plurality of coil segments as a non-fouled coil segment;

selecting the fouled coil segments for cleaning with the at least one cleaning pig; and

selecting the non-fouled coil segments for not cleaning with the at least one cleaning pig.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT THE NATURE OF CONVEYANCE AND REPLACE ASSIGNMENT FROM QUEST INTEGRITY GROUP, LLC TO QUEST INTEGRITY USA, LLC. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 67716 FRAME: 488. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 5, 2024
From: QUEST INTEGRITY GROUP, LLC
To: QUEST INTEGRITY USA, LLC
Reel/Frame 068850/0273 →
MERGER Recorded Jun 13, 2024
From: QUEST INTEGRATED, LLC
To: QUEST INTEGRITY USA, LLC
Reel/Frame 067716/0488 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2022
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS AGENT
To: TEAM INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, INC.; QUEST INTEGRITY USA, LLC; FURMANITE WORLDWIDE, LLC; QUEST INTEGRITY GROUP, LLC
Reel/Frame 059085/0039 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 24, 2020
From: DE LORENZO, ROBERT VICTOR; MAYER, PHILIPP; VAN TOOR, ARIE JACOBUS; VAN VEEN, BENJAMIN DAVID; HAUGEN, TIMOTHY
To: QUEST INTEGRITY GROUP, LLC
Reel/Frame 054453/0006 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62676355 · May 25, 2018
Related Publication 20210213493A1 · Jul 15, 2021