Refinery water wash solutions improve corrosion control and refinery efficiency
SPRAY nozzles from Spraying Systems Co., represented in South Africa for more than 75 years by Monitor Engineering, improve water wash performance in refinery applications by helping remove salts, chlorides and contaminants from hydrocarbon streams. Effective water wash systems are critical for preventing corrosion, salt deposition and equipment fouling in refinery units such as Crude Distillation Units (CDU), Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units (FCCU) and hydrotreaters.
Advanced water wash spray nozzles for demanding refinery conditions
Monitor Engineering offers specialised hydraulic and two-fluid spray nozzles optimised for harsh refinery environments:
FullJet® Full Cone Nozzles, especially Maximum Free Passage (MFP) versions, deliver uniform coverage with large droplets at lower pressures. They resist clogging from particulates, making them ideal for VGO wash bed spray headers and overhead water wash. Wide spray angles ensure overlap and prevent dry zones that cause coke formation.
WhirlJet® Hollow Cone Nozzles provide excellent wall filming and small-to-medium drops for continuous overhead water wash. They help dissolve salts and apply corrosion inhibitors effectively.
FloMax® H Two-Fluid Nozzles use hydrogen and air for atomisation in hydrotreaters. These produce finer droplets for superior chloride scrubbing and uniform distribution, outperforming simple quills or standard nozzles that cause maldistribution and wall wetting.
Spray nozzles for refinery reliability and efficiency
Proper nozzle selection and injector design, often with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling, optimise drop size, coverage, and placement. This minimises excess free water, reduces erosion/corrosion, improves scrubber efficiency, and boosts throughput while cutting maintenance and chemical use. Spraying Systems Co injectors, lances, and quills comply with ASME standards for high-pressure, corrosive conditions.
In CDU overhead systems, water wash injection prevents acidic corrosion. In FCCU main fractionators and cokers, it controls salts and cools vapours. Advanced modelling ensures at least 20-25% free water for effective contaminant removal without pooling or carryover.
With over 90,000 products, Spraying Systems Co. provides custom solutions, testing, and validation. Their expertise helps refineries enhance reliability, sustainability, and safety in demanding water wash applications.
For specific refinery needs, consult Monitor Engineering for CFD analysis and tailored injector fabrication.
Contact Monitor Engineering’s Managing Director Grant Orsmond at grant@monitorspray.co.za
https://www.spray.com
