Hot Oil Filtration

[Spiff21]

My company is putting in a new Hot Oil Heater because they have a bad problem with coke. They also wanted to see if i could engineer a filter for the coke. I have designed the filter to be downstream of all the users so when the oil finaly got to the filter it would be all liquid instead of 2 phase mixture. What im asking is what type of filter i should use on this system.

 

[Spiff21]

P.S. the oil consists of nonanes and down.

 

[sshep]

A set of 2 med-large volume basket type filters located downstream of your circulating pumps seems most appropriate to me. You may not get all the fines removal capable with depth filtration, but they will be alot easier to maintain. What sort of requirements will you have for opening (steaming, flushing, disposal, etc) based on existing equipment in this service? These considerations may factor in as well.

What are your hot oil process conditions? I ask because nonane and lighter seems pretty volatile stuff for use as hot oil in the usual sense (typically a liquid system). For excessive coke formation I would guess you must have some heater skin temps well above what is reasonable (maybe this is the reason for new heater), or you are trying for 100% vaporization which is sure to coke the residue of poor quality oil (will have same problem even with new heater). If you are using as nonane and lighter as a vapor heat transfer medium, why was steam at suitable pressure not used?

best wishes,
ssehp

 

[djack77494]

What is the nature of the coke problems? If you can tolerate small particles, you might want to consider an inexpensive simplex or duplex strainer. Cheap, easily cleaned, easily replaced. You could easily get down to 1/8" particle removal, and probably quite a bit lower.